In the Shadows of the Past | Levi Ackerman

14

TW:LONG ASS CHAPTER this is till now my longest chapter Words count: 7645
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Ella's POV:
I woke up, my vision blurry and my head spinning. My throat was dry, and I felt an overwhelming urge to vomit. My body felt stiff, yet somehow I also felt a strange sense of peace. I sat up, glancing around and noticing how dark it was—it must have been midnight.

I struggled to my feet, stretching my legs as I searched for something to eat or drink. Finding nothing in the infirmary why am i in the infirmary?, I made my way to the mess hall at a slow pace. Once there, I opened the door and looked around for something quick to eat. Too tired to cook, I settled for water, two pieces of bread, two potatoes, and an apple.

As I ate, my stomach ached, still feeling the effects of medication in my system. The dizziness lingered, and I knew I was still under its influence. Instead of heading to the infirmary, I noticed my office door had been broken—only the lock, though. I sighed, ignoring it for now, and made sure to close the door behind me.

I stumbled back to my bedroom, locking the door behind me. The broken glass on the floor reminded me of earlier events, but the water had dried up. Exhausted, I collapsed onto my bed and passed out almost immediately.

I woke up startled, sitting up so quickly that I felt dizzy for a moment. Despite the disorientation, I felt unexpectedly good—calm and powerful. This was the most sleep I'd had in a long time. My body felt refreshed, free from the aches that usually plagued me.

I got out of bed and grabbed some clothes for a quick training session, gulping down a lot of water. Dressed in sweatpants and a top, with a towel and a bottle of water in hand, I headed downstairs. I started my training with an hour of running, followed by combat training and balance exercises.

After finishing my training, I headed back to my room for a long, hot shower. Stripping out of my clothes, I closed the bathroom door behind me and stepped into the shower. The hot water cascading down my waist felt soothing. I stood there for a few minutes, letting the water wash away the remnants of sleep, then washed my body with soap.

As I sat down in the shower, questions began to surface. Why did I wake up in the infirmary? I felt so energetic today, and I remembered waking up in the middle of the night to get some food. That wasn't like me—I'm not the type to feel suddenly hungry at night. The bags under my eyes were almost gone, a stark contrast to the past week where I couldn't sleep at all. I was thankful for the hours of sleep I got, but as I was asleep, I saw my dead mother.

Why did those pills have such a strange effect on me? And why did I dream of my mother? The questions swirled in my mind as I sat in the shower, letting the hot water soothe my body and my thoughts.

In my dream, I was in a field full of green grass and vibrant flowers. I wore a flowing white dress, and my mother was there, her black hair contrasting beautifully with the blue dress that complemented her green-blue eyes. She stared at me, her eyes filled with sorrow.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Why are you sorry?" I whispered back, my voice trembling.

I remembered lying on the field as she bent down, her knees pressing into the soft grass. She took my head and placed it gently in her lap.

"I'm sorry for not being a good mother," she replied, tears welling up in her eyes. My mother had always been a sensitive person, especially after my biological father left. She used to be a powerful woman with a fierce personality, but that strength had faded over the years.