Chapter 14: Shattered Resolve

Reiner stirred, his head pounding as his senses gradually returned. "Ugh… what the heck is happening? Whe—where am I?" he groaned, his voice weak from exhaustion. Every inch of his body ached, and his attempts to open his eyes were met with darkness.

"What's happening!? I can't see!" Panic set in as he shook his head, struggling against the disorientation.

Before he could thrash further, a deep, commanding voice cut through the haze, steady and chilling. "Reiner Braun."

Reiner froze, his body going rigid. The voice was unfamiliar yet carried an authority that demanded attention.

"You're awake, huh?" the voice continued, calm yet laced with a subtle edge of menace. "I see you arrived at the wall safely. Too bad your plan to destroy it went… unsuccessful."

Reiner's breath hitched. His heart raced as the realization hit—he was captured. Panic surged through him. "Wh-who are you?! How do you know we were coming?!" he shouted, his voice trembling with shock and desperation.

The voice gave no immediate answer. Instead, there was a brief silence before it commanded, "Remove the blindfold."

A soldier stepped forward, saluted sharply, and moved to untie the fabric covering Reiner's eyes. The blindfold fell away, and the sudden brightness stung his unadjusted vision. He groaned, squinting as his surroundings came into focus.

What he saw made his blood run cold.

He was surrounded by an army of Scout Regiment soldiers, their grim faces fixed on him. In the center of the camp, before him, sat three figures of terrifying authority: Captain Erwin Smith, calm and composed on a wooden chair, flanked by Captain Levi, whose cold eyes glared daggers, and Captain Hange, who regarded Reiner with unsettling curiosity.

Reiner realized he was kneeling, bound to a wooden block with his hands tied tightly behind his back. He tried to move, to break free, but his bonds held firm.

Erwin leaned forward slightly, his piercing gaze unwavering. "Nice to meet you, Reiner Braun. Perhaps this is your first time meeting us," he said with a faint smile.

Reiner snarled. "How do you know we're coming? Is there a traitor among us?! Impossible! You weren't supposed to know about us! Eldians!"

Despite his defiance, his smaller, juvenile frame made his struggles futile.

Hange chuckled lightly, pushing her glasses up her nose. "Oh, Reiner, you'll find there's a lot we know… perhaps more than you'd like."

Levi crossed his arms, his sharp tone cutting through. "Don't waste your breath trying to figure it out. You won't like the answers."

Reiner's panic boiled into anger. "You think you've captured me? You've made a fatal mistake!" His lips curled into a twisted smile. "You didn't bother to restrain my mouth. Watch this!"

He tilted his head back and bit down hard on his tongue, bracing for the familiar surge of power that would transform him into the Armored Titan. But nothing happened.

Confused, he tried again, biting harder. Still, nothing.

"What… what's happening?!" he gasped, his voice cracking. "Why can't I turn into the Armored Titan?!"

Erwin's calm voice broke the silence. "It's useless, Reiner. You no longer possess the power of the Armored Titan. If you did, we wouldn't have left your mouth free or avoided securing every part of your body capable of inducing injury."

Reiner froze, his mind reeling.

Hange stepped closer, crouching down to his eye level. Her smile was both playful and unnerving. "Notice anything unusual, Reiner? Look at your body—every wound you had is completely healed."

Reiner's eyes darted to his arms and torso. She was right. The injuries he sustained during their earlier battle were gone, as if erased.

"It's her…" he muttered, his voice low. "That girl… she did something to me…"

From behind him came a muffled sound. "Hmm-mmm!" It was Bertholdt, bound even more securely, with thick straps over his mouth and body. He writhed in place, but his restraints allowed no movement. Annie sat silently nearby, glaring with cold calculation.

Reiner twisted his head toward the sound. "Bertholdt! Annie!" he shouted, desperation seeping into his voice.

Bertholdt's terrified eyes locked onto Reiner, and his muffled cries grew louder. Annie didn't respond, her face a mask of indifference, though her tense posture betrayed her awareness of the situation.

Erwin leaned back, his expression unreadable. "It's over, Reiner. You and your companions won't be leaving here with your powers or your secrets. Now… let's talk."