The morning after the wall climb, Kael woke to the sound of boots slamming against the wooden floor of the barracks. Sunlight cut through the narrow windows, and the cadets were already scrambling into their uniforms. He dressed quickly, keeping his movements ordinary, but his mind was still on the voice and the girl he had spoken to under the moon.
Shadis was in a foul mood during roll call. Too many empty spots in the lines after Trost, he growled. The weak ones are gone. The rest of you will either become soldiers or Titan shit. Today we run the forest course. Full gear. No excuses.
Kael fell into formation beside the others. Eren was ahead of him, fists clenched like he was already fighting invisible enemies. Armin stuck close, notebook tucked under his arm. Mikasa moved with her usual quiet grace, but her eyes kept flicking toward Kael, that strange recognition still there.
As they marched toward the forest, Jean muttered loud enough for half the squad to hear. Rivaille thinks he is hot shit after one lucky save. Bet he folds in the real drills.
Kael ignored him. Words meant nothing when the blood was singing.
The forest course was brutal. ODM gear hissed as cadets launched between the massive trees, blades flashing against practice targets. Kael kept his gas low and his swings controlled, slicing the wooden napes with just enough force to pass. But when a sudden gust knocked a cadet off balance and sent him swinging toward a thick branch, instinct took over.
Kael shot forward, cables singing, and caught the falling boy by the harness mid air. They landed hard on a lower limb, the impact rattling Kael's teeth.
The cadet, a freckled kid named Connie, stared at him wide eyed. Holy shit, man. You just, you moved like lightning.
Keep your gas steady next time, Kael said, helping him up. Titans do not give second chances.
Connie nodded furiously and launched away again. But the moment had been noticed. From the ground, Shadis watched with narrowed eyes. Up in the canopy, Mikasa paused on a branch, her scarf fluttering. She had seen the speed again, that unnatural flow that mirrored her own but felt older, deeper.
During the short break at the forest clearing, Eren dropped down beside Kael, sweat dripping from his brow. You are holding back. I can tell. In Trost you were a monster. Here you are playing normal.
Kael took a swig from his canteen and wiped his mouth. Playing normal keeps me alive longer.
Why hide it? Eren demanded, voice low. If you have power like that, use it to kill Titans. That is what we are here for.
Because power like mine comes with chains, Kael replied quietly. And I am done with chains.
Before Eren could push, Mikasa landed nearby, silent as ever. She looked straight at Kael. Your style. It is Ackerman. I know it. My mother taught me the name before she died. You move the same.
Kael met her grey eyes, feeling the blood pull stronger now, like two magnets finally close enough to snap together. Maybe we share something, he said carefully. Family is complicated these days.
Mikasa's hand tightened on her blade hilt. If you are hiding who you are, it will hurt the people around you. Eren. Armin. Me.
I am not here to hurt anyone, Kael said. I am here to end the hurting.
A sharp whistle cut the air. Break over. Back in the trees.
As they launched again, Kael felt the Paths flicker at the edge of his sight. Golden threads stretched between the cadets, faint but there. He saw Eren's thread burning bright with rage, Mikasa's steady and protective. And then, far off toward the training camp, another thread glowed softer, royal and fragile. Historia.
The voice returned, warm against his skull.
Blood calls to blood, Kael. The girl on the throne waits. Protect her before the shadows close in.
He pushed the voice down and focused on the course, but the warning lingered.
That evening, after dinner, the cadets gathered in small groups to talk about the future branches. Military Police, Garrison, or Survey Corps. Most dreamed of the interior walls, safe behind stone. Eren spat on that idea, swearing he would join the Survey Corps and drive the Titans back.
Kael sat apart, sharpening his blades by lantern light, when Historia approached again. She carried two mugs of weak tea and offered one to him.
You looked troubled during training, she said, sitting on the bench beside him. Is everything okay?
Kael accepted the mug, the warmth seeping into his calloused hands. Just thinking about what comes next. Walls are broken now. Safety is a lie.
Historia nodded, staring into her tea. I know what it is like to live as something others want you to be. A tool. A spare. Not a person.
He glanced at her, seeing the quiet strength under the softness. You deserve more than that, Reiss.
Her cheeks colored slightly at the use of her real name, but she did not correct him. How do you know these things about me? We barely spoke.
The blood knows, he thought, but said instead, People who hide pain recognize it in others.
They sat in comfortable silence for a while, the lantern flickering between them. Historia's shoulder brushed his once, accidental but neither pulled away. It was a small thing, but in the middle of war it felt like a candle in the dark.
Then the moment broke. A commotion rose from the main hall. Officers shouting, boots running. Kael stood instantly, blades already in hand.
What is happening? Historia asked, rising with him.
Trouble, Kael said. Stay close.
They moved toward the noise and found a group of cadets surrounding a messenger who had ridden in hard. The man was pale, uniform dusty from the road.
Colossal Titan sighted again, he panted. Not attacking yet, but scouts say it is moving toward Wall Rose. And there are reports of abnormal activity in the south. Something about a new threat inside the ranks.
Shadis pushed through the crowd. Details, soldier.
The messenger swallowed. Unknown Ackerman bloodline detected. Marleyan agents may already be inside Paradis. All cadets with unusual skills are to be questioned.
Kael felt ice slide down his spine. Zeke's eyes from the rooftop had not been idle.
Eren clenched his fists. Another Titan? We have to fight.
Mikasa was already at Eren's side, but her gaze found Kael across the room, sharp with suspicion and something like worry.
Historia touched Kael's arm lightly. You should be careful. If they are looking for someone like you.
I will be, he said. But if the shadows come for me, I will cut them first.
As the camp erupted into ordered chaos, Kael slipped toward the edge of the grounds. The Paths opened briefly, showing him threads of danger weaving closer. Marley was hunting. The royal girl needed protection. And his own blood was calling louder than ever to the one person who might understand without words.
Mikasa.
In the distance, thunder rumbled, though the sky was clear. The voice of Ymir whispered one last time that night.
The loop tightens. Choose your allies carefully, last Ackerman. Or the cage will claim you too.
Kael gripped his blades tighter and stepped into the growing dark.
The real war was no longer just outside the walls.
It had already begun inside them.