Somewhere Only We Know

The Weight Of Survival

(A/N): Hello, Thank you for giving my story a chance. I hope I’ve done justice to the characters and the world of Attack on titan. I’ve put a lot of thought into this, and I hope my characters and story keeps you engaged and interested. I'd love it if you could interact and share your thoughts, your support means a lot <33

  Year 845 
                     
The heavy gates of Wall Maria creaked open, their hinges groaning under the strain. Levi led his comrades through the narrow passage, their steps echoing in the silence that followed a battle hard fought and lost.

Behind them, a cart carried the lifeless bodies of their fallen comrades as it rolled slowly, each bump on the path a grim reminder of their failure.

Levi's face was an impenetrable mask, betraying none of the pain within him. As Humanity's Strongest Soldier, he was expected to be unbreakable, a beacon of hope and strength. Yet, at this moment, he felt like a hollow shell. The title that once fueled him now felt like a cruel mockery. He had watched too many die, and each death was a knife twisted in his gut.

Inside the walls, the air was thick with grief. Families awaited news of loved ones, their faces showing fear and desperation. Levi avoided their eyes, unable to bear the weight of their unspoken questions. Soldiers headed to the barracks, where they could at least find some semblance of rest, though Levi knew there would be no solace for him.

He found a quiet corner, away from the others, and let his thoughts consume him. Despite all his strength, despite all his skill, he couldn't save them. The Titans were an unending tide, and he was one man with too many ghosts haunting his every step. He clenched his fists, nails biting into his palms.

What was the point of all this fighting if he couldn't protect those who followed him into battle?

"Levi" a voice of his teammate called softly, breaking the chain of his thoughts.  "We need you."

He looked up, meeting their gaze. He took a deep breath, forcing the turmoil back into the recesses of his mind.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "I'll be there in a minute."

As the soldier walked away, Levi allowed himself a moment of vulnerability. He leaned against the cold stone wall and closed his eyes. The faces of his fallen comrades flashed before him. He couldn't shake the feeling that, despite his strength, he was failing those who needed him the most.

There was nothing Levi hated more than the idea that the deaths of his comrades was all in vain. The possibility that the Survey Corps' sacrifices would amount to nothing made his anger, which was directed at the world and at himself, intensify.

But alongside the despair, there was a different kind of weight that pressured him. Something else—an old, buried memory of a time before the Survey Corps, before the Titans, when survival meant something different.

However, he pushed the thought in the darkest corners of his mind.

Levi rejoined others, masking his inner conflict with the stoic demeanor they had come to expect from him. His comrades looked to him for guidance, their faces weary but determined. 

A brief meeting was held with Commander Shadis to discuss upcoming plans, which Levi had to attend before heading to the office that served as his quarters. The solitude was a brief relief, a chance to gather his thoughts before tomorrow came.

He sat on the edge of his bed, removing his boots with precision. Each motion was a distraction, a way to delay confronting the reality of their situation. But he couldn’t escape the weight of his responsibilities.

***

Night fell, casting long shadows across the barracks. The flickering lamplight did little to lighten the darkness that clung to Levi’s thoughts. Sleep evaded him, his mind replaying the events of the day over and over.