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“Farlan Church. Isabel Magnolia. Deceased.”

You feel the numbness’ icy grip clutching at your throat, trickling into twisting curls towards your belly.

How did this happen?

When did this happen?

Why did this have to happen?

Your flickering gaze fails to find the one person they’re subconsciously trying to find. Levi is nowhere to be seen in the room. Even Erwin and Hanji are present – he couldn’t possibly be still thinking of the plan, could he?

You faintly acknowledge that the speaker has finished calling all the names of the deceased. Erwin approaches him, exchanging a few words before the paper gets passed from each hand. When the commander walks towards you, you can only stare up at him.

“Levi is resting,” is all he says. The paper gets passed once more, this time into your own hands. You clutch it tightly but make no movement to open it, and he nods once before departing.

You had only been gone for a day, and within that time-span, everything seems to have gone wrong.

“Oof!”

You’re lightly pushed from behind – not enough to make you stumble – and when you turn around to see who’s bumped into you, you’re faced with a petite young woman whose ginger hair is reminiscent to that of the fading sun’s.

“I’m so sorry!” she continues her string of apologies, and you put up a hand to pacify her.

“No, don’t be,” you placate. “It’s a crowded room.”

The woman chuckles, holding an embarrassed hand to the back of her head. “Even so, I do apologize for bumping into you. You see, I was looking for–”

“Petra! Hey, Petra! Where did you go? Ow! Dammit, bit my own tongue again…”

“Oruo!” the ginger calls out, waving her hands as high as possible to catch the attention of her friend in the tall crowd. “I’m over here!”

“Pah! They weren’t joking when they said we’d be facing hell from day one,” the so-called Oruo grumbles as he squeezes his way through the crowd. His face eases when he’s looking at Petra. “Hey, didn’t I say to stick together? In a crowd this large, who knows what could happen?”

“Aw, don’t be such a worrywart, Oruo!” Petra sticks her tongue out at him. “These are our comrades now! We’ll get to know everyone eventually; in fact, may I introduce you to…” She trails off as she looks at you, having realized she never did get your name.

“[First],” you introduce. “[First] [Last]. It’s nice to meet you, Petra. Oruo.” You nod at each one, feeling the same twisting feeling in your gut. Even though you’d only known the pair for a good fifteen seconds, they reminded you of an alternate version of Isabel and Farlan.

“Oruo Bozad,” the male introduces himself. “I take it you’re a cadet too-ah! Petra, what was that for?” he yells when the offender elbows him in the gut.

“Don’t make assumptions, you fool!” she chastises before throwing you an apologetic look. “I’ll most likely be apologizing for him for you from now on, but he means well. Most of the time.”

You smile slightly. “It’s good to see you two have such a good relationship.”

There’s an instant reaction to your statement. Petra’s eyes widen, and she seems to freeze in place. Oruo, on the other hand, coughs to disguise his reddening cheeks, but he seems pleased somehow. You tilt your head in slight confusion but don’t comment on it.

“W-well, we did grow up together,” Petra finally says.

“And we are—” Oruo starts but is unable to complete his sentence a second time because Petra repeats elbowing him in the gut with an added pointed glare this time.

“Shut up!” She shoves him to the side and rushes your way, grabbing your hands in hers. “Come on, let’s go find dinner before there isn’t any left!”

You’re left to wallow in the mystery of their relationship as Petra tugs you along. As she yanks on the door the mess hall, another person is standing on the other side of it, blocking her way, and you find your breath hitching just as Petra’s does.

“Levi…?”

He looks up in response to your voice. Your mouth opens, but nothing comes. In the two days you haven’t seen him, he’s suddenly aged so much – you almost don’t recognize him. It’s not the dead look in his eyes nor the way his hair and clothes are plastered with blood and sweat: no, it’s the tear that trails down his left eye. Never – not once since you’ve met him at the bread shop – have you seen Levi cry. And he seems to realize that as well for he walks right through where you and Petra are linked, breaking the hand-hold. It all happens so fast that you’re not even sure it really happened until Petra breaks the silence.

“[First], who is that?”