Ever since Eren could remember, he was always fast.

Faster than other children his age, faster than the people around him. His parents had a hard time chasing after him once he could run. Even Hannes and his colleagues couldn't catch up to him in a race ― and it was when he was ten.

Even Mikasa, although he was very behind her when it comes to brute strength, had a hard time keeping pace with him once he had a quick start.

There was a reason for this. When he was six, Armin had said once that he ran differently than others ― and that probably what made him quick on his feet.

He took it to heart ever since.

Because being different meant that he was special. After all, not everyone could win in a race against adults like him, right?

And so he ran every day, in order to not lose his only edge.

Because this was his only talent and perhaps the only thing that made him special.

He didn't exactly want to lose it.

Year 849th - Trost District

"Wait!"

A light running in the morning started it all.

It was a day off for every trainee. Everyone was free to do anything for the day. The majority would laze around. The majority would fool around.

But not him, of course. To Eren Yeager, a day off without running is a definite no-no. Unthinkable.

Yesterday, he had took a permission to train with the gear on ― as it wouldn't do if his body became weaker, even for a little ― from the Instructor by the name of Keith Shadis. The Three-Dimensional Maneuver Gear requires very high agility, top-notch stamina, core strength, good balance, and extraordinary reaction time. It was very demanding, indeed, so he didn't want to neglect training.

This also was the only time when he could let all his pent-up emotions go, because no one's watching.

Well, he had kept it quiet from others, so no Mikasa or Armin interrupting. He had it in mind not to boast. Broadcasting his effort in self training would only invite strange looks and sneers from them (Jean and the others who had the similar mindset that going to the Inner Wall is safe and all that jazz), saying that he was in hurry to die just because he wanted to join the Survey Corps, so he refrained himself from telling anyone.

Eren kept his chin high as his eyes went up to see the sky bathed in the warm light of the morning sun.

The light ― it felt like hope to him. It reminded him of the goal to take back of what was taken away from him.

His mother, his home, his rights.

His dream.

Eren couldn't throw away the desire of being the best of the best. And so he pressured himself with training that would make most trainees cry. He would train until the sun sets. Every day.

At least with this, he would be closer to the goal of exterminating them. The goal of retaking his home back and the goal to see the outside world would be next after that.

It wasn't normal as this wasn't something anyone without a strong drive would do. No one would go this extreme. Even Jean, who wanted to enter the Military Police, wouldn't exert this kind of effort.

The reason Eren was exerting all his physical and mental power in order to master the gear was; being better than everyone meant that the chance of him completely exterminating them from this world wouldn't be slim.

That, and he couldn't sit still and do nothing.

"Wait! You dropped this, Eren!"

Hearing his name didn't stop him but it did make him look to the direction of the voice.

It was a girl wearing the standard uniform for a soldier. That blonde hair, that blue eyes, that short posture. Definitely her.

"Krista?" Eren murmured. His feet became glued to the ground once he saw what she was waving at him.

Once she caught up to him, Krista showed what was in her hand while also catching her breath.

"Y-you're fast... Eren..." Krista forced out while still panting. She was soon startled as Eren snatched what he had dropped from her hand. It was noted, though, that his fingertips were lightly brushing against hers. For a moment, the image of a black haired girl flashed in her mind. "H-huh?"

"This key...! Geez, did I really drop this?" It was the key to the basement. A momento of sort from his missing father. Apparently, he forgot to wear this on his neck today and it fell from his pants' pocket. "This is really important to me. So, thanks."

Eren resumed his run shortly thereafter, leaving Krista who stared blankly at his back.

Tending to the horses, petting the local cats, seeing the birds flying, watching the sky, taking a sniff of the unique scents of the plants and flowers around.

Animals and Nature were her solace.

So one day, when Krista spotted him, she knew what his was.

It was running.

The image of the black haired girl forgotten, Krista focused on him.

"I wonder," her lips stretched into a smile as she eyed him, "what does it feel like to have a goal?"

Even without knowing him personally, Krista knew.

He was running. With a purpose. Towards something someone like her could never understand or have.

Her stomach churned at the thought. No, not out of hunger or anything ― it was more like a pang of something resonated inside of her but not exactly.

"What is this feeling?" Krista raised her hand, as if to touch the birds flying above her. "I don't know. I guess... it'd feel nice to have a purpose. Maybe it feels good. Well, maybe like you guys when flying, that kind of thrill? Like when feeling the air brushing against my skin while using the gear. Something like that."

The birds flew away to the distance.

She stood still for a moment. Then, she replayed the way Eren ran in her mind.

It was something she had observed unconsciously, after all the times seeing him running from the corner of her eye.

Krista breathed in deeply before she dashed forward towards him.

Towards Eren.