"Heya, guys..."
"Were you all watching?"
"It seems that this is how it ends."
"The goal that all of you... dedicated your hearts to."
A soft touch on his cheek brings him back to reality, away from the sight of the familiar faces now etched into his mind. His dear friends and comrades whom he had thought he would never see ever again. He frowns and turns. A small smile coupled with tears is the sight that greets him. He stares for a bit, his brain having trouble catching up.
Did you see that? Erwin, everyone- Did you-
Another brush of soft fingers on his cheek. Levi blinks. Then he realizes Hange is wiping away his tears. "Are you alright?" he croaks. His voice is hoarse. Maybe even his vocal cords have given up on him because his body feels on the verge of falling apart, crumbling down at this very moment. Hange dips her head, and Levi wants to swipe at the dirty strands of hair clinging to her cheek, another tear tracing down her face, dropping off her jaw and to the dusty ground where they sit against the boulder. And despite every inch of him throbbing and hurting, the hollowness in his chest feels a little less profound than before - it feels like that maybe, perhaps he finally can breathe again a little more easily.