Dancing With Death: An Ereri Fan Fiction

Chapter 2: Slow Dancing in a Burning World

"Levi, you have to wake up..."

Levi slowly opened his eyes and sat up, feeling a little disoriented. As he looked about, he realized he had been napping on what seemed to be a hill on a cliffside. He yawned and stretched, trying to shake off the drowsiness.

"When did I fall asleep?"

Skimming around, he realized he had overslept, and it was already getting dark. Clouds were forming above and below him, hiding the setting sun. He quickly sat up and brushed the grass off his clothes. He glanced around, hoping to find familiar landmarks to help him figure out where he was.

But everything looked the same—just rolling hills, trees, and clouds stretching as far as the eye could see. It looked like heaven to him. Levi started to feel a sense of panic creeping in. He had never been in this part of the country before, and he needed a map or a compass. He had no idea which way to go back home. He didn't even know how he got out here.

Just then, he noticed someone standing nearby, watching him with a soft grin. It was Eren, his beloved Eren. Levi couldn't help but smile back, grateful for the unexpected company.

"Hey there, sleepyhead," Eren said teasingly. "How was your nap? I'm sorry I woke you up."

Levi rolled his eyes. "It was fine, thank you very much."

"It's getting late, we need to get back—"

Eren's heart sank as he saw tears streaming down Levi's face. He had never seen his usually stoic Captain cry before and didn't know how to react.

"Captain, why are you crying?" Eren asked softly, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Eh?" Levi brushed the side of his cheek, eyes widening at the touch of a teardrop. "Why am I crying?"

"Are you okay?" Eren stared at him with concern. It was already too rare to catch the Captain sleeping, and now he was crying out of the blue.

"I feel like I had a really long and terrible dream," Levi answered, trying to remember the happenings before he woke up.

"Yeah? What do you think it was?" Eren asked curiously, kneeling before Levi as he wiped the tears still falling down his cheek.

"I... I can't remember," Levi murmured, looking down and watching his fingers tremble as if he had been spooked to death.

It caught him off guard. His fingers. Levi vividly remembered having ten. Now, he's only seeing eight.

"Captain?" Eren called him worried as he watched Levi stare pitifully at his right hand. "I'm sorry."

"What?" The apology was so out of the pocket. "Why are you sorry?"

"It seems like you're remembering now," Eren sighed. "It took you four months, Levi."

Levi was surprised when Eren called him by his first name, eyes widening at the mention of his name from Eren. It sounded genuine and full of love, compared to the many soldiers saying his name with horror, as if they were scared to be in the presence of humanity's strongest.

"What do you mean four months?" Levi asked, remembering what Eren had said. "What happened?"

Eren sighed again, lowering his head to avoid eye contact. But Levi had caught a glimpse of those eyes. They looked guilty.

"It's been four months since you got caught in an explosion."

Levi's heart sank as the events of that night with Zeke ran over him like a raging horse in fire.

"Zeke set off a thunder spear," he mumbled, "I remember now."

He remembered the pain circulating throughout his body. He could feel it right now as he gazed down at his fingers. He touched his face, tracing the fibrous tissue from his brow to his lip. He had a big awful scar. Levi only realized his sight was limited when he couldn't see the finger over his right cheek. He was blind in his right eye.