It had been months since he had heard from the other, but that was to be expected. Eishi had to admit to himself that it was unfortunate since Levi had been the sole source of entertainment for him, returning with stories and details of what had happened from the war on the titans. Shortly after Eren's fight with the female titan, the details had slowly emerged from the rumors that the newspapers spread, heavily convoluted but cleared up in a few short sentences. It would seem like yesterday since the man had been around, drinking from his tea and mostly observing, making a few comments here and there that made people passing by feel smaller. He did not seem to like any open attention, and that was fine with the purple haired medic. What he enjoyed had been his attempts to pry the truth out of the other, going so far as to explain what others thought in a tale that seemed ridiculous to anyone, as well as the scent of whatever flavor of tea seemed to have fallen into Levi's hands.

So he ended up toiling the days away, working harder than usual with a consistency that even surprised Sai, his delicate mentor. Days passed and swiftly turned into months. He had been playing nurse and doctor for the staff members who always seemed undersourced for the amount of patients that they saw.

Work was cheerful as ever, and busy with sounds of sick children crying and others just speaking down in one hall, and the soft rotation of the wheels on wheelchairs, perhaps inaudible when a family member volunteered to steer their relative from behind. Though most would see the atmosphere as some sort of funeral march, the former soldier was comforted in a way by the progress of people who strived to stand, unknowingly in the face of the areas outside the wall. The chaos of people who dared to go out with their heads rolling and missing, being a rarity as titans were more likely to consume the upper half whole while the person was still alive.

Then of course the first hint of news spread as quickly as wildfire. Levi had been injured in a battle. It was nothing new and not much word had been sent to the public, but the top officials at the hospital had been quite smug about the issue, seeming to point out that even a hero had to take a break sometime. That was of course, about all that was mentioned as even they didn't know the entire story. He had his own suspicions, mostly that after the fight with the female titan that seemed so long ago, something had caused his injuries to act up.

When Levi finally arrived, he walked straight to his room, accompanied by some nurses who tried to insist that he use a wheelchair, and slammed the door to a group of stunned doctors who had crowded by hesitantly to catch sight of him.

"S..so, that is Levi.." a newer doctor said, seeming very startled. Eishi, who had been in the group nodded.

"Yeah, that's Levi."

"...He's really injured?"

To that, Eishi didn't have a response to.

"For someone with these complications, you really shouldn't be up and walking so well." A senior doctor with graying strands and tired eyes tried to explain.

It was then when he had entered the room, carrying a bunch of cleaning supplies. Unlike the rest of the staff, Eishi seemed to come overly prepared, and no one was even surprised when he started dusting the vase of flowers with a duster. It didn't take long for the doctor to give Eishi a nod and then stride out, after giving a terse explanation of the injuries and the areas he should focus on healing from. Around that time, he worked on cleaning the windows, using a towel to wipe away at the pane of glass, after spraying a liquid solution upon it. The scent of Sakura blossoms, artificially filled the air for a moment, before what looked like the second time of himself wiping an already clean area.

"The windows are the worst part," he said to his stern-eyed companion, who was now reaching over to read the newspaper. "It's usually shiny so people tend to overlook it sometimes. Then the next thing you know, all sorts of dust get caught up in it."

"You know, you don't have to try so hard to catch my attention," came a somewhat sarcastic sounding reply.

He paused, while trying to figure out how to hook up one of those new steam vacuums that some of the cleaners were so proud of, and feigned a bit of surprise, before saying. "But I'm serious. If you run your finger over the windowsill, there's always dust there. And this thing – " He paused, and tapped the handle of the new vacuum steam cleaner, which surprisingly started in a soft little vibrating hum, and he started to clean the floors. He didn't have to look up to sense the roll of a pair of eyes being pointed up in a bit of exasperation towards the ceiling, likely for a brief moment before they scanned over the newspapers once more.

It was surprising, after all, that Levi hadn't kicked him out, like the first few times when Eishi walked in on a moment where he was having a private conversation with Erwin. Just one narrow of those eyes, and a smile from Erwin had caused him to politely duck out, stuttering like some steam puffing teakettle. It had never ceased to amaze him since the man's first speech, and Eishi found that while he was most easygoing around brash personalities like Levi's, it was kind of different and awkward around a man who seemed to read every intention of others in the blink of an eye.

It took a few minutes longer than necessary to figure out how to turn off the instrument, and Eishi was about to throw up his hands and give up when Levi got up from the bed and turned it off for him. "A series of taps," he stated in response to the questioning look that the head taller person gave him. He didn't bother to explain, but Eishi had known him long enough that he could guess that he had probably purchased the same type of machine when it first came out.

The moment, Eishi felt, was just a little closer to that point where they seemed to share a knowing look, before the other's gaze suddenly hardened. Before he knew it, the vacuum was shoved roughly aside and there was hardly a warning before his head hit the floor and he was tackled to the ground. Luckily, his arms braced out to the floor so that the impact didn't land fully on his head.

"Close your eyes!" came a voice from the distance while the shock dulled his senses and he did so, for it was the most serious sounding that he had heard from the other before.

The shattering of glass was the only indication, other than the sound of a gunshot. Broken pieces of shards rained around them, in which the other was likely cut in the process. All throughout this, his heart was pounding quickly and then the sound of an arrow slamming into the wall was made known, shot in a way that caused it to stick into the wall, as if the person who had done so had another target in mind.

When he opened his eyes, and stared at it, Levi had already made his way over to the note, and had pulled it down from where the arrow had pierced it.

Of course, thought Eishi to himself. It was too soon for things to return to peace after all. Simply written in blood on the paper, was the message:

Where is she?

It was a message written over a drawing of Audrey that Eishi had sketched long ago.

Audrey grew up alongside Eishi. She was allowed liberties that many other girls her age were not privy to. Her father, a quiet little noble had taken to their stubborn mother, who was born outside of noble lineage. Because Eishi was an orphan, they had somehow found some similarities to eachother and his own personality seemed to attract her quiet, thoughtful nature. He was the loud, and spirited one, like her mother was to her father, and so she quickly became protective of him at times.

Her passion, aside from drawing, happened to be uncovering mysteries. She read a lot of fiction novels in this field, and one day stumbled on a secret...

Around 10 years ago, she had followed her father out on a trip which he had been very secretive about. She found him standing in the alleyway with a mysterious man who would later be known as Charlen.

"I gave you the data.. all that I've had," said Edward, pushing back his round glasses nervously. "All that I asked was that you keep my family out of this."

Charlen simply paused, blonde haired and blue eyes, looking a lot less sinister than he would someday, and simply smirked. "You knew the rules when you joined," he stated softly. "We made a deal that no one would be spared. Your daughter.. in particular. She has the chance to become someone of great deal to our cause. Surely, you didn't think we'd simply just thrust this project onto someone who was less significant than to the very man who added to this very technology?"

Edward narrowed his eyes and clenched one fist lightly at his side. "You're asking her to do something that will completely isolate her from all humanity. Do you have any idea of the type of curse this sort of thing is to bestow upon others?"

Charlen paused, and then simply laughed, beginning to circle the man after raising a finger to prod at his shoulder. "Ah yes, you the father are suddenly having second thoughts. I believe I remember I told you to read the fine print, of course, but you eagerly made a contract of sorts with me without hesitation for the resources that I could give. My very own son, as well, the first of our family died for that cause, and yet you – think that your daughter is above all of this? What kind of man are you, Edward.. Would you truly stand for your own blood over knowledge? There is still so much you could learn, and yet you're throwing all of this away."

"Knowledge is nothing if it does not benefit anyone," said Edward numbly, but a look of indecision crossed his face. "Leave me and my family out of this, I've left everything with you."

"Oh, but it's too late," said Charlen suddenly and he waved a hand over to gesture to the daughter who was hiding behind the corner of the alleyway. "Have you lost your senses in that you didn't notice that girl spying on us this whole time? Perhaps you should let her decide her fate, dearest father. Come now, do you not want to benefit your father's cause, and perhaps spare his life?"

Edward paused and turned considerably more pale. His eyes narrowed as Audrey stepped out the corner of the alleyway, and made her way down the pebbly steps to stop before them.

She paused, looking ever so small against the alleyways, and finally sighed.

"No," she said simply.

Charlen returned the answer with a smile. "Then so be it."

A gun was drawn that night, but instead of being pointed at her father, it was pointed towards her instead, but Edward quickly stepped in the way before it could be fired.

"Enough, Charlen!" he cried out. "You've scared her enough, already, so let it go."

Of course, it was common knowledge that a missing head of the family was more noticeable than a missing child. Both of them knew that Charlen could not kill Edward for this sole very reason, at least, not without the agreement of the other nobles, and then they'd have to vote for approval on such a matter, something that the weary father was willing to risk for his daughter.

There was a long, drawn out silence, and then the gun was withdrawn. Charlen shot Audrey a leering look and then started to march away, but in a slow, leisurely manner that looked as if he was making fun of a soldier on purpose.

"This is not the end of what you'll hear from me ..Edward," said Charlen. "Pretty soon, I swear on it. People might forget that you even existed."