The Island of Devils

Chapter 26

Historia and Kaya arrived at the old village where Kaya used to stay, and Kaya explained her story to Gabi and Falco. "This village used to be my home. Four years ago, a Titan showed up here. The villagers ran when they saw it and left behind my mom, who couldn't run."

Kaya moved grass out of the way to show Falco and Gabi the village. There were shown walking through the village.

"There was nothing I could do so I sat down." Kaya's old house is shown, on the inside grass started to grow over all the rubble. "From right here, I sat and listened to my mom get eaten." They stared at the house. "She was alive the whole time it happened. Eventually, she went silent. I think she screamed until she lost her voice."

Falco's eyes were emotional while Gabi's eyes were wide.

"They say humanity outside the walls thinks that were devils." Falco looked at Gabi as they listened to Kaya. "But I don't understand why we're hated so much. Mia, Ben. Tell me. What exactly did my mom do?" Kaya begged them. "What did she do to be hated so much?"

Gabi looked at her intensely as her eyes widened. "Your kind slaughtered people for thousands of years."

"Thousand of years?" Kaya asked her.

"Don't tell me you forgot it!" Gabi said. Falco stared between the two back and forth in a slight panic.

Gabi stared at her angrily as she continued. "Eldians used the Power of the Titans to trample the world for millennia! They wiped out other cultures, forced them to bear their children, and murdered endless droves of people!" Gabi yelled at her as she exploded with rage. "Stop playing the victim!"

"My mom was born and raised here." Kaya argued back. "She never did anything like that."

"But a century ago, the sins of your ancestors were terrible and great!"

"A century ago? What about the people who live now? How have we sinned?" Kaya asked her full of emotion.

"Not long ago, you guys trampled my home." Gabi exclaimed.

"My mom was killed four years ago, so it's not her fault."

Gabi's resolve began to break as she tried to explain it to Kaya. "I'm telling you, your ancestors killed people all over the-"

"My mom didn't kill anyone!" Kaya screamed desperately. She grabbed Gabi's shoulders and continued to scream at her. "Answer me, Mia! Why did my mom have to suffer like that?!" Gabi stared at her emotionally as Kaya shook her shoulders. "There has to be a reason! It's crazy if there's not!" Tears were in Kaya's eyes. "Why was my mom eaten alive, huh?! Why was she killed?! Huh, why?!"

She continued to shake her as Gabi stared at her in anger, confusion, and shock. Falco spoke up again as the girls just stared at each other. "It was recon-in-force. The invasion of Paradis four years ago was staging for a larger attack." Falco stated sadly as he looked down, then he looked up at her and continued. "You and your mother were caught up in it. Your mom didn't do anything wrong. I'm sorry." Falco said with guilt and remorse.

After that Kaya sat down on the ground, griefing.

Gabi looked at him angrily. "You're leaking secrets to the enemy and why apologize?"

"Thanks for letting me know, Ben." Kaya thanked him. "But it's weird for you to apologize for Marley. You were just born there." Kaya started to walk out of the house with Historia.

"So how did you manage to escape and survive?" Falco asked her.

Kaya stopped and turned to them. "A girl a bit older than I am now grabbed a hatchet and started hitting the Titan."