Juliet Diekman is the daughter of a well-respected Marleyan scientist who works alongside the military.
In a new proposal, he is asked to go on an expedition to Paradis for research purposes before planning their big attack. He agrees, only if his b...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
━━━━━━
A PALE LIGHT FILTERED THROUGH THE BARRED window of Juliet's room. It was a slight improvement from the cell, with a more comfortable bed. The door was locked from the outside and a Scout was posted outside the door at all times. It was a constant reminder of her captivity. The silence was broken by a sudden, firm knock on the door.
Juliet, who had been sitting on the edge of the bed, lost in thought, snapped her head up. Her heart rate quickened slightly, the unexpected sound pulling her back to the present. She stared at the door, wondering who it could be and what they wanted this time.
Soon the door was heard swinging open. Hange and Armin entered the room, both wearing their green Scout coats, belts holding them together at their waists.
"Hey," Hange greeted with a warm, but authoritative tone. They glanced around the room, then back at Juliet, "How are you finding the room? We tried to make it as comfortable as possible for you, given the circumstances."
Juliet sets herself back down on the bed and looks around the room again, taking in the small improvements compared to her previous cell. The bed was certainly more comfortable, and the room itself felt less oppressive.
"It's better than anything I expected to be in," Juliet replies, her voice steady but cautious, "Thanks."
Hange nods, a faint smile on their lips, "I'm glad to hear that." Armin steps forward, his eyes meeting Juliet's with a reassuring look.
"Let's get down to business," they said, her tone serious, "The reason we've come here today is to give you a chance to cooperate with us."
Juliet listened intently, her apprehension growing. She knew this moment would come when they would ask for her cooperation, but she still felt a pang of uncertainty.
Hange continued, their eyes locked onto hers, "We're going to meet with another Marleyan soldier who has been cooperating with us for some time. This meeting will further help us plan our next steps in how to defend ourselves against the nations coming at us. As a Marleyan Warrior, your insight and knowledge, are valuable to us. We need to know the most likely approach Marley will take, and how best to counter it."
"We're not asking you to betray your nation," Hange said, their voice softening slightly, "We're asking you to help us understand and find a way to survive."
"But..." they mutter, "We can't force you to cooperate. Nevertheless, we hope you can at least come and take the opportunity to see how far we've come."
Juliet nodded slowly, absorbing Hange's words. She felt a mix of emotions—fear, guilt, hope, and a reluctant sense of duty. She knew the path ahead wouldn't be easy, but perhaps this was her chance to make a difference, to find some semblance of redemption.
"I'll come," she said quietly, her voice steady despite the storm of emotions within her, "Anything's better than being stuck in here."
Armin stepped forward, his demeanor gentle yet firm. He held out a set of folded clothes to Juliet. "Here," he said softly, "We brought you these. It's something for you to change into if you'd like to change of course."
