Three Years Later
Year 854
Levi
Marley, the nation across the ocean discriminates us as we are the devils in their eyes. Ever since Eren disappeared, we received his letter and the scouts later arrived in Marley to assist him on the raid in Liberio. During the combat, the beast titan that I vow to take him down this time. I stand by as he calls me out and sneaks up to drop a grenade. I grapple out before the lethal blow, confident that the bastard is as good as dead.
As the Survey Corps retreats to the airship, I help Eren climb aboard just to hurl a kick into his face. Because of his insubordinate and selfish act against the Marley, I arrest him on behalf of the military authorities. While heading back to our island on the airship, a gunshot went off and Sasha was the one that got hit. Sasha was a ray of light in our lives, but seeing that light die out while being surrounded by her friends got to me. I just lost another great comrade. All of a sudden, the one thing that sickened me to the core was Eren laughing.
Once we return to the walls, Eren has made us the greatest threat against Marley. And the world is changing course because of him. My head hurts to think and my heart becomes frustrated by all of this. If there's a problem that I can't solve no matter how hard I try, the best thing for me to do as the captain is to let it all go. Those are my thoughts now.
I then discover Zeke is still alive and arrives in Paradis Island. We have a plan to deal with the Yeagerists, so I escort Zeke in a carriage along with the scouts. We arrive at a forest camp and during our stay, I learn about Darius Zackly's assassination. Dismayed by the news, my comrades also died for nothing to safeguard Eren.
Marley also provided us with wine for the trip, but I refused to drink on the job. When I turn around, I frown in confusion when Zeke sprints into the forest like a fucking lunatic. I reacted too late when he screamed at the top of his lungs. My heart thunders, recollecting the horrors of that scream. Assuming it was the wine, I helplessly watched my comrades transform into titans and fall out of the trees. As they swarm around me in midair, I close my eyes, wondering if they are conscious of what they are doing. The only option was to survive, so I was left with no other choice but to put them at rest. I come to my senses to hunt down Zeke with thunder spears.
Eventually, Zeke wakes up to find himself tied up in a cart. I attached a thunder spear into his stomach and even the slightest movement will detonate it. This was also a good opportunity for me to torture him. For all the unforgivable things he had done.
Zeke shares his plan on how to save the world. Doing so will save the children from the cruelty of this world, but as he explained further, I was ready to slice off his legs. Just hearing that reminded me of my daughter living inside the walls. How she is going by without me and Sina? My mind gets interrupted when Zeke cries out, tugging on the thunder spear. Unable to react in time, we get caught in the explosion and everything turns white.
As my body flies out of the cart, I have lost all senses and my ears ring. I have been swallowed by darkness.
⚔︎
Everything is white.
I wake up to a salty taste in my mouth and slowly open my eyes. Seemingly, I am lying in a bed of sand, feeling cushioned and protected by the warmth. My first thought was whether or not I was dead, but it turns out the white around me faded into a bright shade of blue.
My eyes squint at the light centered in the blue and it turns out to be the blazing sun. The warmth beaming down on my face was quite enjoyable. I have not felt this much solace before. A faint sound of seagulls adds to the ambiance as the mist of salty water splashes against my body. When I dig my fingers into the wet sand, I begin to think how I ended up here.
"What a joke..." I mumble under my breath, thinking I was meant to suffer in hell. After all the lives I took and the indescribable things I did for survival.
With enough strength, I sit up only to find a slim figure in a white dress standing on the shore. With her back facing me, she is staring at the horizon and her hair flows in the direction of the strong wind. I wait with bated breath for this person to turn around. And then she did. My body is filled with light when those beautiful doe eyes stare back. At this very moment, I stumble before getting on my feet and sprinting across the sand towards her. Without a doubt, the lady right in front of me is Sina.
Sina opens her arms invitingly and I crash in, circling my arms around her while choking back my tears. I missed this, and I refuse to let go from here. Her scent finally hits me. It is her, but how? Am I really dead? Is this the afterlife?
"I'm so sorry... for leaving you so soon," Sina speaks in a heartbreaking tone and I shake my head against her neck.
"It's not your fault," I whisper. "I should be the one to apologize. I can't imagine how painful and lonely you must have felt without me..."
There was a heavy pause until Sina shook her head on my shoulder. "Don't blame yourself."
I swallow hard. "Aren't you upset with me?"
"What?" Sina was startled.
"You're supposed to hate me," I tell forcefully. Ever since she passed, many things were left unsaid between us.
"Levi," Sina says calmly, rubbing the back of my neck with her hand. "Even if I am upset right now, I cannot bring myself to hate you. Because everything you've done was not wrong."
"But I took your freedom. You never had a chance to discover your full potential in the world."
Sina lets out a breathy smile into my ear. "In my own life, I never wanted to be the center of attention. I may have been a hero in the eyes of many, but at the end of the day, I was simply human."
Despite the strong emotions, I question further with shame. "Have you ever regretted, in all this time, never finding your purpose?"
Sina ponders for a moment, then softly sighs. "In truth, I've never really understood the purpose of my existence, or what I was capable of contributing to the world," she explains. "I never once regret my decisions. Even when I knew my fate was coming to an end." And of course, one can't control their own fate.
"I don't understand..." I confess, still regretful. "Why do you wish for me to fight for humanity over you? After all the things they've done to you? Why am I still fighting the battles I can't win? What are we gaining from this? Why is the world the way it is?"
"Humanity is selfish," Sina admits since she learned that the hard way. We all did. "But, that doesn't mean every human doesn't deserve to live. There is good in some people. That's why I want you to keep on fighting for what is right."
"You're too compassionate," I say softly yet harsh. She is too good for the world. And the world did not deserve her.
"I think it is the right thing to do." She hugs my body a bit tighter. "Despite the pain and fear I had to endure, I never once stopped believing in the beauty of the world."
I push on her shoulders to admire her stunning face once again. I missed every part of her, and she effortlessly stood out under the sun. I take a deep breath of the salty air. "If I keep on fighting, will it all be worth it in the end?"
"That all depends on you." Sina tilts her head to the side, moving a few stands of hair away to reveal more of my eyes as she also missed them so dearly. "Your willingness to fight means that you haven't given up on the world yet. I know life is hard at the moment, but you still have the rest of your life to live. I wouldn't want to see you spend it feeling regretful."
"Sina..." I mumble, already speechless by her breathtaking beauty.
"You're the hero that humanity needs, Levi." Sina grins. "After all the things you did, I still love you."
"I love you... so damn much." I attempt to hold back my tears and Sina is slightly alarmed by it, so she cups her palm against my cheek. It's warm, but I can't cry now. Not until it is all over.
"And thank you... for letting me rest here." Sina unexpectedly thanked me and that's when I understood what she had meant. I was the one who poured her ashes over the shore that day. She has been resting peacefully.
Then I realized something. This whole place feels off. We are the only two people in this world. Nothing can stop us. This has to be freedom at its best. Wondering how I got here, I stare at Sina with a concerned glance. "This whole time, is it really you? Am I dead?"
Sina's smile fades away. "This is the line between life and death. You're just unconscious in the real world."
Before I could say anything, her body gradually turned transparent as the sun shone through her. I am watching her fade away. She sighs with a sense of relief. "You're about to wake up."
"Wait!" I shout, wanting to mourn a little longer. "Will I... ever see you again?"
"Of course," Sina promises without hesitation. "Once you return, you might even forget all of this had happened. But don't fear. I will always be with you, and I will see you again in your dreams. So please, survive."
As much as I want to lay off on everything just to stay with Sina, my duty still remains. I made a promise to Erwin. I still have to give meaning to my comrades' deaths, including Sina's. Once I fulfill that duty, I will reunite with her and everyone else in the afterlife.
Before I could embrace her one last time, Sina unhurriedly released my hand and whirled to face the shore. She walks forward, deep into the ocean water. When halfway into the water, I watch her vanish in thin air and everything around me turns to dust. Finally, I am bound in the blanket of darkness.
⚔︎
I come back to life.
When my eyes fly open, my right eye is staring into black. Assuming my head was wrapped in bandages, a fiery pain seared through my bones and my body throbbed. I lay on the ground with a sheet over me, and no matter how hard I try, I can hardly move. Then I thought back to what happened. The cart. The explosion. Zeke. And, a very long dream. I can barely recall, but the warmth and sadness still lingered. An intense sense of ambition.
There was fire crackling on my right and Hange sitting right beside me. How did she find me? Since she was talking to herself, I found the strength to sit up. "That fucking monkey. Where is the hell is he?"
"Levi! You need to lie down!" Hange encourages as she carefully lowers me. "Zeke headed to Shiganshina together with the Yeagerists."
When I plop back down, I sigh in frustration and she nervously asks. "What happened back there?"
"I failed." My voice became husky and I raised my right hand only to find two fingers missing. "I even let him get away again."
As the day goes by, we try to figure out a way to stop Eren's intent on annihilating the world. But it was already too late when the world began rumbling. The colossal titans were summoned to march across the land, heading out to destroy everything possible as the world shook.
Despite my injuries, I dive into battle with my comrades and newly formed allies. On a flying boat, we jump off to switch our gears and engage immediately on Eren's founding titan. Turns out his back can generate multiple titans and I order everyone to pursue in the hopes of stopping them from emerging.
During this fierce battle, I have reached my limit. I believed death was right around the corner until Connie managed to save me. My injuries have gotten worse and I almost passed out from the severe pain after getting my leg caught in a titan's jaw. Suddenly, Falco catches us in his titan form and we glide away.
Since I am too injured to assist, we have been left with no other option than to kill Eren, but Mikasa argues against it. When I am incapable of carrying out the promises, I begin to wonder why my comrades sacrificed themselves. As I remember their final moments, I affirm that I do not regret choosing Armin's life over Erwin's. When it is time to make the decision, we detect some titans fighting for us. And that's when Zeke appears from the spine, blurting out to get my attention. I succumb to madness. With no hesitation, I slash his head off. The rumbling stops.
Eventually, everyone besides titan users and the Ackermans turns into pure titans. When it is time to put Eren to rest, Mikasa and I fly on Falco's back to get close. With a thunder spear, I make way for Mikasa into his mouth and ultimately, it takes all the strength for her to kill him.
The power of the titans peacefully comes to an end and I rest against a boulder. I tiredly look up to the smoke of my fallen comrades as they salute. I chuckle to myself. Are they satisfied? Have I made their sacrifices meaningful? In their hearts, they were convinced. They were satisfied in their hearts. Just seeing that brings me more relief than I can say.
And that's when I spot Sina, saluting to me in response. My mouth is slightly open as my tears build up. She radiates with a beam of satisfaction.
"You've done more than enough," Sina tells me. "Now, live your life to the fullest."
When the smoke faded away, so did my comrades and Sina. With a fist to my chest, the tears trickle down my face.
⚔︎
Three Years Later
Year 857
After the rumbling, the world has been recovering from the mass destruction. This is the freedom we fought for. No more walls. No more titans. And no more cruelty; just freedom. If only Sina was still alive to witness how the world came to be, our future would've been a different story. This is the world she hoped for, and I am the one living in it without her.
Since I am no longer capable of being a fighter, I now reside in Marley. I wish to experience a different lifestyle in a new nation. My injuries have left me permanently wheelchair-bound and I am accompanied by Gabi and Falco. They have gotten taller and grown more mature, but there is still that childlike demeanor in them. They would sometimes quarrel over minor things in front of me, make fun of the way I held my teacup, and even tell me ridiculous stories to keep me entertained. I certainly do not mind their company even after all the things we've been through. As we no longer see each other as enemies, humanity rebuilds itself for a promising future to maintain peace.
At times, when I think back on the younger Gabi and Falco, my daughter in Paradis comes to mind. There is never a day without thinking about her and Sina. Though I chose to stay out of her life, I yearn to know if she still has her mother's beauty. What does she like to do? Does she act more like me or her mother? What does she want to become when she's older? And when the rumbling happened, was she terrified? Hopefully, by some fate, our paths will meet again, even as strangers.
⚔︎
Fifty years pass in peace.
Within the past years, our efforts have shaped what humanity is now as there is no conflict. The military also improved and the world became advanced in technology. Just looking around reminds me of everything I fought for—no, what we fought for. When I fulfilled my duty, I felt at rest... and my fallen comrades felt it too. And Sina watched me go through it all.
I was reborn with a new purpose that very day. Her final wish was to see me blossom and continue my life. From there, I did so by living a secure life without any more violence and finding pleasure even in the littlest things. Because of her heartening words, I have been living with no regrets.
My heart still aches every time I am reminded of how things ended between us. If there's a point in time when we could be reunited, I wish to tell Sina that I lived for a long time. Not because I felt like it, but because I believed I could make a difference. It is a shame that life goes by in the blink of an eye. It is safe to say that I have lived not a perfect life, but a meaningful one. Even without Sina by my side, I knew she was always watching over me.
The last place I wanted to visit was the shore in Paradis, where I put Sina to rest. Gabi and Falco, already married with two lovely grandchildren, escort me to the beach. Falco pushes my wheelchair across the sand as the wind travels through my silver hair and we watch with amusement when Gabi along with their grandchildren chase after seagulls.
I am now facing the shore with admiration. The sun is sinking behind the ocean and I watch the cloudless sky fade into orange. Falco clears his throat behind me. "What's on your mind right now?"
Curious as to why I am silent, I let out a long sigh. "Every time I come here, it makes me realize how far we have come." I think of the past. "We left the walls for the sake of finding the truth about the titans. But it turned out the walls kept us from everything."
Falco sympathizes with his head lowered. "I can't imagine how it feels to be kept away from the entire world."
I let out a slight chuckle, still eyeing the ocean that reflects the sun. "We didn't realize how much we were suffering inside the walls. We were indeed blind from reality."
"Mr. Ackerman!" Their grandson and granddaughter race each other across the sand towards me, holding out some seashells with big grins. "Look how lovely these are!"
Gabi catches up to them and when she looks over at me, my eyes have become noticeably heavy.
"Levi?" Gabi kneels in front and I do not say a word as they all stare at me.
Instead, I draw in a deep breath, admiring the ocean one last time. When I finally exhale, I close my eyes since I gave up fighting it. I am extremely tired. When my body feels lighter, my soul drifts away with the waves. Feeling a sense of relief, my journey comes to an end. But only the memories will remain.
Now, I only wish to be with everyone.
With Sina.