The Basement

Chapter 3. The Basement

* * *

The plan to destroy Wall Maria went well.

Shiniro picked up Reiner, who had transformed back into human form, along with Annie and Bertolt, and placed them at the top of the wall.

The warriors of Marley looked down from the top of the wall at the scene unfolding below them.

Was this hell?

The scene below was cruel.

Titans were mercilessly devouring humans, their massive jaws ripping flesh from bone.

The air was filled with the agonizing screams of the dying, mixed with the grotesque sounds of bones crunching and flesh tearing.

Blood splattered everywhere, painting the ground in shades of red.

Limbs and body parts lay scattered, showing the brutality of the attack.

The sight was so disturbingly vivid that it was almost unbearable.

Shiniro stared blankly at the scene.

He never thought he'd see this in person.

When he saw it in the anime, he didn't realize just how disturbing it really was.

The animated version, though brutal, could never have prepared him for the raw, visceral reality of the massacre unfolding before his eyes.

He glanced at the other three.

Reiner, Annie, and Bertolt tried to maintain their composure, but Shiniro could see the guilt and shock etched into their faces.

Their eyes, wide with horror, showed their true feelings.

Even Shiniro began to feel a pang of guilt, a heavy weight settling in his chest.

But he brushed it off. He had to do what he did. It was for their mission.

"Our mission is to retake the Founding Titan and bring it back to Marley. This is just the start of our plans," Shiniro said firmly, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside him.

He looked at the other warriors and they nodded in agreement, though their expressions were strained.

Shiniro thought to himself, 'Everything after Ymir Fritz is all part of Eren's plan.'

He had to stop the Rumbling that Eren was planning.

He had to make this mission a success, even if it meant he had to be the one to inherit the Founding Titan.

"I'll go down there to have a look at how things are going. You stay here," Shiniro said to the others.

He then jumped off the wall, landing with a thud, and sprinted towards the chaos below.

As he ran through the devastated streets, the scenes of carnage only grew worse.

Buildings lay in ruins, their structures collapsed and burning.

Corpses littered the ground, some partially devoured by the Titans, others crushed under the rubble.

The acrid smell of smoke and blood filled his nostrils, making it hard to breathe.

'There is one place I need to go', Shiniro thought

He knew what he had to do.

The basement. The key to their mission lay there, and he had to reach it at all costs.

* * *

Shiniro made his way down the dark, narrow stairs leading to the basement.

Each step echoed in the confined space, heightening the tension that gripped him.

When he reached the bottom, he found the door to the basement was locked.

Without hesitation, he kicked it open with a powerful strike, the wood splintering under his force.

Inside, the basement was dimly lit and filled with various items.

Shelves lined the walls, cluttered with jars of medicine, strange tools, and dusty books.

The air was thick with the musty smell of old paper and chemicals.

Shiniro's eyes quickly scanned the room until they landed on an old wooden table in the center. He approached it with purpose

On the table lay various scattered papers and instruments.

He tried opening the drawer, but it wouldn't budge.

Frustration mounting, he forced it open, the wood creaking and splintering under his strength.

Inside the drawer, he found two books.

Shiniro's heart raced as he realized what they were.

These are the books Grisha wrote, containing everything about the outside world.

Trembling slightly, he opened one of the books.

Inside was a photograph.

He turned it around and read the inscription: "This is not a drawing. This is a picture created by light reflecting off an object..."

He knew this book was one of the biggest plot points in the original anime.

The knowledge it contained had the power to change everything.

Carefully, he placed the photograph back in the book and set it on the table.

He then sat down, his mind racing with the possibilities.

Beside the books laid a pen.

Shiniro picked it up, his grip firm.

He began to make edits to the book, altering the contents in a way that would drastically change the original plot once the Scouts managed to get their hands on it.

His hand moved steadily, each stroke of the pen precise and deliberate.

He wrote in silence, the only sound in the room the scratch of the pen against the paper.

Shiniro knew the implications of what he was doing.

The information he was altering could shift the course of their mission, potentially changing the fate of everyone involved.

But he had to do it.

It was all part of the larger plan to stop Eren and prevent the Rumbling.

As he wrote, the weight of his actions hung heavily over him.

He was no longer a passive observer in this world; he was an active participant, capable of shaping its future.

And with each word he wrote, he embraced that responsibility fully.