It was a night like any other for Squad Levi. It was just past midnight and all of the scouts were long asleep in a remote cabin, their temporary base. At least, that's what Asuna thought as she padded out onto the porch, sighing heavily. A soft breeze danced through the treetops, blessing the night with the gentle sound of rustling leaves. Somewhere off in the distance, a cricket chirped. The night was alive.
The house sat on the edge of a thick forest, and Asuna would often come out and sit on the porch steps when she was troubled. Lately, she'd been coming out more and more often. The reason-
"Hey." A familiar slightly-irritated voice sounded from behind, making her jump. Everyone should be asleep, so why...? "What the hell are you doing out here in the middle of the night?" Captain Levi came to stand beside her, looking down at her with his usual poker face.
"W-well...I couldn't sleep." She raised a hand to rub her neck sheepishly. While it wasn't a total lie, it also wasn't the total truth. Levi must have sensed that because his stare didn't let up at all. Unable to bear his piercing gaze, she looked away. Damn, how does he do that?
"I need my team to have clear heads. Not having your mind straight out in the field might just get you killed." He looked out into the moonlit woods. "I'm tired of replacing my team."
He sat down next to her, resting his elbows on his knees.
"I'm s-" Before she could finish her response, Levi cut her off.
"Don't bother apologizing. Just tell me what it is so we can get this sorted out." He was still gazing out into the woods, but she knew he was paying close attention to her.
She was slightly startled by him. Levi was widely known for having a tough front and not showing much emotion - if any. Some simply thought of him as an apathetic asshole. Though, anyone who's ever worked with him knew that wasn't true. Levi never portrayed his emotions for his own good as well as his team's. So the idea of opening up to such a man was...daunting, to say the least. Still, Asuna had the feeling she didn't have much choice in the matter. She knew what he said was true. If her head wasn't clear and tragedy struck, she might get herself killed - or worse, her comrades. She let out an audible sigh, running her fingers through her hair.
"This...may just sound stupid, but..." She hesitated.
"Spit it out already."
"O-okay. Um, eight years ago, I had...a dream. In it, there was a huge titan...Bigger than in any of the stories I'd heard. I saw its head rising above the wall. I saw the citizens inside the wall staring at it in horror. I saw their eyes, impossibly wide. Then, I saw blood." She cleared her throat, lowering her eyes to the porch steps as she recalled her dream. "I-it was like a wave of blood had passed through the streets. Everything was coated. I saw the Military Police firing cannons at several...no, dozens of titans, but it wasn't working. The titans just kept coming. It was like there was no end to them. The last thing I saw before I woke up was a gate closing. Two weeks later, the attack on Shiganshina occurred." Asuna looked up again. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Levi was no longer staring into the forest, but his eyes were fixed on her.
"Over the years, though, I convinced myself it was just a coincidence. I told myself my mind had created that dream after hearing too many titan stories, and that it just happened to resemble the Shiganshina attack. I-I hadn't had any dreams like that before, and I hadn't had any since...Until four days ago. This time, though...I've been having it every night. Each night, there's a different outcome." She plopped her head in her hands. "I don't know what to think."
There was silence between the two. Asuna snuck a peek between her fingers and saw him looking once more out into the forest, eyes hardened. She thought maybe he was thinking, but then again, she couldn't really tell.
"Tell me what happened in the new dreams."
"R-right. They all start the same. It's completely overcast and just pouring down rain. I haven't seen rain like that in years. I see Commander Erwin talking to Dhalis somewhere indoors, but I can't hear what they're saying. Suddenly I'm watching Sasha, Conny, and Jean sitting at a table, eating. Sasha stops and says she hears a rhythmic thumping from far away...like a titan walking. This is where the dreams start to differ. In the first dream, I saw Sasha running down a hallway. Then, I see a swarm of scouts riding past the wall. The last image was a titan falling to the ground."
"And the second dream?" Levi was staring at her with those sharp eyes again. It was honestly a talent how he could scare someone into talking just by looking at them. She continued.
"Yes. After Sasha says she hears a thumping, I see her talk to Commander Pyxis, and then I see him run off somewhere. Then, several old men are talking in a very intricately-decorated room. It has a throne in it so I think it may be the...well, the throne room. The last thing I see is masses of people all going through a gate, with a hoard of titans maybe a mile behind them. One of them seems...different. I can't put my finger on it, though." She took a breath. "Last night's dream..." Asuna's face paled and Levi raised a brow.
"That bad?"
She looked straight at him, despite his deadly gaze. Though he didn't show it, Levi was a bit surprised by this. Not many people do that, let alone subordinates of his. After a moment, she looked away again. "I saw...everyone's death. Eren, Mikasa, Conny, Sasha, Jean. Thousands and thousands of citizens. Military Police. Interior Police. Scouts. The king. You. Myself, as well. I've never seen myself in a dream before, but there I was. Every last one of us dies. All the gates are destroyed. There's blood just...everywhere." Asuna clamped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide. "Shiganshina was nothing compared to this."
Levi stood suddenly without a word, inhaling sharply. "Tomorrow you and I will ride to Trost District and talk to Erwin. Tell him exactly what you told me." He glanced at her. The horror in her eyes was obvious. Whatever she saw was indeed truly terrible. "This should not be taken lightly." With that, he turned to head back inside, but not before placing a surprisingly gentle hand on her shoulder. "Forget about it for the moment. There's nothing you can do right now. Get some rest."
She nodded, standing after he had gone inside. Now that she thought about it, why was he awake at this hour?
Thanks so much for reading! As usual, reviews are MUCH appreciated. Stay tuned for the next chapter. It's coming soon!
