[This is something that Armin finds very difficult to talk about. Eren would like all of them to believe that he's always been this way too, but is that really true? He certainly wasn't such a shell of a person back when they were both Scouts. Aubrey says she can't sense his passion now, but back then, anyone who met Eren knew instantly what his motivations were.

[Because he wasn't quiet about them. He still isn't. He wants to kill his enemy. He wants retribution. He wants freedom at any cost.

[Armin takes a deep breath.]

In ways, I...guess he has, yeah...

[God, but it's a miserable thing to admit. There's no way - no way his lifelong friend has always been the type of person who would commit genocide - slaughter men, women, and children with reckless abandon.

[Then again, it's not as if this is the first time Eren's ignored innocent collateral for the sake of his larger goal. Armin's done the same...

[He feels sick.]

He thinks it's the only option. I know that much.

He hasn't listened to reason - not yet, but I...

[Staring down at his hands again. They cradle each other.]

I'm going to convince him. I have to.

I can't let him do this...