A Picture Paints A Thousand Words

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(Levi's P.O.V)

I could practically tell he was sleeping. His presence was easier for me to detect when he wasn't conscious.

So, I closed my eyes, allowing myself to 'dream' as well.

I laughed along with Furlan as Isabel climbed on our father's shoulders to try and place the star on the tree.

"Papa, I can do it if Levi can!"

Furlan rolled his eyes as little redhead leaned into the tree, trying hard to get her short arms to reach the tip.

"Isabel, you're going to knock over the entire tree. Just let Levi do it."

"No, Furlan! I can do anything Levi can!"

I found myself smiling at her naivety, even though, myself only being eleven, was still pretty naive myself.

"Yes, you can, chère." My mother spoke from her seat in the armchair, a small smile on her face.

Isabel grinned and reached up the last bit, placing the golden star on top of the Christmas tree.

My father lowered her with a smile, and Uncle Jaeger clapped, laughing in a way that could only be described as jolly.

"Mama," Furlan had cut in. "Can we get Levi's cake, now?"

"Oui."

My brother walked out of the room, coming back with a large cake, which he obviously shouldn't have been carrying.

He made it to the table, nearly dropping it about nine times.

"Do you have to sing happy birthday, mama? It's no different from any other day, really."

Both my parents had looked at me in shock when I said that.

"Alright, Rivaille."

My mother was the only one who called me by my birth name.

Within minutes, the cake was cut, and everyone had gotten a slice.

Of course, I never had much the taste for cake, but I ate it, because it was worth it to see the looks of happiness on my family's faces.

"Happy birthday, Rivaille."

"Happy birthday, Levi!"'

I snapped into focus once the flashback ended.

The brat was coming tomorrow. Best to prepare.

He was going to have to take in a lot.

It's not everyday a spirit comes and tells you how their family was killed.

I could imagine the conversation now.

' "My family was brutally murdered by own brother. Sounds like fun right? What makes it even more great is that he killed me too!"

"W-What?"

"And then I killed him! What fun!" '

I'm so glad I'm not that type of person.

I'll have to start light. Explain who I am, and why he's been having these dreams. I hope he doesn't ask me questions.

The brat just needs to shut up and listen. Hopefully what I say will be enough for him to stay quiet.

I let out what would have been a breath had I had the need to breathe.

I'm thinking too much. Jaeger will be fine.

-•- ~The next evening~ -•-

"R-Remind me again why you said we had to go at n-night?"

I quickly stood at the sound of those words.

"Armin, stop being such a baby. You of all people should know that everything good is out at night."

"Eren. Don't bully Armin. Armin. Stop whining."

They were here? Already? I found myself looking at the dusty grandfather clock on the shelf, though it stopped working years ago.

"Wanna split up?" A boy's voice spoke up, I assumed it was Eren's, since the other voice, which I guessed was a male, was a few octaves higher.

"Sure." Said a monotone voice.

"Armin, go with Mikasa to check this floor. I'll check upstairs, and then we'll all check the lower floors together."

"A-Alright."

"Okay."

I listened to the stairs creaking under weight that they haven't held in years.

I sat back down, waiting for the moment when the brunet would end up in my room.

I hoped he didn't touch anything. He's probably filthy.

(Eren's P.O.V)

Stepping onto the stairs, the weight made them creak, inturrupting the utter silence I was left in after my friends had went on their way. I jumped at the sudden noise. Calm down, Jaeger...it's just some old stairs. I proceeded to ascend. Reaching the top, I found a long, dark hallway littered with cobwebs. To my right, I saw an open door.

Something was drawing me towards it.

As if I were being controlled, I walked towards the room and entered it. I recognized it the moment I walked in.

I walked a bit further, nearly tripping over something. I yelped in surprise, and I looked down to see a skeleton. I stumbled backwards in shock over seeing a decomposed body. There wasn't only one, however.

There were three.

I noticed that what I thought was a red colored floor was actually a white floor stained with dried blood. I decided to leave the room and check out a different one.

Walking a bit further down the hallway, I passed another open door to my left. I peered inside to see a skeleton on the bed with a blood covered knife near the heart area. The long blade was driven so deep that part of it was going through the bed. I proceeded to walk a bit more, coming to a door at the very end of the hall.

I walked inside.

Sitting at a desk facing the door was a dark haired male. His fingers were against his temples, and his eyes were closed. He stood transparent against the rest of the darkened room.

"Hello..?" I called out. His eyes snapped open and gazed through my own.

"It's about time you got in here, brat." he said, standing up. He moved to the front of the desk.

I rubbed at my eyes. No, this wasn't real, right? When my eyes refocused, he was still there. This indeed, was not a dream. This was reality.

"You're awake, stupid." he growled.

"You're Levi, right? The one from the dreams I've been having?" He nodded.

"We've been over this. Let's skip the questions for now, though. There's something you need to hear."