Angel With A Shotgun [Levi Ackerman x OC] / Attack on Titan / Shingeki no Kyojin

Code XLV: Fleeting Solitude

"Château de Versailles," Xora murmured in approval, flipping through a tourist's pamphlet. "Quite the interesting choice. Basic, some would call it, but interesting." She glanced up again at the grand palace, glad they had chosen to visit in the early autumn. The air was nice and crisp, though it retained a warmth that allowed visitors to enjoy the weather sweater-less.

It was quite the view; entering through the golden gates was as if Xora had entered an entirely different century. The palace was built extravagantly, gold upon gold decorating the arches of windows, beautifully constructed balconies, the roof lined with intricate structures; it left Xora absolutely breathless. There seemed to be an endless number of windows; just how many people had lived upon these grounds? She couldn't wait to get inside, feeling as though she were a child entering a candy store.

"It's such a sight, wouldn't you agree?" Levi asked, jolting Xora out of her thoughts. She glanced at him expressionlessly, but her eyes practically glittered with anticipation. He almost let out a chuckle, forcefully taking her hand with a mischievous twitch of his brow. "Let's get going, shall we?"

"We shall," Xora replied, though hesitant at first. Levi tugged her along as they entered the palace and climbed a set of stairs that looked like they were carved from stone, the railings thick and lined with mini-columns that were sculpted identically. Arches towered above the staircase, lined with windows. Everything looked so ancient, and it was awe-striking to think of how carefully everything was preserved.

It was so mind-boggling to think about how she tread the same exact ground French kings used to walk upon.

The couple passed through several series of rooms, each one set up neatly like museum exhibits, some presenting giant paintings of historical figures, others with glass cases of models and different artifacts. Some even contained arranged furniture to replicate rooms from hundreds of years ago.

Xora gawked at just about everything she saw, pointing out the smallest of details out to a rather bemused Levi. She felt overwhelmed with so much history surrounding her, but even more so by the fact that she almost felt... normal. That feeling of not being an agent, a spy, a killer—in these moments, she felt like a regular woman. She felt like nothing more than an innocent citizen enjoying wonders the country of France had to offer. Underneath the facade of the vacation, Xora wondered if the pangs of bitterness that echoed through her heart were manifestations of regret.

Maybe—just maybe, if only she had somehow never lost her memory, if she never had to go to the hospital so often for her grandmother, had somehow never lost her parents... she could've done this kind of thing any time she wanted to. She would have led a completely normal life that wouldn't have required her to put her life at stake for her career. She could have been... obliviously happy.

But had her life gone down that route, she would never have met Levi. She never would've met kind people like those who gave their lives for her. She would have never experienced all that built up to this point in her life, and she decided resolutely that she wouldn't have given her life up—no matter how troubling her regrets were.

"There's no point in regretting something you can't change," Xora murmured to herself.

"Did you say something?" Levi asked, once again pulling her from her brooding.

"Ah, no. I'm just wondering to myself." She urged him forward and they descended upon another flight of stairs, heading through another series of rooms. They were all decorated so lavishly, Xora didn't have anymore room in her mind to be distracted by such ridiculous remorse. She focused all of her undying attention to sharing the experience with Levi, who trailed behind—a faithful companion.