The afternoon sun beat down on the training field, casting long shadows over the rows of cadets as they struggled to stay upright in their ODM harnesses.

Vivienne clenched her teeth, trying to regain her balance as the wires pulled taut. She managed to stabilise herself for a few seconds, but her posture wavered. Her eyes darted over to Sasha—the potato girl—who was swinging idly in the air, staring up at the sky as if she had nothing better to do. Vivienne had heard she came from a village of hunters. A solid background, one that certainly gave her an advantage in training. Tracking opponents, predicting movements—Sasha would have no trouble with any of it.

A twinge of jealousy prickled at Vivienne. What made her so different?

She bit her lip, glancing around. Everyone else seemed to have turned the corner to success. Even Eren, who had struggled at first, appeared to have found his footing. Only a few cadets still wavered in their harnesses. She hadn't grown up in a hunting village, hadn't faced hardship like many of her peers. Everything had always been handed to her. If she wanted something, she almost always got it. That was the stark difference between her and the others.

What did she have to offer that they didn’t?

Frustration stirred inside her. Were the others right to look down on her? She hated to admit it, but in moments like this, she felt alone. The sounds of training faded into the background.

Was she just a spoiled noble girl who had no place here?

No.

That wasn’t good enough.

She had to do better.

Taking a deep breath, she tensed her body, focusing on her balance just as the instructors had taught her.

Then a voice cut through the air.

"Careful, Princess. Wouldn’t want you landing on your ass."

Vivienne jerked her head to the side.

Jean stood a few feet away, perfectly balanced, arms crossed, his usual cocky grin firmly in place.

She rolled her eyes. "You really are fixated on where I land, aren’t you?"

Jean blinked. Then, to her surprise, his grin faltered slightly.

Vivienne smirked, pleased with herself.

But before she could gloat, Jean leaned forward, his expression turning more serious.

"Listen," he said, lowering his voice so only she could hear. "I don’t care where you come from or how much money your family has. But you want to join the Survey Corps. That means you can’t afford to be anything less than perfect."

Vivienne stiffened, her gaze dropping slightly.

She knew that. She had always known.

There were so many reasons she couldn’t afford to be anything less than perfect—her background, the expectations placed on her, the monsters she had to face. She couldn’t hesitate in battle. She couldn’t afford weakness.

One wrong move, one wrong breath—

And it would be over.

Still, it was a different feeling to hear it from him—the unfiltered honesty in his voice.

Jean raised his hand and tilted his head slightly to the side. "Besides, we need talented soldiers so I can enjoy my life as an MP in peace and not have to worry about a Titan attack inside my walls."

His words… She couldn't explain why, but they stirred something in her. Vivienne rolled her eyes again and held his gaze. "I will."

Jean exhaled and shook his head. "Tch. You nobles always talk big."

She gripped the trigger. "Then shut up and watch me prove it."

And before he could say anything else, she leapt forward—the cables whistling as she soared through the air. Vivienne smiled with confidence. But her smile quickly faded as she plummeted straight to the ground.

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Silence. And more silence. A deep silence.

Jean coughed before bursting into laughter, his voice loud and unrestrained. A heat rose inside her, and her cheeks flushed. I really hate him!

It wasn't long before Shadis’ voice snapped through the air. "Vivienne D'Aubigne! Why are you sitting on the floor staring into the ether?!"

She didn't know what was worse—Jean's laughter and the fact that she'd really fallen flat on her ass in front of him, or that her instructor was making an example of her in front of everyone. Ashamed, she stood up. The grins of the other cadets were not lost on her.

After the training session—which she wished she could erase from existence—Vivienne sat on the grass and stared at her ODM. Or, more precisely, her ODM: Omni-Directional Mobility Gear. An unnecessarily long name for a piece of equipment. A name only someone in her family could have come up with.

Was it a cruel joke of fate? Was it a test? Was it karma?

Vivienne didn’t know. But what she did know was that the ODM was the pride of her entire family.

How do you defeat a Titan?

It was a question that had been asked for generations, and to this day, no one had a precise answer.

What had always existed throughout history, however, were people with a purpose, with dedication. Dedication to making a difference. Dedication to making the impossible possible.

The blacksmith struck the hot sword with his hammer. Mankind had learned early on that the best weapon against a great monster was a sharp blade. Curious eyes watched him from the corner. Eyes that were not blinded by the world around them.

"How fast is a Titan?"

"Can Titans climb?"

"So Titans can't turn quickly?"

"Is it best to attack from behind?"

Every time one of the brave ones came to collect their swords, the child would ask new questions—questions no one else thought to ask.

Time passed, but the curiosity remained in the eyes of the now-grown adult. "So you kill a Titan by cutting its throat. But how do you get to the neck?"

That question consumed him. He couldn’t stop thinking about it. The brave always rode their horses into the unknown. Horses were the fastest means of transport—they could outrun some Titans. But they couldn't fly. They couldn't jump high. They couldn't climb or take you up trees.

What if you had something that could do just that?

Something that not only made you faster…

Something that could almost make you fly…

Something that could bring you closer to freedom.

And with that drive for the impossible, the ODM was born.

Everyone doubted it, called the inventor a dreamy idiot. The people within the walls had always been blind. They didn’t want to see. Or maybe they just couldn’t see. But one of the brave was impressed by the dreamer’s devotion. Dedicating his whole life to one thing, one goal—it was something the brave one could relate to.

The result was revolutionary.

The military, the police, the Wall guards—they were more enthusiastic than ever. Success in achieving the impossible brought wealth, reputation, a title that her family still held to this day.

Vivienne could remember her father and uncle staying up all night, tinkering with various pieces of equipment. There was a sparkle of devotion and curiosity in their eyes—like a child playing with his favourite toy. They would proudly show off their new creations.

The urge to improve, to fix, was part of her identity. The many times her father sat her on his lap, helping her repair her own toys, now felt like a bitter memory. He had always smiled so cheerfully at her when she managed to do it on her own.

Ironically, her father had an ODM locked away in a cupboard in his study.

How could it be that one of her ancestors had invented the ODM, yet she was so bad at using it?

The setting sun kissed her cheeks as she fiddled with the triggers, gripping the controller. Vivienne looked down thoughtfully. Her finger had to exert a lot of pressure just to press the trigger at all. That took time and concentration—resources that could be used to either survive or fight. She frowned. Why is it so damn hard to press you? What do you have inside?

Vivienne went into the hut and retrieved a small toolbox. She hadn't brought a full kit with her and hadn’t really expected to ever use it. But after all, she was an engineer’s daughter.

Determined, she sat back down outside and stared at her ODM gear. She picked up the controller. I wonder what you look like on the inside.

Trapped in her thoughts, the world around her disappeared. Her emerald eyes were focused, her hands steady as she worked to take the controller apart. Vivienne pursed her lips. You really are persistent.

Her eyes sparkled, and a small smile spread across her lips.

"Gotcha!"

Armin and Eren strolled through the area on their way to get something to eat.

"Hm?" Eren stopped and looked into the distance. "Isn't that Vivienne?"

Armin followed his gaze and nodded. "Looks like it."

"What's she doing there?"

"I'm not sure," Armin replied, "but from what I’ve heard, she’s struggling with her ODM training."

Eren's gaze lingered on the noble girl, unreadable. Then he turned away and walked off with Armin.

Vivienne, still grinning down at her work, hadn't noticed their glances.

"Well, let’s see how you can make my life easier..."