Attack on Titan: Before the Fall (Manga)

Attack on Titan: Before the Fall (進撃の巨人 Before the fall) is a currently ongoing manga by Satoshi Shiki, based on the light novels by Ryou Suzukaze. This manga serves as an official prequel to main story by Hajime Isayama. There are currently eight chapters and a prologue published.

Kodansha USA has licenced this manga and has distributed it starting March, 2014.

Plot
The story begins just inside Wall Maria, a human head is thrown from outside the wall, Elena Munsell recognises it as the head of her husband, Heath. Some time later Elena stands at the front of a titan worshiping cult demanding that the gate be opened. After decapitating a royal government official, the cult opens the gate, letting a Titan in. The Titan kills many, including Elena and most of the cultists. After the titan had ventured back outside the wall two soldiers, Sorum Humé and Carlo Pikale, discover the corpse of Elena with her child still alive inside her.

13 years later a nobleman illegally purchases Kuklo from the black market, believing him to be an actual titan. He takes him to the cellar and chains him to the wall, to starve and wallow in his own filth. After a while, the nobleman takes his son, Xavi, down to abuse Kuklo.

This continues until the nobleman's daughter, Sharle, goes down to the cellar, scared out of her wits and meaning to kill Kuklo, but instead sees him as a human and makes an alliance with him. She spends weeks educating Kuklo, first in how to speak english and then later on about the state of the world and the titans. One day they get the news Sharle is going to be married off. After careful planning the two decide to escape during a 3 day storm.

Whilst waiting for Sharle on the night of their escape, a hooded figure enters the cell. Upon kneeling and releasing Kuklo from his bindings, the figure reveals himself to be a member of the titan worshiping cult and that his comrades are administering 'Heaven's punishment' to the people who locked Kuklo up. Kuklo breaks his shackles and defeats the cultist, sprinting upstairs to save Sharle.

Kuklo defeats the remaining cultists that Xavi hadn't killed, and is then slashed in the eye by the sadistic brother. Kuklo attacks Xavi, rendering him unconsious and escapes with Sharle.