Chapter 23

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β–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒ
╔═.β˜….══════════╗
𝑳𝑰𝑻𝑻𝑳𝑬 π‘ͺ𝑨𝑫𝑬𝑻
β•šβ•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•β•.β˜†.═╝
β–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒ







You had that dream, the life Levi told you about. That kind of life in the forest, away from everyone, in a small but comfortable wooden cottage. The tranquility of the dream was only transient because when you woke up, you realized you were back to reality.



It's been months since the breach of Wall Maria, the news about the inhabitants seeking refuge in Wall Rose slowly died down, diminishing and fading, superseded by the progressive life in the Interior. You knew the people who think of themselves as nobles residing in Wall Sina had already forgotten all about the breach, about the many people who died that day and the children who were left to fend for themselves.



But you weren't one of them, you still remember the day you found out about the breach of Wall Maria and its devastating loss to humanity. Even after a few months.



You were on the balcony, sitting on the comfortable chair with the baby in your arms as you let the morning sun bathe you both.



"You like the sun, Lucas?" you asked your son who blinks occasionally and would turn his head to the sunlight. "Your name means bringer of light, such a beautiful name. Your papa chose it."



The baby looked at you, his eyes big and glinting with the light. His little arms outstretched towards you, and he makes bubbling sounds like all babies do. You lowered your hand to him and he grasped your pointing finger with his little fingers.



And then you were reminded of what happened a week ago, when you found out about Levi making that choice.



"Lucas," you called, but the baby seemed to be too entertained with fiddling with your fingers. "Don't hate papa when he tells you about the choice he made."



The baby is still playing with your fingers but for a second he stopped, and then he looked at you. He let go of your fingers and outstretched his arms towards you and you lowered down slightly until he was able to touch your cheek.



You felt a certain type of warmth spread in your chest and you felt your lips stretching in a smile.



And then you heard laughter, the laughter of children down the streets. You looked out the balcony and saw them. The children playing, laughing, without so much of a care in the world.



"One day you'd grow up like them too," you said, looking back at your son who is now looking at you silently. His eyes seem to speak words that his mouth couldn't yet say out loud.



"You know, your papa told me when you were still in my womb, he said he wants to create a world–"



"Where my kid can grow up with a smile on his face," Levi's voice came from behind, and he walked up to you.



He bent down a bit and took the baby from your arms, Lucas didn't squirm or move away, he seemed to have already familiarized himself with his father's hold.



The baby moved closer to Levi's chest while he stood there, and you were reminded of the first time you saw Levi holding the baby in his arms. It was a brief moment after you gave birth, you saw Levi near the window where the afternoon sun rays were passing through the glass, providing a golden light hours before nightfall.



"And I will do that, I will create that world," Levi said. "Even if it's the last thing I do."



Just so his kid can grow up with a smile on his face, even if he wouldn't be able to witness it.



The sound of children laughing can still be heard and you stood up, seeing them more clearly down the street. And then you remembered the children from Wall Maria.



"Levi," you called and he looked at you. "Do you know anything about the children from Wall Maria?"



"I think they're still in the refuge in Wall Rose."



"Those kids, I feel pity for them," you muttered, looking at the children playing down the street. "They will never know the kind of happiness the children in the Interior take for granted."



The kids who were born in the safest and most protected part of the Walls, like your son, but you will never let your son grow up like the kids who value precious things too lightly. Suddenly you thought about something as you looked back at Levi.



"Can I go to Wall Rose?" you asked, which Levi found a bit surprising as he furrowed his brows. "I want to at least give some food to those children."



"Alright," Levi said right away before he glanced down at the baby. "I'll look after Lucas."



You felt a smile as you looked at Levi and then at the baby placed comfortingly in his arms. Now that you're a parent, you feel more connected to children. And thinking about those children who had witnessed humanity's most devastating loss, who had seen the horrors of the titans, who had seen their parents die in front of their eyes, you wanted to at least provide a sort of help.



Even if that help is just one night of not feeling hunger as they sleep in the cold barracks used as shelters.



Fortunately that day, Hange came, along with Mike and another soldier you recognized as Moblit. They agreed to help you while Levi decided to stay, looking after Lucas for the whole day. You and Hange prepared soup and bread for the children, and then she told you about the news.



"They sent the men back to Wall Maria?" you asked, your voice rising a bit out of the anger you felt. "What were they thinking? Fattening up those titans? Those people wouldn't last a day out there."



"They wouldn't," Mike said as he scrunched his nose in disgust. "They did that to lessen the burden of providing food to the refuge."



"They could have done other ways than send those men to their demise," you muttered, exhaling in annoyance.



The same day you, along with Hange, Mike and Moblit left the Interior and headed to Wall Rose where a Garrison soldier led the way to the shelters. There were a lot of children, some women who take care of babies the same age as your son.



Some soldiers told them to line up to get food, which they did. One bowl of soup and a piece of bread.



You were busy giving out the food when you heard a commotion. A Garrison soldier was yelling at a kid and when you got closer you saw the bowl of soup on the ground. There were three kids, the other two beside the boy still have their bowls of soup, the boy with his head lowered down doesn't.



"You little piece of shit!" the soldier yelled. "You ruined my uniform!"



"You pushed him back," the boy next to the other boy said. "His soup wouldn't have fallen if you didn't push him back."



"He's in the way! Honestly, all of you are in the way! You should have just come with your parents and go back to Wall Maria."



The little boy with a hat atop his head seemed to tremble, he still had his head lowered down but he flinched when the soldier kicked the bowl on the ground.



"Hey! Who gave these kids soup anyways?! My uniform's all ruined no–"



"I did," you said, walking up to the Garrison soldier who looked at you. He stared at you for a few seconds, his eyes glancing up and down before finally looking back at you.



"And who the hell are you?" he asked, standing straight as if to intimidate.



"I'm Squad–" you trailed off, thinking whether to introduce yourself as a Squad Leader still, but this soldier will continue to have that smirk on his face if he thinks you're an ordinary citizen. "Squad Leader Y/n Smith of the Scout Regiment."



"Smith..." he muttered, averting his gaze. He didn't say anything but you heard him click his tongue before he walked past you.



You turned around to watch him, but you saw how he was ready to push back the kid again so before he could do it, you grabbed his arm and pulled him back, holding both his arms behind him before kicking the back of his knees as he fell on the ground.



"If you wanna pick a fight, pick a fight with someone your size," you said, leaning closer to him. "But then again, how does it feel like being manhandled by a woman who's not even your size?"



You noticed how the tip of his ears reddened in embarrassment before you let go of him when he started to thrashed wildly, causing him to fall forward before he stumbled to his feet. He turned around to face you, you were ready to grab his wrist when you saw him about to grab the collar of your shirt but a voice made him stop.



"What brings the sister of Commander Smith here?"



The soldier seemed to stiffen when he heard the familiar voice. He saluted the man but he paid the soldier no attention as he looked at you.



"Commander Pixis," you acknowledged. "I'd very much like it if you stop referring to me as someone's sister."



His laughter suddenly boomed through the crowd and some heads turned to him. After a while he calmed down and took out a flask which he always carries with him along with liquor.



You weren't really that much close with the Garrison's Commander, unlike your brother. And after a few questions that he asked, he left. You looked around but the three kids were no longer there. Your eyes trailed down on the ground where the soup was spilled before you looked up, wondering where that kid had gone off to.



You came back and saw that there was some soup and bread left so you took another bowl and bread before telling Hange that you'll look around for a kid. After a while you found the kids in the barracks, sitting together as they shared the soup and bread.



"Here," you said, walking up to them as you crouched down and put the bowl of soup and bread before the three of them finally looked at you.Β 







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β–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒβ–ƒ


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