Shadows of Truth and Deception (Levi • OC)

CHAPTER 24 - Tumbling

tumbling /ˈtʌmbl/ - falling rapidly

     She had forgotten about that pain. The pain of loss. The pain of death.

     After she lost her parents, she kept everyone at arm's length. Aiden and Jasper were the only people whose well-being worried her—and she protected them with her life.

     That was until she joined the Survey Corps, and certain people, their warmth, their understanding, steadily tore down the walls around her. They crawled into her heart and marked their place there, which would never be erased.

     She had forgotten about that pain, and it was her biggest mistake. The risks of her comrades dying on a mission were always great, but she somehow didn't think it would be them.

     Them. The first thing she saw when she awoke the next day was their bloody faces, still lingering in her sight from the nightmare that had haunted her the entire night. She stared at the white wall for a long time, listening to Levi's steady breathing, his arms still holding her close. She knew he was awake. Knew he probably didn't sleep a wink.

     "How's your ankle?" she asked, her voice strained, low, as if she had been screaming all night.

     "It will be okay soon." His voice sounded no better than hers.

     She hummed in reply, remaining still. They lay there in silence until a knock on their door. Neither of them moved as if they had no energy to stand up. The person knocked again. And again. And when Levi sighed and moved to stand, she beat him to it—she didn't want him to burden his ankle.

     She wrapped a blanket around her body since they had no clean clothes in the room. She opened the door with a slightly annoyed expression—as annoyed as her numbed heart would allow. The annoyance didn't disappear when she beheld her brother's face.

     "Hey," he said, his tone worried—and sad.

     "Hey," she replied flatly.

     A few moments of silence passed, with Aiden surveying his sister's face, trying to read her.

     "How- "

     "Don't ask stupid questions, Aiden," she interrupted, her eyes narrowing slightly. He winced but nodded understandingly.

     "Sorry," he mumbled, looking into the room behind her. "Is Levi awake?"

     "He is."

     "Good. Erwin called a meeting."

     Reinae's heart dropped. She had absolutely no interest or energy in discussing yesterday's events.

     "When?" she asked despite her aversion.

     "Twenty minutes."

     "We'll be there."

     "Here," Aiden said, his brows furrowing, and handed her a bag with fresh clothes.

     "Thanks," she muttered. She didn't want to put her bloody uniform back on her body. In fact, she wanted to burn it. Erase any trace of it.

     By the pained way her brother's face was grimacing, she knew he had many questions on the tip of his tongue, so she closed the door in his face before he could ask anything that would worsen her mood.

     Feeling Levi's eyes on her, she strode to the open window. Hugging her blanket-wrapped body, she stared at the morning sun rising above Wall Rose. The sun rays reaching their momentary base should've felt warm. They didn't.