The Path Back to You | Levi x OC

Chapter 26 - Lost at Sea

Erwin

Erwin was standing on what he assumed was a large beach, though his only real knowledge of what a beach might look like had come from the mysterious, forbidden books that his father had given to him and Anastasya when they were children. He crouched down and scooped up a handful of cool, silky sand, sifting it through his fingers a couple of times. The icy light of the perfectly circular moon danced upon the soft, rolling waves of the biggest expanse of water he had ever seen - the ocean. As he looked out across the sea, wondering just what he was doing there and how it had come to be, he felt a slender, strong pair of arms encircle his waist, followed by the weight of someone's head resting mid-way down his back. He glanced down at the ivory fingers, noticing the scar on one and the bright silver ring on another, and he smiled.
"What are you doing?" he asked, brushing the hands with his own fingers.
"Surprising you."
Anastasya relaxed her arms and paced forwards by a few steps so that she stood in front of him. His jaw almost dropped when he saw her. Her newly-white hair gleamed even brighter than the moon as it fell loose down to her hips, and instead of wearing her usual Scout uniform, she wore a lavender-coloured gown that framed every part of her body perfectly.
"Consider me surprised," he managed to say. "You look beautiful, Anastasya."
She reached up to caress the side of his face in one of her small hands, and he realised that he was holding his breath, barely able to move. She laughed and it was a warm, delicate sound that almost had a musical quality to it, and her eyes glimmered like jewels as they mirrored the moonlight playing across the waves next to them.
"What do you think of the ocean?" she asked.
"It's... breath-taking. The books didn't do it justice, did they?"
"I don't think anything could. I... I'm so glad that we got to see it. I never thought we'd get this far," she murmured. 
Although she didn't move, she seemed to drift away for a moment, seeing yet unseeing as she got swept up by whatever memory had emerged.
"Where are the others?" he asked her.
Anastasya frowned, at last dropping her hand back to her side.
"The others?"
"Levi, Hange, Eren. Everyone."
A strange look crossed her face, as though she was debating something.
"They're...resting," she said. "It's just you and me, Erwin."
"I see..."
"Do you want to swim? We should swim, while we have the chance."
He looked at the gentle waves. He couldn't remember the last time that he'd swum, and he wanted to know how different swimming in the ocean was to swimming in lakes.
"I'd like that."
Her answering smile warmed his soul, and he sat on the sand and pulled off his boots. Next, he removed his shirt, then his socks, and finally his trousers, leaving just his underwear.
"You want soggy pants?" Anastasya teased, still fully dressed.
"I didn't think you'd appreciate it if I took them off, too."
She shrugged, a spark of mischief in her amethyst-blue eyes.
"I'm removing mine. It's not like we haven't seen each other naked before."
"Anastasya, wait-"
She shimmied out of her dress and then pulled down her underwear, utterly exposed. He simply couldn't tear his gaze away as he took in her body. The last time he'd seen her so naked had been years ago, and she had changed since then. She almost seemed to shimmer from the silver scars and marks adorning her skin, and her body had become more toned and powerful-looking. He desired her just as much as he had the last time. As he always had.
"Your turn," she told him.
Somewhat shyly, he dropped his gaze and obliged. Anastasya strolled towards him, eyeing him up with a fierce hunger, a smirk tugging at the corner of her full lips. When she was just inches away, she leant in close and pressed those soft lips to his, igniting something he had long attempted to keep dormant. When he reached out to pull her closer, she darted away, giggling.
"Come and get me," she called.
He felt a fierce grin spread across his face, and he chased Anastasya over the whispering sands, suddenly without a single worry weighing him down. She danced and twirled into the waves, her laughter almost enchanting him to continue his pursuit. He crashed into the salty, foaming water after her and quickly caught up, unable to keep his hands from her any longer.
"I always was a weaker swimmer than you," she gasped.
He didn't reply. Instead, he moved his mouth to hers, the need to relish her taking over. He'd never needed anyone like he needed her, and his entire body ached with it. However, she wasn't done taunting him yet. She dived under the waves, just brushing against him, then paddled away on her back, further still from the shore. He started to go after her again, but without warning, he began sinking, his body feeling weak and cumbersome when moments before, he had felt powerful and healthy. Salt water quickly flooded his mouth and nose, and he realised that his right arm had simply...vanished. He began kicking, desperate to stay afloat, but he was losing the battle against the current.
"Erwin! Erwin, hold on, I'm coming!"
He heard Anastasya cry out, saw her desperately trying to reach him, but she was so far away. He glanced in horror at the stump where his arm should have been, just as a huge, merciful swell lifted him up and carried him back to the shore. His legs hit the sand with a dull thud, and he struggled upright, unbalanced and hacking up seawater. He scanned the sea for Anastasya's location and watched as relief rushed across her features as it became clear to her that he was no longer in danger. She continued to swim back to the shore as quickly as possible, but when she was halfway there, a noise like thunder rocked the entire beach. Anastasya faltered and turned to look behind her just as an enormous pair of watery, bloodshot eyes appeared. Seconds later, a massive head adorned with a maniacal, drooling smile emerged from the waves, the monster rising up and up until it almost seemed to touch the sky itself. It was a Titan of colossal proportions, and it had its sights set on Anastasya. She screamed and turned back around, doing her very best to get away. Erwin ran out further into the surf, but there was nothing he could do to protect her. Not with one arm. Despair and terror punched him in the gut, and all he could do was continue watching, hoping that she would reach him. The ocean became choppy and wild, and Anastasya went under several times, choked by the saltwater and exhausted from the struggle. She simply wasn't able to make progress quickly enough. The Titan, which was at least fifty feet tall and blocked the glow of the moon, reached down and scooped her naked form from the waves as a child might pick up their favourite toy from the floor.
"NO!" Erwin roared.
"ERWIN! RUN, ERWIN!" she screamed. She reached out for him despite her pleas, and then the Titan dangled her, legs-first, into its mouth. "LIVE, ERWIN! ERWIN...I-"
"ANASTASYA!"
The Titan snapped its massive, wicked-sharp teeth shut around her body, severing her in two with a sickening, moist crunch, her final words dying on her tongue. Erwin dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his face, as her blood painted the waves crimson. He heaved, clamping a hand to his mouth before removing it and yelling out for her.
"ANASTASYA!"
Seconds later, a huge and brutal wave knocked him flat with bone-jarring impact. His vision flickered to black and he thrashed about, calling Anastasya's name over and over.