Your Wings - Reader X Levi Ackerman

Chapter 18: Secrets

The looming face within the wall casts a strange feel throughout the city. Its enormous eyes, heavy with some kind of ancient exhaustion, seems to watch the city below with quiet detachment. The sight makes your stomach twist. You and Hange stand still, stunned into silence as soldiers around you murmur in confusion and fear. Their voices blend into a chaotic hum:

“What is that?” 
“Squad leader, what should we do?” 
“Hange—what’s your take on this?”

For once, Hange doesn’t have an answer. You glance at her, expecting to see her usual excitement—the spark she always has when faced with the unknown. But instead, her mouth opens and closes without a word, her brows drawn together as if her mind is spinning in circles, desperate to make sense of the impossible. It's the first time you’ve ever seen her at a loss for words. You're more scared of her confusion.

“...It’s... it’s a Titan. In the wall?” She mutters, almost in disbelief, her voice shaky and unsteady. The silence stretches, heavy and unsettling. 

Then, a sharp hand grabs Hange’s shoulder, and both of you whip around. A man stands there, bent over and panting like he’s run from the edge of the earth. His robes mark him as a priest, and it takes Hange a second to recognize him. 

“Pastor Nick?” she says, confused, her voice raising just slightly in pitch. 

He tries to catch his breath but chokes on it, his panic palpable. "Cover it! Cover that thing immediately! Do not let it see the light!" he gasps between breaths. 

Hange with wide eyes is still trying to comprehend the situation, but you narrow your eyes. The frantic urgency in his voice tells you something—he knows. He knows why there’s a Titan in the wall. The realization makes your pulse quicken. 

“What do you mean?” you demand, stepping closer. “You knew there was a Titan in the walls?!” 

“There’s no time!” he shouts, almost hysterically. “It has to be covered! Now!” 

Hange snaps out of her stupor, turning to the soldiers around you. “Find something—anything—big enough to cover the hole! Use fabric, blankets—whatever you can find!” She claps her hands urgently, sending them scattering in all directions. 

But you’re not about to let him off so easily. “They’ll cover it,” you growl, grabbing the front of his robes. “You’ve got plenty of time to explain. Start talking.” 

The priest glares at you with disdain, like you’re beneath him. “I have no reason to speak with someone of your rank.” 

Anger flares in your chest. Without thinking, you yank him closer by the collar. “You’ll talk, or I’ll break every single one of your fingers.” You say in a low, dangerous whisper. 

“Unhand me!” Pastor Nick hisses, teeth clenched in defiance. 

Before you can say another word, a firm grip closes around your arm. You freeze, turning your head to meet familiar silver eyes. Levi stares at you, his gaze sharp but calm. 

“Let him go,” he says quietly, his voice steady but with an edge of command. "Let Hange handle it.” 

Your grip loosens, and you let him go, who stumbles back with a glare. Levi doesn’t wait for a response and turns on his heel. “Follow me,” he says curtly. 

You shoot one last glare at Pastor Nick before trailing behind Levi, your frustration simmering beneath the surface. You know you shouldn’t have lost your temper, but something about that man—his arrogance, his secrets—ignited something reckless in you.