I've missed you too.

Sophie wrapped her arms around Levi's torso, bringing him closer and allowing herself to drown in his presence.

All those years, she had waited for that exact moment. The moment when she could forget about all the luxury and praise surrounding her existence. A return to the arms of the person who had always seen her for who she was. Or, at least, who she used to be.

She didn't care about the exile or the menacing presence of the picture frames from her life with Asbel. Even when she hid or destroyed them, she could still feel their judgment, fueling her guilt. But from the moment Levi had set foot in that dreadful cage she used to call home, the manor had turned from a reminder of all her crimes to a simple, golden building. He still hadn't voiced his forgiveness, but his understanding was enough for her to feel safe. Sophie had never asked for anything else.

She slowly moved his hands away from his body to place them behind his neck. Levi rested his forehead over hers in return, surrounding Sophie's waist with his arms. They both stared at each other in silence. It was a fleeting connection supported by their intertwining breaths and interrupted solely by their blinking. She didn't need anything else, but she wanted more.

Sophie scanned his face, from the raven hair strands covering his forehead to his tired but gentle grey eyes until her gaze reached his thin lips. She gasped for breath as she bent her neck and pushed herself forward to meet his mouth again in a passionate, hungry kiss. Levi concurred by swaying her closer. Sophie moved her hands from the back of his neck to his jawline, holding his face in a gentle yet possessive manner. She didn't want to let go of him. She was tired of playing games, of refraining herself and hiding just as the aristocrats of Sheena had taught her to.

The longer she kissed him, the more she could feel the numbness building up in her body. The same quiet sentiment made her head temporarily stop, allowing Sophie to forget all the shadows and fear surrounding her. She had always craved that state of transient peace, let it be through alcohol, money, men, or praise.

Slowly, Sophie slid her hands through his skin until they reached the collar of the jacket. With one lively swing of her arms, she grabbed the fabric and pushed it down. The jacket whirled as it fell on the floor, and the switchblade inside chinked from the impact against it. Once the first layer of clothing was gone, she grabbed his wrists. With a gentle grip, she slowly moved her hands to traverse his arms, from the forearms to his biceps, feeling his strong muscles over the fabric of the shirt.

Once her hands returned to his collarbones, Levi broke their kiss with heavy breathing, staring at her. But Sophie didn't want to waste time reading his gaze. She already knew him, and she didn't need anything else. With her hands over his shoulders, Sophie gently swayed him until his back leaned on the wall. It wasn't an aggressive push but rather a powerful invitation.

Levi gasped at her action, leaving his mouth open. It was an opportunity that Sophie didn't hesitate to take as she kissed him once more, clenching her fingers around the collar of his shirt. His hands were still around her waist, but there was no guidance or commandment. Sophie let go of the grip on his shirt and placed her hands over Levi's pounding chest, feeling his heartbeat increase with the intensity of her mouth merging with his.

As she started to trace her kisses down his neck, she gently pressed his torso against the wall. Levi removed a hand from her waist, grabbing the edge of the bookshelf's side panel to support himself. She smirked against his skin, thrilled to see that the feeling was too much for him to handle. Without hesitation, Sophie continued to leave damp traces from the bottom of his jawline down to his collarbones. There was no aggression in her kiss, no possessive marks or bloodthirst like her chess plays. She was slowly enjoying the increasing heartbeat of Levi over her hands, his tightening grip around her waist, and the panting of his breath. Despite his initial menace, she was the one pinning Humanity's Strongest Soldier against the wall.

Her hands slowly moved down his defined torso, undoing the buttons of his shirt and tracing kisses on every spot before revealing the next one. Sophie consummated each trace with a whisper over his skin, making Levi shiver in response. She couldn't get enough of the feel of his body, even with all the bruises and scars, but the patience she had shown exploring his neck and chest was about to run out. Her fingers skipped the rest of the buttons, gently tracing the fabric until they reached the belt surrounding his hip, paving the way for what was to come. Sophie smirked, remembering all those days in the Underground, fixing his belts and harnesses, only to be the one undoing it ten years later. She faced Levi once more, who stared at her with eyes wide open. Sophie pressed her mouth against his once more and grabbed the buckle of his belt.

"Stop," he commanded with a gasp, lifting his chin to break the kiss.

Sophie blinked several times, slowly moving her hands away from the belt and taking a step back. She scanned him, from his shaky breath to his hand still holding to the wooden board. His shirt was wrinkled and half-opened. Sophie gulped when her eyes met his, frowning in distress. Levi had never been one to show his emotions, but seeing the tension in his face, Sophie realized that she wasn't looking at a fearless military anymore. It was the face of a nervous boy.

"Sorry, I got carried away," she apologized with a shaky voice. Her breath slowly returned to a normal rhythm as she took another step back.

"No, I…" He paused, letting go of his grip on the shelf. "I've never done this," he confessed, looking away. Sophie gasped and covered her mouth with both hands.

"Oh no. No, no." She paused, observing him buttoning up his shirt as she thought of a more elaborate apology. However, her mind got frozen with the sight of his trembling breath. "I'm sorry, I thought…"

"It's fine," he interrupted with a whisper. "I should've known that you would be so…eager about it."

"No, I should've asked first," she continued, rubbing her forehead. "But I always saw you at the brothel…so I thought…"

"You what?" he asked, fastening one last button and frowning.

"Uhm, one day, Farlan asked me to look for you…"

"Don't act all shy now," he said, shaking his head.

Sophie scoffed and cleared her throat at his remark. She lifted her chin to compose herself.

"I saw you there, surrounded by a bunch of pretty girls. They were all laughing and complimenting you." She clicked her tongue, "You seemed quite…popular with them. King of the Underground, right?"

She chuckled nervously, arranging her hair to avoid looking at him. The build-up of that numbness she so desperately craved slowly began to disappear. Instead, her doubts and regrets populated her mind. Seeing Levi's face, she realized that she had made a mistake.

"I didn't do anything with them," he explained, turning around with his back on Sophie. "My mother worked there."

Sophie opened her mouth, but she was unable to voice her thoughts. She had always assumed him to be a player, using his kind and protective aura to take advantage of naïve basement girls like her. That idea of him had followed her ever since that night in the candlelight. Even after her test in the office, she had always thought that there would be someone else waiting for him, someone that had taught him how to braid hair.

Levi continued, "I visited those girls to make sure they had food and clean clothes. That's why I was always around the brothel."

Sophie couldn't see his face, but his voice indicated that it had taken him a lot of courage to explain his past. While she kissed him, she had been sure that she knew him. But the reasons behind his visits to the brothel wasn't something she could've figured out through her touch or chess plays.

"I thought that…that you didn't have any family," she muttered.

"I didn't," he said. "My mother died when I was a kid. That's when Kenny took me in."

"Levi..." she gasped, trying to find an apology or a comforting response. She paced around the area, rubbing her forehead until she sat down on a couch. Observing the chess pieces and the fallen kings in front, she felt the familiar feeling of a knot around her neck.

"It's fine," he said, slowly walking towards her. "I'm sorry you had to go through that as well."

"Go through what?" she asked, looking at him. He stood next to the sofa, with his hands inside the pockets of his trousers. His presence seemed more relaxed, but he remained with his head low.

"What my mother went through. I can't imagine what it must've been like." He paused before whispering, "I'm sorry."

Sophie felt her entire body collapse twice: first with his words, and then with his apology. Her chest tightened, and her vision blurred. It was almost the same feeling of numbness she had always craved, but instead of relief, it gave her pain.

"No, no, it's not the same," she muttered between gasps.

"I mean—"

"I lied."

Her words left her lips with one single breath. She looked at the chessboard to avoid facing Levi. Once more, she had chosen the comfort of running away instead of the responsibility of facing the truth.

"What do you mean?" he asked, approaching her.

"The documents were just an excuse. There were a million other ways I could've retrieved them." She lifted her chin, "I chose that one because I wanted to. I lied to myself, saying that my affairs had a greater meaning, but they didn't. It was just my own selfishness, as usual."

"You mean…it was your choice?"

"Always. I never did anything with those men that I didn't want to." She closed her eyes, still unable to face him. "I'm sorry for playing the victim back at the office. I didn't know about your mother." She repeated with a whisper, "I'm really sorry."

She heard Levi sigh, but she remained with her eyes closed, drowning in the silence. Suddenly, she felt him sitting next to her on the couch. She slowly opened her eyes and turned to him as he observed her. It felt like a second trial was about to take place.

"Then why did you do it?" he asked.

"If you are here to judge me, you are a bit late to the party," she sneered. Levi shook his head, and Sophie instantly regretted her harshness, rubbing her eyes as she added, "Sorry, I didn't mean that. It's just what I'm used to."

"I only want to understand," he whispered. "If it wasn't those letters, what were you looking for in them?"

Sophie stared at the chessboard, meditating her reply before grabbing the white queen piece. She observed the fine handiwork of the figure, rubbing it with her fingers. Instead of Levi, the only chaser in the room was her. She had never staggered with the other men or felt threatened by their other affairs, but she did every time she was with Levi. She was always scared of losing him.

"It has many names," she said. "You would call it a home, Asbel would say short-term satisfaction." Sophie placed the piece back on the board and concluded, "For me, it was just love."

He paused for a moment before asking, "And did you find it?"

"No. It never works that way," she admitted. "Sure, you might feel good for a moment. But then they leave, or their wives show up, and you are back in square one." From the corner of her eye, she could feel Levi's eyes fixed on her, but she didn't dare to face him. "That's what I was looking for: something that could temporarily fill that void of loneliness. Let it be a drink, a pat on the back, or fake intimacy."

He moved closer to her, shaking his head. "I don't get it. You were only hurting yourself that way."

Levi's words were the same ones Asbel said to her whenever Sophie came back home, either with a different scent of cologne in her clothes or a new mark on her body. She would've never expected Levi's voice to merge with his in her head so easily. Perhaps he was too used to being alone to understand.

"Why didn't you have anyone?" she asked, with her eyes still fixed on the board.

"Huh?"

"You could've gotten anyone you wanted to, but you didn't. Why?" Levi didn't reply. Sophie stood up and wandered towards the bookshelf, waiting for a response. As she knew there wouldn't be any, she added, "Don't you think that not letting anyone get close to you is also a way of hurting yourself?"

"It's different," he argued.

"I don't think so. We all deal with pain and loneliness in different ways. Some just go and cry it all out or drown in something to forget." She paused, passing a hand over the spine of the books. "Others shut their heart, so no one or anything hurts them again. No one besides themselves, of course. If you ask for my opinion, the latter one requires much more strength." She paused to look at Levi before concluding, "I guess it suits the Strongest Soldier."

Levi didn't reply, but Sophie didn't expect him to. She tapped the spine of one of the books before retrieving and opening it, revealing a hollow carving. It was just a concealed box that hid a small flask inside. She took the metal container out and placed the fake book back in its place.

"What are you doing?" asked Levi, standing up.

"Hm?"

"Why do you have a flask inside a book?"

Sophie grasped the top of the bottle, ready to unscrew it, but something prevented her from doing so. She felt Levi walking towards her.

"I told you, high-class snobs hide everything that makes them human. They reject lust but don't hesitate to have a mistress. They act so diligent and powerful but drink themselves to sleep every night." She began to remove the cover of the bottle as she concluded, "It's just a bunch of hypocrisy, really."

Levi placed a hand over hers, which forced her to stop unscrewing the cylinder. She turned to him, meeting his eyes as he frowned. He wasn't interested in her monologues.

"Your chess game was instructive enough," he whispered, grabbing her hand and moving it away from the top of the bottle. "I want to know why do you keep hiding. Do you really need that drink right now? Or lust?"

She stared at him, surprised at his remark. Perhaps, he was the one pinning her against the wall after all.

"I guess I don't," she admitted, leaving the bottle on the board. Levi didn't let go of her other hand. He was right, and she didn't need to keep hiding. "You were always able to pull through your suffering without relying on selfish, toxic comfort. I admire you for it."

"That's not true."

"What?"

"My duty. That's my selfish, toxic comfort. I would give up anything for it." He whispered, "Even you."

Sophie frowned, "But you didn't. You still went to my cell, and I bet you shouldn't be here right now."

Instead of replying, he let go of Sophie's hand, only to put his arms around her and embrace her torso. Sophie rested her head over his shoulder and gently caressed his back. She felt Levi's heartbeat on her chest. His warmth surrounded her with the same transient peace she had always pursued.

He whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry."

Sophie blinked several times and moved away from him, with her hands still holding onto him. She just wanted to see his face.

"What for?" she asked. Levi closed his eyes.

"I lied too," he confessed. "The alcohol was to blame."

"Huh?"

"I wouldn't have kissed you if I hadn't had some wine at the dinner. I wasn't drunk, but I was willing to use it as an excuse." He paused to observe her, "Back in the office, you were right. I was desperate that night and took advantage of the situation. I'm sorry. I was scared."

Sophie wasn't surprised at his confession, given his commitment to his duty. But she was curious about his apology.

"Scared of what?"

He used his thumb to caress her cheek, "That I would never see you again."

"And yet here we are," she sighed and forced a smile.

Levi clicked his tongue, "Yeah, we tend to end up like this."

None of them had previously brought up the fact that their clock was ticking. The sunlight from dawn started to creep into the room, warming up the floor and illuminating their feet. They both knew that once the rays filled the room, the illusion of timeless peace and bonding between them would disappear.

"Aren't you scared of leaving all of this behind?" asked Levi.

Sophie ran her fingers through the hair strands covering his face. Levi stared at her, gently blinking in response to her delicate motion. She knew the concealed meaning of his question. He wasn't referring to the manor or her life as the Chief of Engineering.

"Can I tell you a secret?" she whispered.

He scoffed, "There are more?"

Sophie smirked in return and scanned his face. She couldn't get enough of his sight; she wanted to remember everything.

"I hate it."

"Huh?"

"The whole engineering thing, building and drawing day and night," she said. "It makes me sick. I never liked it. I only did it to honor my father's memory and because I had nothing else. I'm glad that I can finally get away from it and start over."

"Even in the Underground?"

"Even in the Underground."

Levi looked away. Sophie remembered how he had praised her strength, passion, and dedication back at the chapel, only to find out that, like him, she was only a slave to survival and her sacrifices.

"I think you are too tired of all that junk to see it now, but I remember your smile back then. You were happy when those gears worked."

Sophie smiled, "Maybe. But I can't say I'm not happy now, knowing that I won't have to design another damn blueprint." She paused, ready to answer his actual question, "Even if that means that I won't see you again."

Levi took a deep breath before saying, "There's no way you can stay, right?"

"No," she replied. "Even if there were, I don't deserve it. I might have helped Erwin, but that doesn't erase my crimes." She looked at Levi's expression before concluding, "Not even you forgive me."

Sophie had a hard time believing that he would've acted the same way if their first encounter had been at Ehrmich and not in her basement. If she were to stay, he would be forgiving a memory instead of forgiving her.

"Countless people have died on my watch or because of me. None of us deserve forgiveness," he said. "But if you believe that going away will make you happy, I will not be the one to prevent it."

She smiled and hugged him again. Despite all the lies and games, he had supported and understood her. He had shown her that no matter the choices she had made in the past, she would always have the power to choose again and do the right thing.

"Thank you, Levi," she whispered in his ear. "For believing in that basement girl."

"Thank you, Sophie," he replied. "For showing me that I'm more than my duty."

They remained embraced until Sophie felt the light of the day brushing her skin through her clothes. Slowly, she moved her hands away from his torso to place them over his cheeks, drowning herself once more in those decisive eyes.

She turned around and looked at the balcony. The stone of its construction gleamed with the rays of light, and the sky had turned into a yellow mass hosting the daybreak.

"Sun is almost up," she said. "I should probably grab my things."

"Do you need help?"

"It's fine, but they could've at least told me whether I'm going north or south, so I could pack the right clothes," she chuckled. Slowly, she moved away from Levi.

Sophie walked to the master bedroom: the place that had hosted both her love and despair. Part of her couldn't handle him slipping through her fingers once more, but she had to let Levi go. She shook her head and retrieved a small briefcase under her bed before grabbing another bag with all her belongings.

She returned to her study. Levi wasn't there anymore, but Sophie didn't look for him. Instead, she walked to her workspace and grabbed the burin on the board. With a smirk across her face, she turned the instrument around, remembering all the secrets she had hidden with it. Sophie didn't hesitate to put it inside the large bag.

Walking down the stairs, she paused one last time to observe the scratched painting.

She clicked her tongue and muttered, "Yeah, I look terrible in blue."

At the end of the staircase, Levi waited for her, leaning on the wall. She walked towards him and dropped both the briefcase and the bag on the floor. The light from the windows invaded the room almost in its entirely, making Levi's iris clearer.

Silently observing each other, they weren't eager to break the calm presence between them. Instead, they attempted to hold onto the moment, capturing it and remembering it forever.

Next time you want something from me, you talk to me.

Sophie remembered those words as if Levi were directly whispering them to her. There was something she wanted to ask, but it was hard to let go of all the roundabouts and games she had learned. Nevertheless, she took a step forward and gathered the courage to break the rules engraved in that mansion.

"Have you ever been in love?"

Levi blinked and crossed his arms.

"What kind of question is that?"

"One with a simple answer."

Levi swayed his head before answering. "What do you define as love?"

"Ah, that's a good one," smirked Sophie. "I would say you know it better than I do."

"How come?"

"Because of what you said: there is no such thing as fate," she said, taking another step forward. "I believe love is, to a certain extent, a choice. It's choosing to fight for the person you care about, trusting and believing in them, no matter where they lead you." Levi uncrossed his arms and got closer to her as she concluded, "When things go sideways, love is to understand rather than turning your back on them."

"That sounds too mundane for something so…special," said Levi, skeptical.

Sophie shrugged, "Perhaps no one truly knows, right?"

"But you did love Asbel," he said. There was no pain or jealousy in his voice. For both, Asbel had turned from a menacing presence to a memory. "That's why you kept the pictures, right?"

"Yes," she whispered. Sophie paused for a moment before lifting her chin, locking her eyes on his. "But do you know what the best thing about love is?"

"Surprise me."

"Once you know love, you know how to love again."

With the last whisper of her words, she leaned forward to kiss him. She wasn't searching for that temporal feeling of numbness, no short-term satisfaction. It was only a gesture to compensate for the words she was too afraid to say. Levi placed his hands behind her head, intertwining his fingers with her hair. Despite its slow motion and gentle embrace, they both knew the passion and meaning that such a repetitive, simple physical act had on them.

Sophie placed her hands around his face as she took one last taste of their kiss. She slowly detached her lips from his, breathing in the air he breathed out as if that would leave a part of him inside her.

"You deserve someone that helps you win, Levi," she whispered. "Even if that person is not me."

"I don't want anyone else," he replied, gently shaking his head.

"You can't wait for me."

"But you did."

Sophie used her thumb to caress his cheek, which made Levi close his eyes in response. She knew what waiting for someone was, the pain it had brought her and how it had dictated her decisions. No matter how much she wanted to stay forever in his heart, she had already been selfish enough. Despite her delusion of Levi's player habits and not wanting to lose him, she accepted the idea of him being with someone else. He deserved the same happiness that she hoped her exile would bring her.

"You'll know how to love again," she whispered before pressing her lips on his forehead.

A knock interrupted them, but they didn't startle: they already knew they had been on borrowed time. Sophie slid her hands away from Levi's face, but before her fingers separated from her skin, Levi grabbed her wrists. He pulled her closer and kissed her again, with unmatched intensity and devotion, trying to absorb every last bit of her. Sophie was surprised; for the first time, he had broken his military composure to show the same eagerness she possessed.

Another knock rumbled through the hall. With heavy breathing, they separated once more. Levi slowly let go of his grip around her wrists and turned to the door. Sophie stood there, frozen, while he turned the handle.

The door opened, and a man with the looks of a farmer stood outside. Behind him was a cheap wooden carriage filled with stacks of hay.

"I'm here to pick up some Lady Lhant," he greeted.

Levi turned to her and mocked, "Do you know any Lady Lhant around here?"

"Barely," answered Sophie with a smile, grabbing her bag and heading for the door. The farmer picked her belongings before throwing them inside the carriage. No care or delicacy with her things like her butlers used to have. The man returned to the front side of the vehicle, waiting for Sophie to get inside. She crossed the door, but Levi grabbed her arm.

"Oi, you are missing the briefcase," he noted.

"That's for you," she smiled. "Oh, and the keys for both manors are inside the receiving board. Shut down this terrible place and give them to the Queen, okay?"

"Okay." Levi let go of her arm to extend his hand, offering it to her. Sophie placed her palm over his. He clenched his fingers around it and said, "One last thing."

"Hm?"

"Hange said that you owe them something from a night in Trost or whatever."

Sophie felt her entire body freeze as she let out a small gasp, "They didn't tell you, did they?!"

"What? I have no idea of what they meant."

She breathed out in relief, "Uh, well. If that's what they want, they will need to come and find me in whatever place they send me, tie me up and torture me until I spill it."

"It wouldn't be the first time they do something like that, so be careful with what you wish for," he taunted.

"Well, at least it gives them a reason to visit me," she chuckled.

Levi placed a hair strand of her hair behind her ears. Sophie closed her eyes, trying to remember the difference between the warmth of the sun on her skin and the one of Levi's touch. With his hand, he guided her towards the carriage and helped her get inside. Before she slipped her fingers away from his, he pulled her hand close to him once more. Levi gently pressed his lips over her knuckles, lovingly fixing his eyes on hers. She smiled, feeling her eyes water, unsure of whether it was from sadness or happiness. Perhaps both.

They stared at each other. There was still much unsaid between them, and not enough time or words. Sophie knew that the more they expressed their feelings, the harder it would be to let go.

"Promise me you won't get in trouble," he whispered.

"I thought we weren't going to make promises we couldn't keep," she replied.

Levi smiled. The broadest smile she had ever seen on him as he let go of her hand to close the door of the carriage. The blast of the wooden panel made Sophie's heart skip a beat. She felt the vehicle move with the clattering sound of the horses' saddles on the street. Slowly, Levi's silhouette faded in the distance.

Tears began to stream down her face. Before, doing the right thing had meant to risk everything and follow Erwin's plan, but at that moment, she had also done the right thing by letting Levi go. Her scheming mind could've devised a plan to stay next to him, negotiate with Zachary by threatening to air the dirty laundry of the Corps and his bizarre amusements. But she had chosen not to.

Sophie didn't want more selfish acts, games, and lies to protect herself. She didn't want to cling to Levi as her sole redemption. And she didn't want him to hold onto his idea of the basement girl, only to bear with the weight of his duty.

Once she was at a safe distance, she opened the bag with her belongings. Between the stacks of clothes, there was a large wine bottle. It took her less than a minute to open it and start gulping its content. She could fix every gear and gun in the kingdom, but not herself. That was something she didn't want Levi to witness.

She loved him too much for that.

Levi kneeled on the floor of the manor and stared at the briefcase. With a trembling grip, he undid the fastening and opened the box. A small breath escaped his mouth as he observed its content.

It was a beautiful set of ceramic teacups with an intricate design stained on them. The inside of the case was covered in a velvet fabric, holding a row of silver spoons. It was the same tea set she had used at Ehrmich.

Despite the beauty of the cutlery, his gaze was fixed on the two needles attached below the spoons. One of them was the metal needle he had seen Sophie tie her hair with over and over. The other one was golden and wider, crowned by a set of sapphires and traversing a piece of paper. Levi slowly removed it from the ornament to read it.

Dear Levi,

This is my gift to the Corps in exchange for all those years of silence. I believe this will suffice to finance another grand dinner filled with meat and alcohol.

Hopefully, the next girl that shows up there won't give you as much trouble as I did.

With love,

Sophie

Levi chuckled as he reached the end of the paper. No concealed signature like the S.L from the portraits, the letters, or the bullets. Just Sophie, the basement girl. He put the letter back on the briefcase and closed it.

Just as Sophie had instructed him, he grabbed the keys from the receiver table. One for Ehrmich and one for Mitras, each belonging to Sophie and the Chief of Engineering. He closed the grand door of the manor and turned the key. As he heard the click of the lock, he observed once more the metal inscription with Asbel and Sophie's names. He placed a hand inside his jacket to retrieve the switchblade, rubbing his initials. The reflection of Levi's face on the metal plaque overlapped with the signature of the previous owners. He revealed the sharp blade of the weapon and used it to scratch Asbel's name until it became illegible.

"There you go, crafty brat," he whispered, closing the switchblade.

On his way back to the Corps HQ, Levi fidgeted with the key to the Ehrmich manor. Despite Sophie's instruction, he chose not to give it to Historia. Perhaps, one day, he would have to break into that house in the middle of the night and have tea with that troublesome woman again.

Author's Note

PHEW! What a ride, huh?

Little breakdown and sum-up because the last chapters were loooong.

I've had this itch to write something with understanding being the main form of love between two characters. Like therapy, but with longing stares and yearning. The purpose of these last chapters was to explore that concept, and also because I love introspection over action haha.

Both Sophie and Levi follow the same kind of journey. They have a "skill" that others don't, but they are used to follow orders, trusting someone else's vision in the process, and hoping that it aligns with their goals. For Levi, that means Erwin's lies about fighting for the greater good when he did it for his selfish reasons, even though he was the most important person to him. This (in a way) is similar to Asbel: he claims that he is helping Sophie to do great things inside the Walls, but he just wants to be powerful and prove everyone wrong.

However, their way of coping with their pain is completely different. She is more of a "lonely in a crowded room" kind of person and Levi is the classic lone wolf.

In the last 4 chapters, there is a pattern between them. They both realize that they have been alienating themselves in a way, and so they are presented with a Matrix-like scenario: either they keep hiding, or they make a choice to change who they are. For Sophie, that is to face Asbel and therefore her insecurities. For Levi, that is to let go of that safety blanket of detachment he calls duty, and live his life rather than thinking that his only purpose is to protect his comrades, alive or dead.

The best thing is that they understand each other, so they respect whatever choice the other one makes. They come from the same background, but they've turned into completely different people and by their own means. And yet, they manage to empathize with one another. Levi has never been in a room full of aristocrats, but he understands Sophie's wish to please and find a way to belong there. In the end, he also doesn't want people to leave him as Kenny did. She has never been on the battlefield like him, but she understands what it's like to work hard and fight to make a sacrifice worth it, even if what you fight for is a lie/wrong.

Sophie's exile is, in a way, a parallel to Kenny's ending. My interpretation of Kenny's death scene is two strong and powerful men admitting their insecurities (Levi being alone and Kenny being a slave to power and not a good father figure). Funny enough, and despite hating him so much, Sophie ended following Kenny's path in a way, drowning herself in whatever gave her satisfaction (power, money, love) at any cost. Could she have stayed? Definitely, but just like Kenny, she decided to face her fate instead of being selfish. Besides, just because she exposed Asbel, it doesn't mean that she is back to being that basement girl. She still has her demons (hence the wine) and doesn't want to cling to Levi as the next toxic, selfish comfort. She chose to be selfless and face the consequences of her actions, like Kenny giving Levi the Titan Serum. And just like Kenny wouldn't have been a good father for Levi, she wouldn't be a good partner for him in her current state.

Levi on the other hand still has a duty that he can't ignore. Just as Sophie doesn't change because of a single action, he doesn't either. He lets her go despite the pain it brings him because he trusts that she will be happy, but also because he is still too detached from his emotions. To make my point clear, I pose this question to the audience: if Sophie were about to get eaten by a Titan, and Zeke was standing right next to her, defenseless and ready to be killed by Levi, what would he choose?

I rest my case.