Yesterday's Enemy [AoT]

FIFTY-FIVE

'After all I've lived through and experienced, I can recognise one absolute truth: forgiveness is the only true slayer of hatred. Revenge is a circle, bitterness a plague. Though unthinkable, true strength is the courage to love one's enemy.'

-An extract from the book 'Evolutions' written by philosopher Adette Briggs.

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FIFTY-FIVE

Wall Sina, Interior, the Krüger Tunnels

Lorelai watched Levi step outside, and the weight of being alone hit her like a sack of bricks. She breathed in, steeling herself as she sat down at Warren's desk.

"Hey, H?" she called into the empty room.

"How may I assist, my lady?"

The synthetic voice was unbelievably nostalgic— Warren's AI, his companion when all else (including her) failed him. It was almost like speaking to Warren himself. "Playback the last letter he left me, would you?"

"Confirmed."

Lorelai shut her eyes. Larken help her. Was she prepared to hear Warren's voice again? The way she'd dreamt of it, the way she'd resented it. Now here it was, back from beyond the grave.

She kept her eyes closed as the message started up. At first, there was nothing but white noise, the sound of distant shouting and heavy breathing.

Warren's breathing.

Larken help her; he sounded panicked. The timestamp suggested this was recorded right about when the wall fell. She braced herself for the first syllable.

"Lorelai, my love."

"Oh, Warren," she smiled to herself. This was simultaneously incredibly painful and an enormous relief. Her smile fell as she heard his frantic breaths. One after another, in quick succession. His final breaths.

"Look, darling, I don't have much time right now. We've been getting reports the wall has fallen. I don't know what- by Larken, how did this happen?"

Lorelai squeezed her eyes shut. In horror, she realised what she was listening to... his death note. He'd spent his final moments speaking to her- she suddenly felt like she was about to throw up.

"I'm in an automobile, in the tunnel through the Peaks. Everyone's trying to evacuate to O'Haen right now," he paused, his breathing ragged. "There's some sort of blockage; I don't know if this is going to work."

She heard Warren chuckle to himself. The sound was metallic through the speakers. It still made her heart ache.

"And, as usual, faced with certain death, I reach for Hephaestus so I can leave you another damn letter."

"Oh, you fool," Lorelai breathed.

"I know, I know, I'm a fool."

He could still guess her thoughts... after all these years.

"And, just like always, I'm going to start grasping at straws to get my affairs in order. I don't want to carry too much regret to my grave, at least not over you. I don't know if you'll ever hear this, but... lend me your ear, my darling? One last time?"

Lorelai wiped her tears and whispered "Always" to thin air.

"If you're listening to this, you've found the rest of my letters too. Not going to lie to you, sweetheart, that's an embarrassing thought," Warren chuckled to himself. "I don't know why I started writing to you. Perhaps I was just lonely. No, not perhaps, I was. Again— my fault; I'm a hot mess.