Dangerous Territory

The Darkest of All Secrets

Levi refused to admit that he was lonely, yet being stuck in the dungeon was wearing on him. The soldier who came in the morning to release the Jews blew out the one lantern that lit the room, plunging Levi into a full day of pure darkness. Although he had the Tanakh, he could not read it.

That left him to look into the darkness, staring into the abyss, and being forced to see whatever monsters stared back.

Those monsters were either dressed in Nazi uniforms, or had his own face, only different, wild-eyed, covered in blood, with a cold, merciless sneer.

That was the monster he hated most.

The darkness played tricks on him. He often heard voices shouting back and forth, words in many languages, screams from the past. So many screams.

"Ne me tue pas."

"Please don't kill me."

"Błagam, tylko mnie nie zabijaj."

"Bitte töte mich nicht, bitte, bitte."

"Meneer, spaar alstublieft mijn leven."

"No me mates, tengo una esposa e hijos."

"Epargnez ma vie, et je vendrai la mèche."

"Per favore, non ucidermi."

"Molim te, nemoj me ubiti."

"Stoppe! Ikke drep meg."

"Prosím, nezabíjej mě."

"Te rog, nu mă ucide."

"Musa ukungibulala."

"Ne ubivay menya."

"Nemoj me ubiti."

"Älä tapa minua."

"Dræb mig ikke."

"Ne ölj meg."

"Usiniue."

He tried to escape the shouts, but how does one escape the abyss?

"Bugger! Why'd you let her go? Orders are orders. I don't like it either, this whole mission is a bag of shite, but that's what it means to be an agent. Now, if you won't shoot the lass, I will. Hey! What the bloody hell are you doing? Stop, you half-dick frog. Our orders ... oh God, no! Stop! Don't kill me!"

Amidst the waking nightmares, another face came to mind. Teal eyes, brown hair, a boyish smile that at times looked innocent, and other times felt like this young man had lived through enough grief for three lifetimes. As days trapped in darkness passed, Levi could almost hear Eren's voice. His laugh rang out so clearly at times, only for Levi to realize there was no one there. Eren's phantom was a comfort to him, an escape from the darker memories. He even felt touches, a hand petting his head, a touch to his shoulder, ghostly fingers rubbing up his back, only to realize no one was there.

The only escape from the pitch darkness was when his companions returned. He saw light when the soldier brought them in, did roll call to make sure they had all returned, locked them away, and then the light was blown out again. A few minutes by which to see, and then it was back into the abyss once more.

Six days after the humiliating display and attack, a light came down in the middle of the morning. Levi thought he was seeing things again when Eren stepped inside.

"It's so dark in here."

He had a lantern with him, and it lit up the pale face of Levi, who looked confused and trapped by disbelief.