IMMORTALS • Levi Ackerman

chapter fifty one

051: all roads lead here

All roads lead here.

"Give her back!" He screams, desperate. "Give my Y/n back. Give her back to me!"

All roads lead here.

He refuses to acknowledge that, whether out of his own volition or spite.

He hears, it often, in the shared quarters. He's in his bed, lying awake, the other bed is occupied by a messy roommate who talks in her sleep from time to time.

"All roads lead here."

Levi's starting to believe that to be true.

He wonders, if he had made choices that were different would they paths he's crossed turn out to vary from what was now? Each titan he's killed, each individual he's threatened, each day he wakes up.

If something had been slightly different in the past, would it turn out to be different now.

He's regarded as humanity's strongest. A title he barely bats an eye at. It does give him the benefits he needs, it gives him the advantage in commanding in the field, but right now, he feels weak. The weakest he's ever been, since Kenny had left him alone in the underground, since Isabela and Farlan...

That smile... that annoying nagging voice of sarcasm.

Levi wonders, if he had made a different call, with it all turn out different?

Why, just why...

His head stings. He feels the blood staining his clothes on his mouth, and the scent is swallowing him; earthy, metallic.

The decision fall on him, like heavy bricks, one by one. The weight is too much at this point, Levi feels as if it's going to crush him, it have never felt this way, never this suffocating, this grueling, this guilt inducing.

He's all alone now. He's carrying everything all alone now, that's why the pressure is so heavy.

There's not a regret in his mind choosing Armin over Erwin. Not a single regret. 

But sorrow... sadness.

Maybe that came over with the consequence. A demise.

"If the she wasn't a Stark... no, even if she was a Stark, do you think she'd be okay being a titan shifter?" Levi asks, silent, almost like a whisper.

Hange stills, quite surprised at the sudden question. Perhaps it was an innocent inquiry, but coming from Levi? Hange knew it was deeper than that. 

"Who knows. Being a descendant from a warrior clan has its perks, but your genetic make up differs, so there's not much to say if she could become a Titan shifter. If she did... I'm not too sure, you know if you picked among the three of them, she'd just offer herself to die over Erwin or Armin." 

Hange hums. "You know that better than anyone, Levi. You know Y/n better than anyone. Even me."

Levi swallows, his eyes maintain a steel gaze. Unwavering, undeterred, unmerciful. 

Oh, but it stings.

He knows better than anyone. Better than Hange. Even better than Erwin ever did. And despite how little, and trivial it comes across, he take a certain pride in it. The idea of knowing better than both of them, it's something that mattered so much to him, even if he was in denial of it.

"But... she's not here anymore."

Right.

Not here anymore.