𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝟐𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 | 𝐀𝐎𝐓

Chapter 24

With no chance of going to that basement now, we decided to camp on top of the Wall. With Armin and Sasha sleeping soundly as I check on them for the ninth time, the others can rest and try to sleep if even for a few hours, when I try to close my eyes their last expressions hunt me, I am unable to fall asleep even if I want to. I cry out of frustration, but in silence and far as I don't want to bother anyone, alas, when Haco sat with our backs touching each other I knew he was feeling the same despair as me. He lost his little brother, his other half, and a cousin which we knew since birth, worst of all, there is no memento of them. "What... Happened to your Titan... Back there...?" He asked with a low tone, indicating of depressed he is. "I found out the truth... About these memories. And happened to just accept it... What did I look like...?"

"Freakish... The same rock structure and flesh showing, but slightly more human... Instead of having your eyes covered, they were wide open but with a cold and colorless look... Your teeth fell and your mouth turned rather large, and suddenly we saw a long tongue..." Just by imagining it, I can see why they had those expressions back then, I must have really scared them. "I think Jean even pissed himself..." Haco laughed a bit, but it was gone as soon as it came.

The silence is back.

"I couldn't protect them... I-I'm sorry... It's my fault..." I sobbed, my body shivering as I tried to swallow my cries. "It's not... We did what we could, we tried our best... In this world, it's impossible to keep everyone... S-Safe--" I listened to him breaking down once more, throwing away his blade in the process. "Dammit...! I told them to stay back...!" Raising my head to stare forward, I find this place rather comfortable to be, although the view isn't sympathetic as all I could see was destruction and death before me.

"Why did he choose Armin when he was so obsessed with Erwin...?" I furrowed my eyebrows when Haco asked that. It's not that Levi was obsessed, he lost a friend that he admired above everyone, he too lost people he loved as much as us. "If I remember well... Erwin's dream was just to test his father's theories about the existence of other people outside, and Armin longed to see the deserts, the snow, the sea and everything that was outside the mountains..." Haco didn't say anything as I paused for a moment. "Perhaps Levi considered that Erwin would sacrifice everything to see his dream fulfilled, while Armin had a more optimistic view of the outside... It is possible that, even though Armin and Erwin shared strategic mentality, Levi considered that Armin could lead the people of the Walls in a better direction... Don't hear me on this, it's a theory..."

"A theory that makes sense... You said that you haven't watched anything from here on out, we're defenseless for real." Said Haco, and I sighed heavily. He stood and left me to fall slowly onto the ground as he walked away, but stopped midway and glanced at me slightly. "I'm sorry, (Y/N)... But I don't think I'll be able to accept him as that someone you care for..." With that, he stepped away from my sight. I don't blame Haco, nor do I blame Levi, I don't blame anyone. I was just hoping that we would get out of this one together, my wishes went against life itself, it's not how it works.

Once more, I felt myself falling asleep, only to be woken up by their terrified faces. "Fuck..." I mumbled.

My eyes widened when I noticed a familiar figure standing in front of me, Levi stared at me with no emotion in his eyes and I remained in the same position as a tear ran down. He kneeled and made me sit against my desires. "I see them... Whenever I shut my eyes, I see them die..." I muttered without looking at him. Levi carried me and laid with me on top of him, his back against a spare of bags containing unused beds, a hand on my head and the other on my back.

I can hear his beating heart. "Forgive me..." I heard him mutter, and my arms went around his waist slowly. "I'm sorry too..."

// Timeskip //