Your Wings - Reader X Levi Ackerman

Chapter 50: The Rumbling

Your pacing quickens, your thoughts spiraling as you desperately try to come up with a solution. "Dammit, I should've just shifted," you mutter through clenched teeth, gripping your hair in frustration. "We could've still had Zeke... We could've avoided all of this."

Levi watches in silence, but you wouldn't miss the flicker of guilt in his eyes if you looked at him. He lets you vent, knowing there's nothing he can say to change what's already happened. And maybe, just maybe, you're right. Maybe it would've been worth the risk. Maybe if you had transformed, Zeke wouldn't have slipped through your fingers. Maybe he wouldn't be lying there now, battered and useless, while the world is being trampled beneath monstrous feet.

But none of that matters now.

The sun has begun to rise, painting the sky in streaks of deep orange and pale blue, yet time is slipping away, wasted in helpless frustration. You pass by Levi once more, but this time, he catches your wrist.

You freeze. Your breath hitches as you look down at him. His grip isn't tight, but it's firm enough to pull you out of your frantic thoughts. His steel-gray eyes meet yours, filled with something unspoken—something that quiets the storm raging inside you.

Your chest rises and falls with uneven breaths as you kneel beside him, blinking away the frustrated tears threatening to spill. "What the hell happened to Eren while I was gone?" Your voice wavers, thick with disbelief. "I never expected him to pull something like this. He always talked about freedom—about setting people free from the titans. But not this. Why would he destroy the rest of the world?"

Levi exhales sharply, shaking his head. "He's been different since the battle in Shiganshina. Distant. I didn't think much of it at first, not until he left." He pauses, his jaw tightening. "Then we got his letters. Found out he was hiding in Marley. That's when we realized what he was planning."

Your brows knit together. "And you just let him?"

Levi's fingers twitch against yours, but he doesn't pull away. "It wasn't that simple," he mutters. "Eren knew the world was preparing for war against Paradis. He decided to act first." His gaze darkens. "In the end, he's doing this to protect us."

You pinch the space between your brows, exhaling slowly as you try to steady yourself. This isn't the time to question things. This is the time to act. Your eyes shift to Levi, who sits on the wagon, his injuries still severe despite the time that's passed. You sigh, rubbing your temples before speaking.

"Now that Eren's started his attack... is there even a point in hiding from the Yeagerists?"

Levi looks down for a moment. He exhales through his nose before muttering, "I suppose there isn't."

You nod. "Then I'll shift. I'll carry you so we can find the others faster."

Levi doesn't respond right away. His eyes flicker with contemplation, his brows slightly furrowed. His injuries may slow him down, but he isn't the type to rely on others. You know he'd rather suffer in silence than be a burden. But after a few seconds, he finally sighs, shifting slightly on the wagon.

"Tch. I didn't want you dragging me around in this damn thing anyway. I guess it'll be easier if you shifted."

He's trying to play it off like it's just a practical choice, but you know he hates the idea of being carried at all. You decide not to push it. Right now, there are bigger things to worry about.

Still, the risk lingers at the back of your mind. Even in the air, the Yeagerists could shoot you down. They're everywhere, and who knows how many have already fallen under their control? But there's no time to hesitate. You need to find the others. You need to stop Eren before it's too late.