You are my Soul

☾hapter LXXI

Third person POV : 

Amidst the chilling revelation, Jean's grip tightened on Niccolo's shirt collar.

" What do you mean ? Zeke's spinal fluid is in the wine ?". Jean demanded, his voice filled with a mix of anger and anxiety.

Sasha, her hands trembling as she assisted Connie in rinsing Falco's mouth, couldn't hide her fear," What will happen to this kid ?".

" Again". Hange instructed Connie firmly.

Sasha soaked a cloth with water and meticulously wiped Falco's face, while Connie continued to flush his mouth.

Niccolo sighed deeply, the weight of his words evident," I don't have concrete proof, but the survey ships have been loaded with this wine from the very beginning. It contained more alcohol than any ordinary surveying voyage would require. 

And just as I settled in as the chef here, I was instructed to serve it to the military, starting with high-ranking officers".

" Who told you this ?". Jean demanded, his voice tinged with frustration.

" Yelena," Niccolo replied with a shrug." As far as I know, she acted independently. I can't speak for the other volunteers".

Hange's eyes darted toward Onyankopon, who quickly raised his hands defensively," I-I've never heard of this either !".

" None of this adds up". Sasha muttered, her anxiety growing palpable.

Connie nodded vigorously," Sasha's right ! Eldians freeze up when they ingest Zeke's spinal fluid, right ? Just like what happened in Ragako".

" That's what Zeke claims. But no one has actually witnessed it happening. There's no way to confirm," Hange theorized." However, the impact of that lie, if we all believe it, is enormous. If we believe we'll freeze up after ingesting Zeke's spinal fluid, no one would suspect they've been poisoned until symptoms appear".

" But that's just a theory, right ?". Jean pressed.

Hange nodded," Yes, it's a theory without concrete proof. But any Marleyan soldier would know how Zeke's spinal fluid has been used in the past. About ten years ago, Marley conquered an enemy nation's capital in a single night, thanks to hundreds of Titans appearing in the town. 

They merely needed to infiltrate a few hundred Eldians who had been administered Zeke's spinal fluid. Then, a single scream from Zeke was all it took to devastate the place. They must be planning something similar... 

Why else would they want high-ranking military officials to consume that suspicious wine ? It's the only explanation that makes sense to me".

The room fell into horrified silence as Niccolo's words sank in. A sense of foreboding hung heavily in the air.

Jean, struggling to process the situation, asked," When you took that wine from us earlier, was it to protect us ?".

Niccolo looked conflicted," I don't even know what I'm doing anymore. We were supposed to scout this island of devils and save the world... Now that I've shared all of this with you, I'm certain my days are numbered. 

But, Mister Braus, Sasha, or even Anelise... I can't forgive myself yet. But... I want to find some way to make amends. Trying to harm a child... What's become of me ?". His voice quivered, tears welling up in his eyes.

Sasha, showing empathy, offered reassurance," You're not a bad person, Niccolo. Everyone here knows that. Recognizing your actions as wrong is a significant step toward making amends".

Sasha's father nodded in agreement with his daughter's words before casting a concerned gaze toward the boy still lying on the floor," Hey... What will become of Ben ?".