FRAGILE

Chapter 16: His Anchor

Levi felt himself being lifted from his Master's lap. He was drained, emotionally spent, and didn't have the energy to react as he was lowered into the newly refreshed warm water.  He drifted in and out of awareness, his body still tense despite the warmth of the bathwater surrounding him. He floated in the tub, the soothing heat pulling him into a strange state of semi-consciousness. The water felt... comforting, but at the same time, it was disorienting. He wasn't used to this sensation—this softness, this care. He wasn't used to the warmth that didn't come with punishment or pain.

He kept trying to understand. To grasp what was happening. Everything about this was wrong. This wasn't how things were supposed to be. He was supposed to be in his cell, or his crate. He was supposed to be in pain, punished for something, anything. But here he was, floating in a bath like he was... important.

That didn't make sense.

Levi's mind buzzed, the confusion thick like fog. His thoughts couldn't settle. Every time he tried to ground himself, his mind spiraled, slipping further and further away from anything he understood. The edges of his vision blurred as he tried to focus, but all he could hear was the rush of blood in his ears, the soft lapping of water against his skin, and the distant sound of his Master moving beside him.

"Levi."

The name sent a sharp jolt through him. Levi. His name. That was supposed to mean something, wasn't it? But... no. He wasn't Levi. He was 2197. That was what he had been taught, what had been drilled into him. He couldn't be Levi. Levi was gone, buried beneath layers of training, punishment, and obedience.

"Levi, can you hear me?"

The voice was so close, so warm. Maximus's voice. His Master. The Alpha who had saved him. Or had he saved him? Levi couldn't tell anymore. His thoughts were tangled, twisted beyond recognition. His chest felt tight, his breathing shallow. What was he supposed to do? What was expected of him?

The world felt too big. Too bright. Levi's pulse quickened, panic slowly building in his chest as the warmth of the water turned suffocating. He wanted to sink beneath the surface, to disappear, to escape the confusion that was threatening to swallow him whole.

"Levi?" Maximus's voice was gentle, but it felt like too much. Everything was too much.

Levi's hands fumbled under the water, searching for something—anything—to anchor himself, but his mind was unraveling faster than he could keep up. His breaths came faster, shallow and ragged, as he tried to focus on the voice calling him. His chest heaved, but no amount of air seemed to fill his lungs. He didn't know what to do. There were no orders. No instructions. He didn't know how to function without being told.

"Levi, breathe. It's okay," Maximus said, his hand resting on Levi's shoulder.

But it wasn't okay. Nothing was okay. Levi's eyes widened, his gaze darting around the room, looking for something familiar—something he could understand. But everything was wrong. Everything was different.

He needed direction. He needed orders. But Maximus wasn't giving him any. Maximus was speaking, but the words didn't register. There were no commands, no structure, no rules to follow. Levi's mind spun out of control, his heart hammering in his chest as the panic surged. His body jerked slightly in the water, his hands gripping the sides of the tub as he struggled to breathe.

"Please," Levi whispered, his voice trembling, his mind in free fall. "I... I don't... I don't know what to do, Sir. Please... tell me what to do."

Maximus's eyes softened with concern, but Levi couldn't see it. His vision had narrowed, his mind trapped in a suffocating loop of uncertainty. He was spiraling, and he didn't know how to stop. His whole life had been governed by commands—he was told what to do, when to do it, how to do it. That was all he knew. And now, without those commands, he felt like he was falling apart.

"I can't... I don't understand... Please..." Levi's voice cracked, the desperation clear as he clutched the sides of the tub. His whole body trembled, his breath ragged. His mind was screaming for direction, for some form of control. But all he could feel was the chaos in his own head.

Maximus leaned closer, his hand still resting firmly on Levi's shoulder, trying to calm him. But it wasn't enough. Levi couldn't calm down. He didn't know how. His entire world had been built on the structure of orders and commands, and without them, he was lost.

"I... I don't know what to do without orders," Levi whimpered, his voice barely above a whisper. "Please... I need... I need instructions. I need rules. I don't know... I don't know how to... function."

His voice broke as the last word left his lips, his entire body shaking as the panic consumed him.

Maximus's expression tightened, and in that moment, he understood. Levi wasn't just confused—he was unraveling. The years of training, of conditioning, had left Levi unable to cope without clear direction. He had been trained to follow orders, to live by commands, and now he was completely adrift, with no way to regulate himself.

Maximus's heart ached for his mate. He had tried to be gentle, to give Levi space, but that wasn't what Levi needed. Levi needed structure, needed firm guidance. And Maximus had to be that anchor for him, or Levi would spiral further into the abyss.

Taking a deep breath, Maximus cupped Levi's face in his hands, his voice low and steady. "Levi, listen to me."

Levi's frantic eyes locked onto Maximus's, and for a moment, the world stilled. There was something in Maximus's voice—something firm, something commanding—that cut through the chaos in Levi's mind.

"Breathe," Maximus instructed, his tone firm but calm. "In through your nose, out through your mouth. Now."

Levi obeyed instinctively, taking in a shaky breath, and then exhaling slowly. His body trembled, but he did as he was told. The clear command grounded him, gave him something to hold onto in the storm raging inside him.

"Good," Maximus said, his hands still cradling Levi's face. "Now again. In through your nose, out through your mouth."

Levi followed the instruction, his breath a little steadier this time. The panic was still there, clawing at the edges of his mind, but the firm tone of Maximus's voice anchored him. Slowly, the room began to come back into focus, and the world felt a little less overwhelming.

"That's it," Maximus murmured, his thumb gently brushing against Levi's cheek. "I'm here. I've got you. You don't need to figure this out on your own. Just listen to my voice."

Levi's breathing steadied further, the tightness in his chest loosening just a bit. The commands helped. The structure helped. He needed that, needed someone to tell him what to do, because on his own, he didn't know how to exist.

"I... I don't know how to be," Levi whispered, his voice small and fragile. "Without orders, I don't know who I am."

Maximus's heart twisted at the brokenness in Levi's words. Gently, he pulled Levi closer, wrapping his arms around him, holding him tight. "You're Levi," Maximus said firmly, his voice gentle but unwavering. "You're my mate. And I will guide you. You don't have to figure this out on your own. I'm going to help you."

Levi clung to him, the tension in his body slowly ebbing away as Maximus's warmth surrounded him. For the first time in what felt like forever, Levi didn't feel like he was falling apart. Maximus's firm presence kept him steady, and the fear that had threatened to consume him began to retreat.

Maximus pressed a soft kiss to the top of Levi's head, his arms still wrapped protectively around him. "I'm going to take care of you, Levi," he whispered. "One step at a time. You're not alone anymore. You're safe with me."

Levi didn't respond with words, but he didn't need to. His body, slowly relaxing against Maximus, said enough.

Maximus held him close, letting the warmth of the water and the strength of his embrace soothe Levi's fractured mind. He knew it would take time—time to rebuild the broken pieces, time to guide Levi out of the darkness. But he was ready. He would give Levi the structure he needed, the commands that would keep him steady, until Levi could learn to stand on his own.

For now, Maximus would be his anchor. And slowly, Levi would find his way back to himself.