𝔇𝔢𝔣𝔦𝔞𝔫𝔠𝔢 (𝔏𝔢𝔳𝔦 𝔵 ℜ𝔢𝔞𝔡𝔢𝔯)

LVII - Eyes In The Shadows

What the fuck is going on?

***

It had been a while since Hange and the others had left. Our conversation never continued, an aim that was better left for revision in my head. Levi was unsuspecting of what Hange had in mind, though every glance he spared me felt as though there were a grueling curiosity brewing beneath them, ever since my conversation with the section commander. He wanted to ask me what it was about, I could practically sense the urge leaking from his pores.

But with how our previous talk went, I'd assume that he wouldn't want to speak with me in case things escalate further, words that are to be exchanged between us in the future being the bare minimal and then carrying on with our doings without further interaction.

I wandered the Ehrmich barracks the next morning, feeling like I was missing something. My mind was so overridden by everything that had occurred in the past few weeks, I couldn't even remember what day it was. I let out a subtle yawn, a hand brought up to cover my mouth before wiping away a tear that had tickled my cheek as it slid down to my chin. It was an hour after dawn, a grey sky outside letting minimal sunlight peak between thick and thin layers of clouds.

The grassy patches that grew between cobblestones gleaming from the morning dew, the sun rising ever so slowly it wasn't even looking over the wall yet. It was a nice morning, not too chilly and not too hot, even though that winter nip was becoming more noticeable with each passing day. I stopped to gaze out a window, watching a breeze play with a leaf along the abandoned streets. I wondered if Hange and the others were alright, hoping that the titans weren't too much of an issue when trying to find the source of our answers. I wondered if Sarj wasn't being too much of a pain after the Commander insisted he took the pup with him to Trost.

I sigh, eyeing a store owner waddle outside with a sign that looked much too big for his scrawny stature. Making out the wording from up here on the second floor, I notice it was some type of goods store, crystals and all sorts of trinkets supposedly lining the shelves that were tucked away inside. Maybe that's how I will kill my time until Erwin sends a soldier to fetch me, observing shops that occupied the many buildings of downtown Ehrmich.

Or would it be a better idea to stay within barracks walls, saving the soldier from searching the entirety of the district just to find me when it could possibly be too late? I hadn't even thought to bring my gear, hoping that Erwin would provide a spare set for the mission, because what would the point of my presence be if I wasn't going to be of any use?

I thought it'd be good to get out of the barracks, I was sick of being cooped up in cold stone structures with no flavor at all. It would only be an hour or two, after all. And a little walk never hurt anyone, so I backed away from the window swiping my eyes across the view once more before departing from the glass. The halls of this place were definitely a lot more appealing to the eye than the Headquarters in Rose, thick green curtains similar to the ones Erwin had hanging in his office framed the windows, barely brushing against the ground of stained wood.

Descending the stairs, the corridors were deathly still, but with a calming sense touching the air, I push forward for the front door and am immediately met with a muggy breeze. Perhaps my temperature was playing with me again, breathing in the air you could practically taste the snow in it but you couldn't feel it, the air disgustingly warm.

I've always loved winter. The idea of cozying up in a blanket in front of a fire with a hot drink and a book always seemed to be the ideal life for me. Maybe even a special person, a soulmate, if you will, accompanying me with occasional remarks about their own fiction just to voice their thoughts. A gentle reminder I wasn't alone. The rain outside with soft sounds clinking against the window in the middle of a night. The calm before the storm, all eventually leading to falling asleep on the couch, book in hand as my thumb barely kept my page saved. The smell of burning wood, a therapeutic scent that always sent my senses in a whirl of peace.