✓ Blood Lust (Levi Ackerman - Attack on Titan) #wattys2021

Chapter Thirty-Nine

"It's time, El," Levi announces, looking from my face to where my father's hand is clasped in mine. I can't seem to let go.

"I don't want to, Levi."

"We'll come back here after the basement and move him to your home."

I stare at him, wondering if he's sincere or not. Feeling silly at doubting him, I stand up, releasing my father for the first time in almost four hours. "Alright, let's go."

Hange, Eren, and Mikasa are already waiting for us. I'm silent, walking behind the group. Levi keeps looking back towards me, the crinkle of his brow letting me know he's worried. I'm fine.

"Is this it?" Hange asks as we come up decimated stairs. The two are quiet, lost in memories of long ago. My own head is somewhere close. Levi and Hange work on clearing the area over the basement while I help sort the broken dishes with the younger ones. The action seems insignificant but it's the only thing keeping our sanity together.

Finally, the only thing left is a large boulder. Together, we all work to leverage it with wooden beams, Hange and I on one, Levi, Mikasa, and Eren on the other. The debris rolls out of the way easily. My stomach jumps to my throat. After all this time and blood, we'll get answers.

We descend down the stairs, only illuminated by our lanterns. Eren inserts his key, fumbling around for a bit.

"This key...it doesn't go to this door." He looks back at us, wide-eyed.

"Step aside," Levi mutters, pushing the younger boy away. "I'll open it." I can hear the impact of his boot before he even lifts his leg, knowing the man that well. The kick doesn't fully bust the door, causing him to crinkle his nose in frustration.

"I've got you, Captain," I grin, finishing the door off for him. He grunts but I know he isn't annoyed at me. He even seems somewhat impressed.

"There's nothing suspicious here." Hange is right, nothing is amiss from the outside, just regular ingredients and books for medicine. My mother had similar in her own study.

"If you were hiding something big, you'd hide it from the Military Police too," I mutter, flipping through a book written by my mother on herbs for nausea. I knew Dr. Jaeger and my mother compared notes sometimes, but I didn't know she wrote a whole book for him. I slip it into my bag.

"What I'm thinking. Oi brats, what are you standing around for? Erwin's hunches are rarely wrong?" Levi scolds the others, continuing to look at various vials. I browse through more, taking more and hoping Eren doesn't have an issue with this. We may need this information in the future.

"Eren..." Mikasa speaks slowly, gaining all of our attention. "There's a keyhole right here." We're quick to go to the desk. Eren inserts the key from his neck, opening the drawer.

"It's empty?!" he cries out in frustration.

"It's a fake bottom, you idiot. Your father went to great lengths to conceal his secrets, of course, it's not going to be this easy." I pull the decoy wood out, revealing a very full drawer now. There are journals separated by something wrapped.

"Smells like charcoal and peppermint oil," Hange says, handing it out to me. I sniff it, immediately reminded of my mother. I can't seem to place the scent, though. Why would this remind me of her?

"Were these treated to keep bugs and moisture away?"

Then I remember. "My mother used to place similar ones in our piano. That might be the reason."

"We were looking for something. These must be it," Levi says, placing the books onto the desk. Eren slowly opens the green one, aided by Mikasa when he hesitates. All of us seem to hold our breath.