A little death [Levi Ackerman x OFC]

Chapter 11: Quietness That Spoke

After the encounter with the titans, the squad continued to move through the area, their focus still sharp despite the lingering tension. The weight of the recent battle hung heavy in the air as they scouted the surroundings, ensuring the immediate threat was gone. Hours passed before Commander Erwin signaled for the return.

As they passed through the gates, the usual murmur of the town greeted them. But Kaia noticed something different this time—something heavier. Her eyes scanned the faces of the people watching them return. It wasn't the first time she'd seen the civilians, but this time it felt different. They weren't met with cheers or smiles of relief. There were only cold, indifferent stares. A few even turned away. Some children watched in awe, but most of the adults seemed to regard them with a mixture of unease and pity.

Very few looked at them with admiration.

As Kaia's gaze swept over the crowd, she noticed a woman standing near the back, her eyes locked on the returning soldiers. There was something desperate in her face—a tension Kaia could feel from across the square. The woman's eyes darted from one soldier to the next, searching, her hands trembling as she clutched a worn handkerchief.

Then, slowly, the woman's face crumpled. Her shoulders shook as she realized the one she was searching for wasn't among them. Kaia's breath hitched in her throat as she watched the woman sink to her knees, her sobs barely audible over the noise of the crowd.

Kaia glanced at her squad members, noticing how they seemed unfazed by the reception. They had probably grown used to it, she realized. But for her, the coldness—and now this raw grief—cut deeper. She thought back to the faces of the fallen soldiers. How many people cared about them? How many knew what they had sacrificed?

As they continued moving forward, the weight of the woman's grief stayed with her, adding to the heaviness that already pressed down on her chest.

As soon as they were in the safety of the camp, she dismounted her horse, exhaustion settling in her bones. Her body ached, her ribs screaming with every step. Her thoughts drifted to her bed, her room—a place where she could rest and finally let her guard down.

As she handed her horse to one of the stable boys, a voice called out to her. "Kaia."

She turned, blinking against the fading light. Niall, one of the soldiers she met in the dining halls, was already close, his face a mirror of exhaustion but with something softer in his eyes.

"Do you need help getting back?"

Her hand twitched, half-raising as if to wave him off, but she stopped. "I'll make it. You should rest."

He studied her for a beat longer than she liked, his eyes lingering on the way her posture faltered. "Let me help."

Before she could object, Petra stepped in, her voice slipping between them like a gentle current. "You really should, Kaia."

Kaia met her eyes, a hint of tired amusement pulling at her lips. She shifted her weight, feeling the pull of every bruised muscle, the burn of her ribs reminding her why fighting back felt pointless. Petra's hand brushed her arm, a light touch that didn't demand anything but made it hard to refuse.

"I'll help you get cleaned up. The bath will do you good."

Kaia opened her mouth, ready to push back, but the thought of scrubbing the grit from her skin, the dried blood tangled in her hair, stopped her.

"Alright," she murmured, her voice quieter than intended.

Niall gave a small nod, already backing off. "Rest well," he said before disappearing toward his own barracks.