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The year 845 was the most tragic year for Paradis Island. It was when Wall Maria fell to the wrath of the titans lurking outside. The walls had stood for so long that Kiara Blackbeak didn't even know there was life before the walls were built. That was until she reached the ripe age of 10 and she began to hear news of titans attacking. Living in Mitras, as part of upper society, Kiara never heard much of the titans. She knew they existed, and that they prowled outside of the walls. Yet, she paid no mind to the idea of them as they did not affect her so much.
When Wall Maria fell, the survivors began moving in toward Wall Rose. The impact of losing control over Wall Maria was felt instantly by the peasants. Starvations plagued the people, and although Kiara still had her belly full, she certainly felt a change wavering over. Out of pure curiosity, she began investigating the mysteries that laid beyond Mitras--despite her mother and father's demands to never step foot beyond the capital, her home.
What she saw was horrifying. The crying children begging for crumbs was nothing in comparison to the hundreds of dead bodies being wheeled in by the military from the gate. Calling Kiara traumatized was an understatement. She had never seen so much suffering in her entire, royally comfortable, life before. And it irked her she hadn't known about what the people were going through beyond her city.
"You knew, all along about these--these titans?! And not once did you bother to tell me about them?" Kiara shouted at her mother, frustrated that they could've done something to help.
"Sweetheart, I don't want you stressing over these things, as they are not our problem," Kiara's mother's soothing voice cooed out.
Kiara clenched her jaw, furious her mother was merely brushing the matter off. "Have you seen them? They're hungry, mother! They're starving while they watch their families die fighting those beasts!"
Kiara's mother simply ignored Kiara, humming a soft tune as she prepared supper for their family of three. Kiara grunted. "If you're not going to do anything, I will!"
Kiara's mother snapped her head back over to her daughter, her eyes darkening as she gazed upon her creation. "I would like to see you try," she spoke lowly, in a challenging way.
Kiara wasn't one to take words lightly. She held onto those fighting words for every day she possibly could. She researched every possible detail about the titans for a year and what she could do to help those people. And that's when she figured it out--she needed to join the Survey Corps. She knew she only had two other options: Military Police and Garrison. But, with her research, she learned both branches were simply full of cowardly drunkards. She had tried to shadow some of the Military Police in her town, but, all they would do was sit around near the pub drinking ale until the sunset. It clearly wasn't what Kiara was looking for.
* * *
Year 847.
"Kiara Blackbeak!" Kiara heard her father shout from the lower level of her home.
Kiara felt her heart drop. She knew exactly what her father had just discovered. Crap, I didn't wake up early enough to gather the mail before him. She groaned.
"Yes?" She squeaked out.
"Come here, now!!" Her father roared out.
Quickly, she scurried down to the kitchen where her father held up a letter--congratulating Kiara on her induction to the Training Corps. Kiara felt her blood flush down to her feet. "What is the meaning of this?" He growled.
Kiara bit the insides of her cheeks until she tasted her blood. "Is this why for the past year you've been training yourself? And here I thought you were merely exercising," he huffed, pushing his glasses closer to his eyes, "your mother and I will simply not allow this."
"Why not?!" Kiara exclaimed.
"Because, Kiara, only poor and orphaned children go to the military!"
"You and mom make me wish I was an orphan..." Kiara mumbled under her breath, folding her arms across her chest.
"What was that?"
"Nothing, nothing."
"You have no need to go, soon, your mother and I will arrange a marriage with a wealthy fellow's son. You will be happy, and comfortable--"
"MARRIAGE?! No, no, no, no, oh my lord, NO! I think I'm going to vomit," Kiara pretended to gag, throwing her arms out frantically.
"Enough of the nonsense, Kiara!"
"Well, I'm going... anyway."
"Over my dead body." Her father warned.
"Guess I'm just going to have to kill you," Kiara paused with a devilish smirk playing across her lips, "I am only joking."
"You've always been one with the violent jokes, it's not very charming, dear. Joining the military would be a disgrace to our family name, we are not laborers Kiara."
"It would only be a hobby," Kiara shrugged.
"A hobby that would bring back your outburst. Do you remember those? We worked so hard to keep you from getting violent again, only for you to regress by joining the military? I'm done explaining all the reasons why you can't go. You're simply not going." Her father tossed away the letter into the rubbish bin.
Kiara smirked, calmly. "Fine."
Her father rose a curious brow at her. "Fine?"
"Fine."
* * *
It was not fine. At exactly midnight, Kiara shoved all of her belongings into luggage and fled her home on horseback. The moment her father told her she wasn't allowed to go, she had already begun to plan her escape. It wasn't the safest plan, but, she couldn't care less--as long as she got to join the training corps, she was satisfied.
It was only a day's ride to arrive at the southern division training corps. It was far enough away from the inner cities so that no one there would recognize her as she trained. This was important so no one would out her whereabouts to her parents. She knew her parents would eventually find her, as they knew she was joining the training corps, but, since she chose the farthest location--she doubted they'd find her any time soon.
Upon arrival, she met with a commanding officer. "Did you receive a letter?"
Kiara nodded at him and handed him the paper. His eyes glossed over the acceptance letter--knowing it was the same letter sent to every recruit as they were all accepted into the training corps. "We start next week. Any reason as to why you're so early?"
"Same reason as everyone else here; needed food and shelter."
And that was enough to stop the officer from questioning her. She blended in quite well with the others. She even went so far with her discreteness to change her name to Kiara Tyndall so that it wouldn't be so easy for her parents to discover her whereabouts.
