In this life it happened in an early childhood. Memories of a past life began to awaken one after another with great speed. Memories of a life where humans fought with Titans; where behind giant walls were hidden terrible secrets; memories where to get attached to another person meant to lose them and suffer.
Levi realized very early that these memories could not be shared with adults; that doing so meant hearing about imaginary friends, excess of television, and frequent visits to the psychologist.
When he entered his adolescence, he began to convince himself that they were right, after all there was no scientific proof that giant humanoids or a place like Paradis had ever existed.
But everything changed when the faces in those memories began to appear in real life.
The first was Farlan, a very charismatic high school classmate among his peers, who did not understand that his best friend was so opposite: reserved and with brusque gestures.
Then it was Erwin and Hange, when they were about to enter the University. Her way of being was so similar to his memories that Levi dared to ask her if she also had those visions.
But she denied it, although she listened carefully, since according to her he could write a book with such great ideas.
As the years passed, the memories of that life were not only extremely clear, but he began to have memories of other past experiences, in other times, more and more detailed, as if they had happened yesterday.
In them he always met acquaintances from that first life. In France he lived with Petra and Oluo during the revolution; in England the Victorian era passed with Isabel and Eld; in Spain, during the Renaissance, he met Armin, Sasha and Jean, even Pixis. But they all had something in common: they did not remember a previous life and Levi could relive in detail the feeling of being uncomfortable every time he inquired about the subject.
However, there was someone who remembered a present in all his lives; someone who was always linked to his most painful losses and who he always ended up facing: Zeke Yeager.
The worst thing about that conclusion was that he did not know if Yeager remembered his past lives or not, but Levi did not remember a life in which the damned did not appear.
They had been rivals at different times and in different dimensions; the blond seemed destined to die at his hands over and over again and Levi wondered if there was an exception.
There was a reason why he had to experience this confrontation over and over again, and why he was apparently the only one with those memories. Levi thought that if in this life he did things differently, he could understand why and put an end to this deja vu.
For that reason, Levi decided to dedicate himself to baseball. Who knew, maybe that way he managed to intercept Zeke before the event that could face them in this life took place.
The years passed. Erwin joined the police, Hange was imprisoned in the laboratories, where she met Moblit and they had a son of whom Levi was godfather; Mike and Nanaba were colleagues of the blond in the organized crime department, they became involved in the investigation of a mob and Levi lost the three of them.
He had built a reputation within the sports arena. He had had a long and brilliant career. But he hadn't gotten the results he expected with that decision.
In his early forties, after his recent retirement, he attended with Hange and Moblit his godson's game in high school. He had been a good coach for the boy, but he had other aspirations and the sport was just a hobby.
The surprise took him when among the companions of his godson was Eren. He looked different from his previous life: more relaxed and cheerful. Levi had never crossed paths with it in other lives, but he had had the same feeling when Armin and Jean connected with his path.
Levi sat down to watch the game with Hange and Moblit, who kept cheering for their son. There were many family members cheering on their feet, he noticed by looking at both sides.
He felt observed, so he turned his gaze to his back and there he saw him.
Zeke didn't look away when he met him; but there was something in his gaze that Levi had never seen before. He had looked at him arrogantly, with fury, with hatred, with mockery, even with pity. But this time his eyes expressed sadness, something akin to regret, something akin to resignation.
Eye contact was broken when the match ended and Eren ran over to the blonde and his surroundings. Levi hadn't paid attention to them, but along with Zeke were Eren's parents, and he wondered if in this life they were brothers too.
"Dad! Zeke!" He heard the brunette scream. "It's Levi Ackerman! He is here!"
Levi was suddenly surrounded by several of Eren's classmates asking for autographs, including some parents. Some were encouraged to ask him how he saw his sons in the future as baseball players, and Levi only gave encouraging answers, although he had barely seen the game.
"How about a demonstration?" he heard a familiar voice saying. Zeke and Levi exchanged glances again, and this time the brunette found the same defiant expression that he was so familiar with. He wondered whether or not the blond had previous life memories of him. Something told him he did.
"But Levi will play on my team," his godson said, taking his arm possessively.
"It's unfair, if one team has Ackerman the other will surely lose," said another annoyed teammate.
"My brother plays on our team," Eren suggested. "With an adult per team we balance the game."
"But Levi is out of competition," complained another boy from Eren's team.
"I heard he's an ex-player," the older Yaeger put in, with a teasing smile.
Levi frowned, although he was about to smile at such audacity, he quickly caught himself. Could it be that his plan had worked? That the circumstances were different and this time he wouldn't have to get his hands dirty? Eren's voice asking if he agreed to play brought him out of his thoughts. All eyes were on him.
"Okay," he agreed, to be dragged by an enthusiastic godson onto the playing field, while Hange begged him to have mercy on those children.
The game ended with an advantage for Levi's team, even though his concentration was not one hundred percent in the game. Zeke was skilled, but Eren's team was inferior and the blonde also seemed lost in his own thoughts, his gaze lingering on Levi more than necessary.
When everyone was leaving, Levi decided to approach the Yaegers. The minor and his parents were already inside the car, and Zeke was about to get into the back seat with his brother.
"Oi!" he screamed. Zeke stopped, tense at hearing his voice, and looked at him in surprise. Levi wondered if it was because he had memories or because he didn't expect him to call him. "Good game," he commented, moving closer to his side.
"It was," the other agreed, gazing into the distance as he scratched his ear.
"I was wondering if we could talk alone."
There it was again, that sad expression in the blue eyes that Levi didn't know what to attribute to. Just as it appeared, it disappeared.
"Of course. Some other time, maybe? I have plans with my family. " Zeke smiled, trying to hide his nervousness so eagerly that Levi could tell he was faking.
He needed to know for certain if he also remembered. Because if not, what was the purpose of having been rivals over and over again?
"Lend me your cell phone, I'll book you my number," Levi said, convinced, as if it were an order.
Zeke stared at him puzzled for a moment, but snapped out of his trance and handed him the cell phone.
"Sure," he whispered.
Not only did Levi book his number, but he sent a message to his own cell phone to make sure he had the other's number.
He returned it silently. Zeke had been watching him with a frown, an expression that he instantly hid when he received the phone, but which did not go unnoticed by Levi.
"So ... I'll let you know when we can ... have coffee?" Zeke asked, raising his eyebrow, unable to hide the confusion from him. And fear?
"Sure, see you soon," he said goodbye, starting to walk towards Hange's car.
"Sure, boss ."
Levi felt a chill upon hearing those words. But when he turned around, Zeke was already inside the car and didn't look at him again until the vehicle started.