𝔇𝔢𝔣𝔦𝔞𝔫𝔠𝔢 (𝔏𝔢𝔳𝔦 𝔵 ℜ𝔢𝔞𝔡𝔢𝔯)

LXIII - Lurking Within Our Dreams

But it was difficult to push aside whatever it was my mind wanted to dwell on.

Whatever that was.

***

I headed to bed not long after locating the trio, finding them all conversing among themselves along with a few of the other 104th cadets in the boys shared dorms. Mikasa had been tending to Eren's wounds that were close to healing fully now, steam emitting from his fingertips as the rest of his hands grew back after the traitors had amputated his limbs. Armin, however, was struggling to refrain Mikasa from tending to him alongside Sasha and Jean due to her own injuries she had acquired trying to rescue Eren.

After hours of twisting and rolling beneath the blankets of my barracks issued bed, I exhale a sigh of defeat before beating at the blankets once and stare angrily at the ceiling. I had been switched between different beds multiple times in the past few days, not giving me enough time to adapt to the new one.

I roll my eyes at myself, bringing my legs over the edge of the bed and straightening my back and allowing multiple audible cracks to ripple through my spine. Humming quietly, I stand up and pace to the bag of clothes Felix had dropped off a few hours ago, most of the clothes being clothes Kerrie had let me use. I search through the bag, settling on a black shirt and a pair of shorts.

If I'm going to make use of a night like this, it may as well be a night to catch up on the lost training that I've missed out on. Throwing on the chosen attire, I swipe some bandages from the room first aid kit before heading out and walking for the Headquarters gym. I push through the door, the basics of equipment sitting in somewhat tidy sections throughout the room, lightly illuminated by the few lanterns that sat throughout the room. I seat myself on the bench press, a pretty standard build of five pieces of wood nailed together with a metal bar and weights evening out each side.

I unroll the bandages, cutting them in half as evenly as I could so they could be makeshift hand wraps. I eye the punching bag that hung from a hook across the wall, an inanimate object taunting me so daringly. Wrapping my hands, making sure to cover my knuckles evenly, before securely tucking them in and flexing my hands. I slowly stood, nodding to myself before I walked to the punching bag and closed my eyes, letting out a slow, steady breath.

My arm jerked forward, the bag swinging with the force I had punched it with. I stop it, both palms on the rough, brown cloth that held the inner contents in, spinning it slightly before leaving it to hang again.

The good thing about the Trost Headquarters gym was all the personal and shared quarters were a fair distance away from it, the sound of anything barely audible to those trying to sleep. I lowered myself into my stance, loose hands up and guarding my face. I eye the bag carefully, struggling to find someone who I could pretend to beat before I just settle on it just being what it really is.

I begin slowly, my fists making gradual, harsh contact with the bag before I slowly pick up the pace. My mind wandered, my body subconsciously doing what I came in here for. But my mind couldn't settle on one particular thought without wandering back to the events that had taken place the day before.

But what irked me the most was the decision to keep that information away from Levi, even when Erwin's voice holds more significance than Levi's. So why couldn't we tell him of the plan, spare him the concern and go?

"You know, if we told him he would've come after you." Erwin's voice sounds from the doorway. I was slapped out of my thoughts, head looking him as I straighten up slightly before the punching bag swung back and hit me in the shoulder. I scoff at the bag, bringing a hand up to to stop it before facing the commander completely. His amputated arm was bandaged up professionally, the white cloth void of any discolouration.