Visions of the Future

Genshi no Mirai (幻視の未来) is the 2nd chapter of the 5th volume and the 15th chapter overall of the Before the Fall manga, written by Ryō Suzukaze and illustrated by Satoshi Shiki.

Summary
While eating together in Xenophon Harkimo's workshop, Kuklo begins to grow worried by Sharle Inocencio's cold treatment of everyone. When asked by Xenophon, Jorge Pikale reveals that he will be departing in the morning to return to his duties as Trainee Instructor in Holst District. When Xenophon mentions The Device, Sharle grows agitated and leaves. As Sharle makes tea, she begins to feel guilty for her behavior. However, remembering the feeling of waiting for Kuklo to return from beyond the Walls, Sharle becomes determined to stop Kuklo from joining the Survey Corps.

Sneaking into Xenophon's office, Sharle prepares to smash The Device, hoping that without it Kuklo will lose his reason to join the Corps, but is unable to bring herself to destroy it. She is surprised by Kuklo, who arrives to apologize for his late arrival from the Survey Corps expedition that he stowed away on. As Kuklo explains that he was worried that Sharle might have been angry at him for never apologizing, Sharle begins to cry as she explains that she had simply been afraid that he wouldn't return. As she cries, Kuklo apologizes, and promises to tell her what happened on the expedition.

After hearing about Kuklo's time on the expedition, Sharle wants to know why he still wants to join the Survey Corps. To her surprise, Kuklo reveals, after some consideration, that its because he loves the people of the world. After years observing the outside world from his cage, Kuklo became fascinated with everything it had to offer, but he was only able to fully understand all of these things after he met Sharle, who taught him how to speak.

As Kuklo recalls all of the people who gave aid to the two of them while they were on the run, Sharle points out that her brother and father were cruel to him, but Kuklo reveals that he does not hate either of them. He reveals that Xavi was the first person who beat him with his fists, rather than weapons, and that the only time he ever truly sensed any malice from Xavi was when The Titan Cult invaded the Inocencio estate. He reveals that he even liked Sharle's father Dario, because he was able to tell that Dario at least cared for his children. When Sharle protests that Dario only cared for Xavi, Kuklo presents her with the knife she gave him. He reveals, to her surprise, that the knife had injured a Titan during the expedition beyond the Walls. Kuklo then reveals to Sharle that Xenophon recognized her knife, as it was of his own design, and that he had once sold one like it to Dario, who hoped that a knife with the ability to hurt Titans would help ease Sharle's deep fear of Titans.

Kuklo tells Sharle that he had hoped that, since humans and Titans look similar, they would share similar emotions. However, after seeing that they possess no emotions, he has become convinced that they should no exist. He reveals that, now that he has seen them, he cannot let them continue to live on so close, and pose a threat to the Walls. Sharle insists that Kuklo does not have to continue fighting, but Kuklo insists that he does. He does, because he's sure that one day the Titans will succeed in breaching the Walls again.