A Choice with Regrets [Levi Ackerman]

19

The Next Day...
Survey Corps Headquarter

After that dreadful expedition, we gained nothing but lost a part of us. Perhaps, this is nothing new.

That night, I cried myself to sleep, knowing that the mistakes of my past could never be washed away by those tears. I shed my tears for those who were the bravest and strongest soldiers, the soldiers with strong hearts. Nobody can foretell the outcome of the next expedition, but the outcome will always be the same. At this point, I have the deepest urge to scream into my pillow, but that will solve nothing. I am aware that I will die someday, and so will everyone else.

At nightfall, it began to rain, but it was more like a heavy dew than rain. The next day, with speed, the sun appeared, blazing like a great bonfire in the morning sky. My puffy eyes and wet cheeks prove that I cried throughout the night without getting enough peaceful sleep. Sore and fatigued, I wash up and throw on some fresh clothes before exiting the room. Levi's squad is supposed to meet up with Hange for breakfast, so I strode to the dining room.

Right when I pushed open the door, my eyes widened when four pairs of eyes were staring back at me. The squad didn't get enough sleep either since the horrifying experience kept them awake throughout the night.

Hange rose from the chair. "Sina, come have a seat."

She gestured toward a chair next to Viktor, who was staring down at the table and we both sat together side by side. Abel and Zaiya were sitting on opposite sides from us while Hange took the chair at the end.

"First off, I want to congratulate you all on surviving your first expedition." Hange attempts to break the awkward silence, and surprisingly, she is unusually calm. "I understand you all have seen too much all at once, but you fought till the end with bravery and survived. Don't beat yourself up for your mistakes. Things happen, and that's just a part of life."

We lowered our heads in silence until Abel spoke. "My father... once told me to choose the right path, but now I'm lost. He raised me to be the person I am now so I can be useful to society. But, I don't know. I now keep running away..."

Hange pitied him and so did we. "Don't let your mind run away and hide on you. The key to survival is here." She then points to her head, implying that the brain is the key. She then patted his back to bring his senses back, while Viktor was leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed.

"Why the long face, Viktor?" Zaiya observes him from across the table. "You're awfully quiet this morning."

"Tch." Viktor hissed, embarrassed that he was being called out. "I'm trying to figure out how I can beat that shorty in a spar."

"You mean Levi?" Hange blinked at him and we all froze in our seats, shocked as to why he was still concerned about Levi.

"You seem to hate that midget." Zaiya deliberately sips her floral tea and we all watched when Viktor shot up from his chair, pressing his hands against the wooden surface of the table.

"I will use every ounce of my strength to crush him..." Viktor swore and dismissed himself to the door, slamming it behind him.

Abel shook his head slightly. "He doesn't know when to quit." We can all agree to it because it is nearly impossible for him to accept his own defeat.

"What a stubborn man." Hange teased, now leaving the four of us in the room. She noticed how visibly weakened we were and decided to cut this meeting short by saying, "I know you are tired, but the reason why I invited you all here is to discuss the next expedition. Of course, we don't know what to expect in the future, but just know that we have each other. Our urgent goal is to retake Wall Maria, so don't lose sight of the goal and keep your minds sharp."