❝You can't change anything unless you can discard part of yourself too. To surpass monsters, you must be willing to abandon your humanity.❞ ㅡ Armin Arlet
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Chapted eight:
I'D FIND YOU
Her lips were pursed, her eyebrows furrowed, her eyes narrowed in a glare full of hatred.
As she was forced to sit on a wooden chair, her teeth gritted in utter irritation. Soon, the three robbers to which she had vow temporary loyalty had been dragged to similar spots. Her sister fidgeted on her seat, evidently uncomfortable and anxious, while glancing at her surroundings. Besides her, a wary Farlan was staring at Erwin Smith, possibly searching for a way out of such unfortunate situation.
And then, there was Levi. He was anything but disturbed, by the looks of it; which unnerved Galene beyond belief. His back was straightened, legs crossed one over another, and his expression was so calm he could have been sleeping.
As if feeling her attention on him, his eyes snapped to hers before averting towards Erwin Smith. Said man was standing behind his desk, arms crossed over his chest as he observed them closely.
As silence prevailed within the place, Galene gave free rein to her curiosity and drifted her attention to her surroundings. An eyebrow arched at the sight of so many bookshelves, all of which made of a dark shade of wood. However, other than that, the room held no interest to her whatsoever ㅡ it was rather simple, oddly enough. As a matter of fact, the woman had expected his office to be more... princely.
She was not to blame though, for the man looked like someone who had been taken out of a castle in the mountains and forced to live down there with peasants. With his overly-slimy, blond hair and a pair of sharp, blue eyes; anyone could mistake him for a prince.
A smirk formed on her lips as she noticed how irritated he seemed to be. He also looks in need to get laid.
"Did you really think I didn't know what you were doing?" Erwin asked. "There is a reason as to why I've brought you here. No one will deny the fact that you are unbelievably talented. However, I don't tend to go looking for strays in the Underground City."
While Isabel and Farlan exchanged a look, Galene had suddenly found her nails quite intriguing. She choked on her saliva, however, when the least expected person in the room spoke.
"There is a reason as to why we decided to accept your offer and come here, as well. And it wasn't because that idiot" ㅡLevi pointed at herㅡ "got hurt."
Indignation coursed through her at his confession, and she would've jumped down his throat had she not been tied to the chair. "Is this why I've risked my ass out here? If I knew you were going to rat us out, I would've left this fucking place a long time ago!"
"And go where?" Levi was not fazed by her short outburst as he met her eyes evenly. "He already knows, so what's the fucking point?"
Her glare didn't leave his face, but she didn't speak her thoughts. She was fuming; angry and disappointed with her lack of judgement. Had she listened to her heart, she would've fled the place ㅡ like she had told Levi. She should have trusted her past experiences when it came to making deals and forming alliances, instead of letting a ray of hope fill her head with butterflies.
"That's enough," voiced Erwin. "Nothing good will come from fighting."
Galene eventually receded, but not without sending Levi one last glare that he returned with a look of... disappointment? She couldn't decipher the expression in his eyes, nor did she care about it.
"As I was saying, I knew your plan from the beginning," Erwin continued after clearing his throat. "The Military Police has been investigating your client for some time. He's been doing business in the Underground City, hiring criminals to do the dirty work for him and promising them whatever they wished for most; about which ㅡ hopefully this fact will open your eyes ㅡ he never kept his word. We started writing everything down so we could arrest him and leave him in the hands of the law."
He pulled out a scroll, the same one she had been in the process of stealing, and she tensed up. "I believe this is what you were looking for. Or am I wrong?"
"If you knew, why did you play the fool's card?" Farlan asked.
Erwin seemed to ponder his answer. "For starters, I wanted to see just how passionate you were ㅡ how far you are willing to go to reach a common goal. Secondly, it was amusing to see you squirm," he added with a smile.
"Sadist," Galene muttered under her breath. "Are you going to send us back to that shithole, then?"
Erwin reached down to put the scroll inside a drawer and shook his head, an action that filled her with relief. "I'm going to give you a new purpose; an alternative that, should you accept, will erase all of your past crimes."
"But what's in the scroll?" piped Isabel, always the curious one.
"My diet timetable."
Someone snorted, but the man didn't acknowledge them.
"What's your offer?" Farlan inquired.
Erwin sat behind his desk and crossed his arms over his wide chest. "Besides cleaning up the place, you will immediately join the Scouting Legion and fight for humanity outside the Walls. Unfortunately, we need all the help we can get and can't afford to let you go to waste."
"As in, no more training?" Isabel asked in a voice full of hope.
"Yes."
The girl was instantly grinning widely, Galene shook her head. "No." She ignored the irritated sound coming from Levi and explained herself. "What's in it for me? We were promised freedom, but this is far from it."
That time, she heard no complaint from Levi, and she knew why. With the remembrance of their conversation of the night before in her head, Galene couldn't help but feel those thoughts becoming more intense ㅡ and difficult to ignore ㅡ by the second.
"What do you mean?" started Isabel, but she was cut off by Erwin.
"I was hoping to get that answer," he commented with a pleased glint in his eyes as he observed Galene with interest. "It's that feeling what connects the soldiers in our ranks, what makes the difference. You're right; freedom lies beyond the Walls. Once you get a taste of it, it's impossible to turn away."
A warm sensation sprouted in her chest as the man described the world spread outside; she felt the unmistakable pull of freedom, like the voice of a siren calling her name. Images she couldn't fully finish painting spread in her mind, intensifying the wish to break those invisible chains and discard the drawings for reality.
"Accept this offer, join us and fight to claim that freedom we all seek."
Her gaze clashed with his grey one, before she turned to face the commander. "You have a deal, pretty boy."
Suddenly the door opened to reveal Hange, who grinned at her as she was motioned to walk in.
"Untie them, Hange," ordered Erwin with a wave of his hand.
But Galene was already on her feet, rolling her wrists and smirking at the baffled woman. "No need. Someone should teach you to tie a knot."
"Like you can do any better, brat." Levi stood up as the ropes holding his wrists dropped to the floor, and he met her narrowed eyes.
She approached him with a dangerous smile. "Don't tempt me, Levi. Or I'll show you how to properly strap someone down."
She walked out of the room, but not before catching the sketch of a smirk on his lips. Hange's voice followed her as she strolled down the corridor with a strange sensation of peace in her heart.
"They're so cute."
ㅡ
Her legs hung from the top of the building, her bare feet swayed ever so slightly as the soft breeze of the wind caressed her skin. Her eyelids were closed as she let her annoyance ㅡ her troubled thoughts ㅡ fade into oblivion; breathing them out of her body through deep exhalations. Her face had lost any trace of worry; her wrinkles were finally gone, giving her features a more relaxed look ㅡ a much younger one.
Even after all those weeks, Galene knew she still remained a mystery to the former gang of robbers. She was locked in behind her own impenetrable wall, which she had made over years of living in the Underground City. It was her defences; a wall that protected her from the dangers waiting outside.
There were secrets in her mind, memories that would terrify the dark.
Running a hand through her hair, she let out a sigh before locking her eyes on the horizon. The sun was slowly sinking; its last rays glowed in a colourful sky and painted a beautiful sight that never ceased to amaze her.
Soon, the moon would be shining in a sea of stars.
"I knew you'd be hiding here."
Her muscles tensed almost instantly, before she glanced over her shoulder to send Levi a look. "Trust me; if I was hiding, you wouldn't be able to find me."
Levi said nothing at first; instead, he flopped down next to her. Surprised yet wary, the woman gave him a leery stare.
"Tch."
"Why are you here?"
"Isabel was driving me to commit suicide," he stated in a flat voice. "She's worried about you and won't stop showing it by pestering me."
A frown crept to her face, and she let out a huff. "She still has a lot to learn about people. You can't expect for them to reveal all their secrets just because you have dinner together."
She glanced at him to see he was lying down with his eyes closed, and for some unknown reason, the sight soothed her. A pang of guilt pinched her heart, but she mentally shook her head ㅡ there it was again; that nudge, encouraging her to trust him with her secrets.
But she couldn't do that.
"You're selfish."
Her eyes widened, and she found herself staring into his intense gaze.
"Not everyone is made of that armour, Galene. You can't expect to walk out and not leave scars behind," he continued lowly, and then clicked his tongue in evident annoyance. "Brat."
"Jerk," she muttered automatically.
However, his lips turned up ever so slightly to form a smirk. They stood there, under the sunset, for long minutes; not saying anything, just enjoying the peaceful moment. It reminded them of those occasions in the Underground City, and she would be lying if she said she didn't cherish them.
When the sky had turned into a deep shade of blue and the stars were glowing above their heads, Levi stood up. An apple fell on her lap, startling her.
"You missed dinner, idiot."
Galene quirked an eyebrow, and then turned around to watch him walk back into the building. He remembered; after everything, he still remembered how much she loved apples. But...
She sweat-dropped. You missed dinner too, dumbass.
"By the way," he started while tilting his head towards her, "I would still find you."
Ignoring the warmth spreading within her, she clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes. "As if."