Eremika:When The Time Is Right

18.Life

Drip.Drip.Drip.

I can't feel anything.I can see the few spells of the deteriorating walls,the thin concrete shedding away as the cold breeze floods the derelict room.Trickling of water,the malodorous smell inundating the already mildewed box.

"It doesn't have to be this hard Levi,,"
I look up to see a blurry figure with a disproportionate face, through a strand of my tarnished black hair,sweat dripping from my forehead,covering my vision,as i tug at my tightened arms to strive to escape.Bit I cannot as the tight but rugged shackles on my wrists forbid me to seek the freedom I want.

"Just stop"
I say with a final breath struggling to gain air,before my vision blackens.

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(Guys btw Mikasa and Eren are dating)
Weeks after the incident
I know ta a big time skip but CBA

Mikasa pov..

Eren pov*"
My eyes blink open and a groan leaves my body as I look of the hills and hills of sheets piling up in my room.Its been weeks and Im still stuck in the same damm place.I grimace as I slowly push my self off the bed towards the desk so I can make room for myself to start again.Levi was there for me so much as a kid.And this house is filled with memories as I literally lived here all my life.I look into the mirror next to my desk,just to find my beard has grown and my eye bags have deepened (on cover of this chapter is his eyes)I stoke my beard and rush my fingers through ny hair into a managlbe bun, ready to research again.Its been my only priority now.The truth is I've been getting sighs and the incident with Mikasa at the alleyway was certainly not an incident.Shes in risk and I'm not about to let thi problem arise without fixing it.

As I scroll mindlessly on my phone,my computer,as I write down notes for potential leads,as I think and think and think,my mind only goes to one place.His studio.Before I could waste a second thinking, I dash outside.

I arrive to the studio,the front door reminding me of the times I would run thre as a kid to escape from my older brother's "games"

*_______*__________*

Huffing and puffing,My legs bolt towards a pair of metal doors which allude to me as an escape.He'll neve catch never catch me.I see him.Levi,cleaning up his plants on the porch, a glimpse of hope enters my soul ,I dart towards him,my eyebrows furrowing .I have one goaal.in my peripheral,I see Zeke , struggling to catch his breath,but determined to catch me.I don't like his games.Cabt he be a normal big brother? can't we just play football where,he cheers when I score,and where he teaches me to dribble and score? We could be one happy family but I see the way he glaares at my mum like she's a vermin.I hate the way he does that.

I pounce towards Levi, hiding behind his lean figure,before he's able to decipher what's happening.Seconds later,Zeke arrives breathlessly,his face red.He couches,his hands on his knees ,trying to spit some words out.

As he manages to catch his breath,I race towards the inside of the studio,and peek through the translenct windows.I see the two gentlemen exchange a few words ,before Zeke walks off,clutching his side,due to all the running,as glares at me whilst walking away.I couldn't help but notice Levi standing in the doorways,his arms crossed almost like he was blocking Zeke from getting inside.

****

As I remincinse ,I notice that I ended up walking towards the training room without realising.The puffer mats,the brick white walls,the study but soft boxing bags,it all comes back to me,whilst my parents would be out,this is where I spent most of my days as a kid,me and Mikasa would play hide and seek between the mats,as I would count to ten she would sneak behind the fountain of boxing gloves,waiting to scare me.Which she did successfully,then we would all go home,I would be tucked in bed,Mikasa begging to be sleeping next to me,as annoyed i presented myself to have her sleeping next to me,it would comfort me, knowing I wasn't alone.

I trail towards the office,a metal barren door meets my eye,as I attempt to push it open,a step towards it easily allwas the door to be left ajar.I enter bookshelves of neatly organised letters ,books all filed perfectly in pristine condition I begin to rummage through the files,praying that Levi doesn't notice howi messed his files up.
Several hours later,I'm on the floor,sheets sprawled out across the once empty floor.I peer at every sheet,not missing a detail but nothing is useful,only a few old student files and drawings from me and Mikasa were found.As I'm about to drag myself up to leave,I notice a pink cotton jumper in the corner of my eye.Mikasa must have been here,I grab it without and second thought and reel myself out of the slum of sheets,clean it up and then I head out the door.As I leave,from the corner of my eye m.only able to find a few sheets of possible valuable information.I let out a groan as I feel myself up to leave, whilst I reorganize the sheets I uselessly messed up.
The room was nice and clean again,a pristine empty wooden floor complemented with a perfectly pristine bookshelf.In the corner of my eye ,I noticed a pink cotton jumper discarded in the corner of the room.
I grab it,it must be Mikasas,and I head off out the door.

As I enter the playing hall to leave the room,I walk towards the lights situated on the corner of the room on the wall.Before i turn it off ,
I examine every crevice of the hall,from the giant training mats,to even the tiniest speck of fluff on the floor.I make sure to clean it up as I am well sure that if Levi came back to his studio collecting dust,he would- I stop myself.Is he even going to be coming back?As these thoughts plague my mind,I notice something beneath the mats.Liquid.Water? Something more sinister.Blood.A creak,I jerk my head towards the source of the noise , and I see a hooded Shadow, someone.I know it's not levi,as the figure quickly emerges within the shadows, concealing himself with the darkness .This is no longer safe.The once comforting castle which I spent my days in was now I danger zone.I daah out of there grabbing my stuff and not leaving a second to spare.

I return home with a heavy heart.Who was that?As I was recollecting my thoughts,I was starting the piece together that the danger was starting to get closer to us,and I need to protect Mikasa. It's what Levi wanted.I clutch her jumper
and jog home as it was already dark.

I arrive home,the sky is now pitch black and the night is so silent that as I enter home,the slight twist of the lock wakes up Mikasa,as she emerges from the living room I notice she wasn't sleeping anyway, and her eyes are dark ,her hair ruffled.

"Eren where were you"Her voice monotone as her glistening eyes gaze into my soouless orbs."You could've been hurt,its so dark I was so worried about you"Her eyes drop towards her jumper.

"Who's jumper is that?why do you have some else's jumper Eren?It's not mine" the rest of her words are like a blur as her words echo 'who's jumper' of it wasn't Mikasa's whose else could it be? Who else could have visited Levi's studio, nevertheless his office? As these words ,trail around my mind I'm forced back to reality by Mikasa continuously calling my name.i peer towards her, although I am facing her and seemingly listening to her,I don't care.I don't care what she has to say,ses always been like this,too clingy and worried iI don't care if I'm safe or not,Levi is not safe.We need to save him and this jumper is the biggest lead I got.I hurriedly twist around the jumper,trying to find a name tag."P"
That's it?'P' I scoff at the absolute absurdity of the situation.Only I would be cursed with such shitty luck

"Eren!"
My scoff seemed to have caught the attention of a frustrated Mikasa,who glares at me."what is it that's more important than your safety,you could hsve been hurt yk"i crack.

My voice raises as I step towards her"listen.mikasa.just listen.Stop TREATING ME LIKE WHEN WE WERE KIDS,WE HAVE BIGGER PROBLEMS AND IT'S NOT ME DISAPPEARING FOR A FEW HOURS AND THIS JUMPER MAY THE ANSWER TO ALL OUR PROBLEMS,WHICH SEEMS WIDELY ANNOYING AS SHITTY AS THIS "LEAD' IS BUT IF IT'S JUST A STEP CLOSER TOWARDS Levi I'm WILLING TO TAKE IT!"

I stop.Shes silent.Her eyes now filled with tears.Shot I think I went too far but she needed to hear it.

I want to go and hug her,tell her it's okay,wrap my arms around her , kiss her,but I don't,I walk past her,levaing her there.The only words i hear ere a mumble of "when is this all going to be over"