A Promise (An Attack on Titan Fanfic: Erwin Smith)

The Last

In agonizing silence, he continued to stare at him. He blinked a few times, certain this was another one of Levi and Isanna's pranks, his brain muddled in confusion at those simple two words that had left Levi's tongue. They're—

"What?"

"Dead, Nile," Levi repeated, and although it was the third time he did, he didn't seem to be annoyed. "I said.. they're dead—Erwin and Isanna."

Perhaps three times was the charm, because it was then did it hit Nile.

As if the sky was falling, as if the force of gravity was pushing down, his legs suddenly went heavy.

No.

That couldn't be—dead? He couldn't believe it. He refused to believe it. Just three nights ago, he made a deal with Isanna that they'd return, and although he always found her insufferable to be with, he had placed his trust on her words. He had thought they were coming back. She swore to him.

"No.. that's.. that can't be.."

With shaky eyes, Nile lowered his gaze, failing to notice the trembling hands that were hanging by his side.

Erwin and Isanna. They shouldn't be dead, after all, they'd survived this long—those two were some of the most stubborn people Nile had ever met and known, they'd lived long enough in the Scouts for years, so they shouldn't be dead. Because then.. what about him?

He clenched his teeth, looked at Levi and glared, feeling the burning sting in his eyes.

Stepping forward, he grabbed Levi by the front of his uniform, shaking him.

"That's a lie! They can't be dead! Isanna—she—she said they'd come back! She told me!"

His eyes were hurting, and there was a throbbing twinge somewhere in his chest, but he refused to acknowledge it.

"I haven't—" his voice cracked— "I haven't apologized to them yet!"

His outburst rang in the silence of the corridor, Nile's choked gasps of sobs filling the space as he desperately tried to stifle it back. He could not believe it, it was all too painful to be true.

Nile failed to notice the way Levi's eyes widened at his sudden admittance, him clicking his tongue under his breath as he grabbed Nile's wrists and wrenched them away from him.

"I don't know what apology you owe them, but they're gone," Levi said, holding back a bitter tone. "It's too late for regrets now."

Then he brushed past Nile, Hanji trailing silently behind him as they rounded the corner, leaving behind a distraught Nile.

Breathing heavily, Nile eventually fell down to his knees with a defeated thump, head hung low and the silence ringing in his ears.

No.. everyone.. why..

He raised his hands and held his head, clawing his hair beneath his fingers, teeth clenched as tight as possible. He squeezed his eyes shut, desperately trying to fight back the memories from flashing in his mind.

His friends, Adalaide and Chiara who used to make fun of him while they were still alive, Adrian and Mike who used to just silently watch the chaos unfold with silent smiles, Isanna, and Erwin. He turned his back on them, ditched them all without a word—the least he could have done was talk to them and try to part ways on a good note, he could have tried to keep in contact—but his stupid pride got in the way, rendering him too late to even apologize.