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SOBS FILLED THE AREA AS THEY PRAYED FOR THE WOMAN TO BE ALRIGHT. F/n was brought back to her cell, unconscious like the other time she was brought to the dungeon.

Only this time, her uncle left along with the guards, leaving them worried about the dead-looking woman.

'Please be okay,' her friends repeatedly thought, unable to think of anything else aside from it.

The man she called her father felt hopeless. He prayed and prayed for his daughter to just wake up and say that she was well and healthy, that she was not leaving him any time soon.

He kept begging and begging, not caring if others could see their former Emperor in tears and on his knees as if he was never an Emperor. At this point, he would do anything for her to wake up.

He had lost his wife and once his daughter. Now that she's back he couldn't just let her go again. He felt that he had failed his job as a father.

The tears and anger they released were warm and brought them sleepiness as they ate them whole, slowly bringing them to the dream world. One by one, the soldiers slept but one stayed awake.

He peeked through the metal bars again, catching the sight of the still unconscious woman before heaving out a sigh and shutting his eyes, brows furrowing and lips twitching downwards to a frown.

Hours passed and yet he couldn't fall asleep. He stayed awake, occasionally peering out to see the peaceful female lying on the ground.

His head was thrown back. His throat felt dry but there was nothing for him to fix as the prison guards only arrived for food twice a day: breakfast and lunch.

They never ate dinner in the dungeon, no one did. It was as though the food was restricted even though they had corps of different kinds, ready to be harvested and consumed.

For once, they knew what it felt like to be him, living in the underground with nothing but thought to survive even if it meant needing to steal.

Her breathing increased and her right hand twitched but he didn't notice as he had his eyes shut. There was a sharp intake in the air that made him peel open his eyes, immediately glancing at the awaking woman in surprise.

F/n let out a painful groan, opening her heavy eyelids and squinting her eyes, hoping to recognise where she was.

The torches in the dungeon weren't too bright and hard to adjust to and she managed just to know where she was. Her eyebrows creased when a headache started to form, causing her to touch it with the palm of her hands.

She was cold. Her hands were cold. Her feet were cold. She felt cold.

'I'm going to die,' F/n thought after recalling her uncle's words, 'I'm really going to die. But, how?'

Hange had stated before that she can't die unless her nape was sliced, just like how a Titan would or die of old age. But she was in a weaker condition, somehow.

Did her uncle inject something into her? Could she possibly die now? Was this how her mother died, being injected by whatever serum that was in her now?

What if-

"F/n," a voice interrupted her thoughts, causing her to turn towards the owner, "You're awake."

Her previous e/c-coloured eyes glowed purple as they met his dull grey ones. His usually narrowed eyes were wide and his pupils were as small as ever. It was as though he had seen something he shouldn't – a good thing.

"Levi," she returned, never at all leaving her gaze from him, "What happened?"

He said nothing, just continued staring at her as if she would disappear if he blinked.

She looked beautiful in the dress, despite it being slightly dirty. Her hair wasn't too neat but she still looked perfect in his eyes. And then he recalled the conversation he had with Hange in the forest.

Which made him wonder about one thing: did he like her? Perhaps Hange was right all along.

"Levi?"

"That man nearly killed you," he finally answered, lowering his head and curling his fingers as they dug into the palm of his hands.

"But... I can't die. Hange said I can't," she reminded, eyebrows starting to furrow in thought.

"Hange said whatever he injected you with made you weaker, making you able to die without needing to slice your nape off."

"Oh."

Silence replaced the previous conversation and tension developed in the air. F/n's mind was filled with all sorts of nightmares that had a connection with the one she experienced last.

The voice who claimed to be her.

Levi noticed, of course. After being with her the most, the Captain realised that she was uncomfortable and scared just by the look of her body language.

He knew. And she knew that he knew. She had told him, after all. And so she asked.

"How do I get rid of it?"

Levi paused for a moment, figuring out how to respond to her sudden query. It was expected and yet he was still shocked. Probably because of the emotions that hid behind those words.

How to get rid of it?

He did not know. But he did know one thing.

"I don't know," he voiced his thoughts, taking a quick glance at her before shifting his gaze back to the ground, "But I will protect you. I won't let him get to you. Not now or ever."

"But I'm scared," she admitted openly, voice cracking slightly at the end as she tried to suppress her emotions, "What if I die?"

At this moment, Levi realised that she was about to cry. F/n was not one to be having full control of her thoughts and emotions like other people, considering how she was still scared of her own nightmares, things that are made up by one's own thoughts and imaginations.

They were fake, weren't they?

"You're not going to die," he sternly stated and F/n raised her head to look at him.

A similar feeling washed over her as they locked eyes and it was as if Levi's glowed too. He had a look of reassurance in his eyes, hiding all those worries and fears behind them.

He had to be brave in front of her. He had to do it if it could make her feel reassured. He would do anything for her to stay calm and just be relieved and not worry about anything. He would do anything for her.

And that was why he said, "I'm always here for you, I promise."

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