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✩ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟒 : 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥 ✩
"𝓣𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓵𝓭 𝓲𝓼 𝓬𝓻𝓾𝓮𝓵. 𝓘𝓽 𝓲𝓼 𝓪𝓵𝓼𝓸 𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂 𝓫𝓮𝓪𝓾𝓽𝓲𝓯𝓾𝓵."
☾⋆⁺₊⋆✩⋆⁺₊⋆☽
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The rain was falling heavily on the uneven cobblestones of the inner district streets, turning the ground into a maze of puddles and mud. The drops hit with force, creating a symphony of noise on the tin roofs, windows, and stone walls, blurring the view and cloaking the city in a watery veil. The sky was a steely gray, and thunder rumbled in the distance, foretelling an even stronger storm on the way.
Hanji walked at the front of the small group, holding a lantern that swayed with her steps. The flickering light cast dancing shadows on the damp stone walls, adding to the strange, mysterious atmosphere. Moblit, her loyal assistant, followed closely, trying not to trip on the slippery cobblestones. He cast wary glances around him, clearly uncomfortable with the dark and oppressive surroundings.
Behind them, Levi walked beside Marie. His face was as impassive as ever, but an impatient glint shone in his gray eyes. Rain seeped into his black hair, plastering it to his forehead, though he didn't seem to mind. With each step, his boots splashed through puddles, yet his pace remained steady, determined.
Marie, on the other hand, looked lost. She glanced all around, her blue eyes glassy, focused on unseen points. She nervously ran a trembling hand through her damp hair, her lips moving but producing no clear sound, murmuring incoherent phrases. Her breathing was erratic, and she seemed completely disoriented.
Levi cast an annoyed glance toward Hanji, finally breaking the heavy silence. "Where the hell is Erwin?" he growled, impatience sharpening his voice. "He's been absent from the battalion for days. Is he taking a dump or what?"
Hanji turned her head slightly, a mischievous smile appearing on her face despite the gravity of the situation. "He's in a meeting with all the heads of the various armed corps," she replied, her voice almost sing-song despite the pounding rain. "Apparently, it's a matter of utmost importance. They've been discussing it for days."
Levi rolled his eyes, clearly frustrated. "Important matters, my ass," he muttered, his tone growing rougher. "If they're spending that much time talking, it's because they don't know what to do."
Beside him, Marie kept murmuring, her voice barely audible under the sound of the rain. She was repeating incomprehensible words, as if trying to grasp a memory slipping through her fingers. Levi noticed her strange behavior, his eyes narrowing with concern and suspicion. "What are you babbling about, kid?" he asked brusquely, trying to catch her attention.
Marie turned her head toward him, her glassy eyes fixed on his face without truly seeing him. "Levi..." she murmured, her tone strange, almost distant. "Levi... Levi..." She kept repeating his name, as if it were the only word she could remember.
Hanji turned slightly upon hearing Marie, her smile fading into a more serious expression. "Is Marie okay?" she asked, but her tone betrayed a hint of worry. "She sounds like she's cracked, like all the battalion members do at some point."
Levi ignored Hanji, keeping his gaze fixed on Marie. He placed a firm but gentle hand on her shoulder, trying to bring her back to reality. "Hey, kid," he said more softly, his voice losing its usual sharpness. "Stay with us. What's going on?"
Marie blinked, shaking her head slightly as if to shake off a dream. "How's... Farlan?" she suddenly asked, her voice breaking slightly. Her eyes were still glassy, but there was a flicker of confusion, as if she was wondering why she'd asked that question.
Levi froze, his expression shifting from surprise to immediate suspicion. "What did you just say?" he asked, his tone hardening. "How do you know that name?"
Marie blinked again, seeming to slowly come back to herself. She rubbed her forehead, as though she had a headache. "I... I don't know..." she stammered, her voice trembling. "I don't know why I said that... Who is Farlan?" She looked at Levi in confusion, her breathing growing faster.
Hanji, now serious, stepped closer, her gaze shifting from Marie to Levi. "Levi," she murmured softly, her tone grave. "Farlan... he's... he's your friend, right?"
Levi clenched his jaw, his eyes hardening. "Yeah," he replied curtly, his voice tense. "But how could she know that?"
Marie shook her head, visibly disoriented. "I... I'm sorry... I don't know what's happening..." She placed a hand on her chest, her fingers clutching the pendant hidden beneath her dress. "I don't know why I said that..."
Levi stared at her for a moment, his piercing gaze searching for an answer in her eyes. Then he sighed, his hand slipping from her shoulder. "It's nothing," he finally said, his tone softer but still filled with mistrust. "We'll talk about it later. For now, just focus."
Hanji watched the scene with growing concern, her eyes narrowing behind the glasses fogged by the rain. "We need to be careful," she finally said. "Something's wrong. We need to stay on guard."
Levi nodded, keeping a watchful eye on Marie. "Yeah," he murmured, his voice grave. "We're all in deep shit." But even as he said it, he couldn't shake the question of what was really happening with Marie and why she'd mentioned Farlan, a name she should never have known.
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