Freedom: Levi Fanfiction

|| Trouble

44

       As I looked at the large valleys and tall pine trees, a yawn escaped my lips. It has been hours of standing on this wooden watch tower while I looked out for any signs of danger. Thankfully, nothing unusual has happened so far. The drowsiness I've been feeling made the lids on my eyes feel heavier. It felt like I was carrying luggages on my eyes. The nearing sunset and orange skies didn't help. Just when I almost nodded off, the noises of a few galloping horses disturbed my peace. 

I quickly turned forward and saw a few familiar faces: Hange and her squad. My palms reached the wooden railings of the watchtower as I leaned close. "Hange?" My best friend looked up at me with her big dark-brown eyes. 

       "Hey. I've got some terrible news," she said, almost yelling. 

The six of us quickly headed inside the cabin, our hurried footsteps thundering in the hall. After we had gathered around the dining area, Hange breathed in and out to collect herself. 

      "After hearing about it, I immediately came here to tell you guys. Pastor Nick is dead." Our eyes slowly rounded in shock. 

Levi raised a brow. "Huh? What was that?" Even Levi couldn't believe what was said. If anything, Pastor Nick's sudden death raised a few questions. 

       Hange turned to him with a look of certainty. "He's dead... Pastor Nick. He was murdered this morning in the Trost District barracks." With her brows tied together and a cold sober look, Hange let out a sigh. 

There was nothing I could do but listen and come up with questions in my head. Pastor Nick's death sounded like it wasn't a coincidence. After all, why would they kill a man who knew the secrets of The Walls, and quite possibly, the secrets of Paradis? No, why  would they not kill him if there was something they didn't want us to know? 

      "Who murdered him?" I questioned, my brows almost glued together. Hange began to tell us a detailed story of how she and Moblit found out his death and it was almost hard to believe. Firstly, why—out of all suspects—would the Military Police harm their positions by murdering a pastor? I knew the MPs were some of the most egotistic people out there but killing a man in cold blood? If anything, that raised even more questions. 

       "His fingernails were cut off. Pastor Nick was tortured by the interior Military Police and murdered. That's what I surmise," continued Hange. After the conversation had spiralled into something more, we all sat down and became at war with our thoughts. 

      "I'm sure of it. Someone in the government is up to no good—and their eyes are fixed on us," Levi explained. I haven't been paying attention, although I should have been. That was the last thing he said before someone came barging in. 

       "Captain Levi, Major Iris, I'm here to deliver a message from Commander Erwin Smith." Nifa, in her long, dark brown coat, arrived and retrieved the said letter from her pockets. She nodded at Levi and I after we had received the message. 

I narrowed my eyes as I read along with my mind. 'The cabin is unsafe. The Military Police had already figured out the place. Best you all move out before the situation escalates.' 

       Just like that, Levi had ordered all of us to prepare our things and leave. While the sun slowly went down, we trekked toward the nearest hills were we had the advantage of the higher ground. My heart pounded nervously as I see a the silhouettes of the MPs searching our cabin. 

I tightened my grip on the shotgun Erwin had prepared for us. For the twenty-five years that I had existed, it was my first time in a long time holding something like it. The cold metal grazed my fingers, and the hard wooden case felt unique. I remembered shooting a few shells toward a human-sized target ten years ago. Because of that, I began to question why we were practicing to kill someone of our size. Now, I started to realize why.