Attack on Titan: Secrets of Marley (SNK x OC)

Chapter 7: Shadows among the Walls

The sun was slowly rising over the horizon, bathing the vast plains in golden light. The light morning breeze carried with it the familiar smells of the countryside: freshly cut grass, hay, and the sweet scent of freshly milked milk. For a week, Gray, Reiner, Annie and Bertolt had been blending into the mass of refugees, hiding their true identities under the guise of rural work. Every day, they joined the other villagers in the fields, hands in the soil, muscles sore from physical labor, but minds sharpened by the urgency of their mission.

That morning, like all the others, they stood in the middle of the fields, their backs bent under the weight of toil. Their hands, once dedicated to wielding weapons, were now covered in dirt, busy pulling weeds and harvesting vegetables. Reiner stood a little way off, loading heavy sacks of potatoes into a cart, while Gray helped milk the cows with Annie, further back in the barn. Bertolt, silent as usual, was busy carrying buckets of water to the animals.

- It's been a week already... Gray murmured, glancing at Reiner, his words barely audible beneath the whisper of the wind. I want to go home...

Annie, concentrating on the milking, nodded without looking up, - And still no sign of the Founding.

- We have to be patient, Bertolt replied, coming closer with a half-filled bucket. If we hurry, we risk ruining everything.

Reiner, hearing the conversation from afar, wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and approached them, a serious look on his face, - But we can't stay here forever. The authorities will notice something if we don't do something.

Gray nodded, well aware of the danger around them, - They just think we're refugees, for now. But the longer we stay, the more risks we take.

Bertolt nodded, - Yeah, we'd better get along if they ask us where we're from. I'm from south of the Wall in a small village.

- I'll come from the same place, said Reiner.

- Me too, agreed Gray.

Annie finally raised her head, her gaze hard and calculating, - We've got to be ready. As soon as the slightest clue presents itself, we have to act.

Reiner sighed, fatigue showing in his eyes, - I hate this waiting. Everything could change at any moment, and here we are, playing the peasant...

- It's all part of the plan, Bertolt replied calmly, trying to ease Reiner's anxiety. We have to blend in, wait for the right moment. It's only a matter of time before something happens.

Annie stared at Reiner, her gaze piercing his, - You've got to hang in there, Reiner. If you crack now, everything we've done will be for nothing.

Reiner swallowed, feeling the weight of his companions' expectations on his shoulders, - I know. But every day here reminds me how important our mission is. If we fail...

- We won't fail, Gray cut him off in a firm voice, trying to chase away the doubts that threatened to overwhelm them, We're too close to our goal. We can't afford to fail. And what's more, I don't want us to have come here, to live among these rotten demons, for nothing.

A silence fell between them, each deep in thought. The countryside, so peaceful on the surface, concealed a palpable tension, a storm ready to erupt at any moment.

Finally, Annie broke the silence, her words as sharp as a blade, We continue to play our part. We stay invisible, we watch, and as soon as an opportunity presents itself, we strike. Until then, we have to prepare for the worst.

Gray nodded, finishing milking the last cow, - And in the meantime... we work.

Reiner clenched his fists, resolute, - Yes, we're working. But make no mistake, this waiting is just a stage. Our real mission's about to begin.