𝔇𝔢𝔣𝔦𝔞𝔫𝔠𝔢 (𝔏𝔢𝔳𝔦 𝔵 ℜ𝔢𝔞𝔡𝔢𝔯)

XCII - Words Of Honour

And he opened the door, and we ran.

***

There was a somber atmosphere that hung in the clouds above as I walked down the aisles of the dead. The graveyard just north of Stohess was huge, dedicated specifically to those who gave their lives fighting against the titans.

Rows of headstones stretched further than you could even bother walking, and luckily for me the original Levi Squad was near the entry point of the cemetery. My eyes trailed over the names of countless soldiers, most of them completely foreign to me.

It hurt, reading their names knowing full well that the graves were likely empty. Retrieving bodies was somewhat of a luxury when it came to being in the military, and knowing that the Levi Squad's graves were empty made my heart throb that little bit more.

I walked alone, and I was fine with that. Levi was busy sorting matters with Erwin before we headed back to Headquarters and commenced hardening practices with Eren, preparing him for the retake that was to take place two months from now. This gave me time to think, organise my thoughts about everything that has happened and everything that is to happen.

Soon the names began getting a little familiar. My jaw tightened the more each name crossed my mind, especially when I came across a particular name that had my heart squeeze painfully in my chest.

Marco Bodt.

I stopped for a moment to look at his grave, not knowing if it was empty or not and remember the times I had taught the 104th. A boy of kind nature, a characteristic that's far too rare in a world such as this one. I sigh to myself, crouching before the headstone and placing a hand on the smooth stone, running my fingers across the letters that were etched in it expertly. There were flowers beneath it, some old and withered, others fresh like they'd been there for a day or two.

I clutched the crystal bouquet in my hand a little more, looking down at the singular white rose that sat alone in the middle. A sign of hope and love. Running my fingers along his name once more, I stood up and continued my way down the row for a little longer before halting completely. There, their headstones sat adorned with multiple different coloured flowers.

A sad smile overcome my features, moving my fingers around the stem of one of the crystal flowers and pulling it from the silk binding. I leaned down and placed it on the base of each gravestone. I did this for each of the members before standing at the foot of them all, holding the final flower against my chest, twirling it in my fingers. My eyebrows were pinched in the middle, a solemn expression taking over my features as I peered at each of them. Their headstones were white, clean of any speck of dirt, the work of either the groundskeeper or even Levi.

"I lost the bet." I murmur quietly, a small smile appearing on my face as I spoke the words. And for some strange reason, I even waited for a response before I continued to speak. "I don't think I could've been any more wrong about it, I know for a fact if you guys were all here with us right now I would not hear the end of it." I chuckled a little thinking about the banter we all had. And it hit me like a bitch there. I was already aware they weren't going to come back, but the graves in front of me was a heartbreaking view. My vision blurred a little as a tear slipped from one of my eyes and down my cheek.

"I don't think I've had a longing for one last argument more in my life." I whispered, bringing a hand up to swipe away a tear. "I should've been there to save you guys, instead I got caught up in a fucking titan's grip delaying Levi's arrival. I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry." I choked out, hand working to keep my face dry. Taking in a deep, shaky breath, I avert my gaze up at the wall, holding the air in my lungs for a few moments before letting it slide out slowly.