When Rowan woke, she immediately noticed two things. First, she felt extremely well-rested. She could thank the tea Emery gave them for that. Second, she was completely alone and tucked into her own bed. She pushed herself up, pulling all the blankets out from where they were tucked neatly under the mattress. Levi's bed was neatly made, but there was no sign of him. Rowan stretched her limbs before getting out of bed and throwing on linen pants and a navy tunic. She tied her hair up into a bun and pulled on boots before heading out into the village. She was really craving hot chocolate and she was sure the village would have the ingredients to make some form of it. She could even bring some to Levi, wherever he was.
She had to find the communal kitchen first. She glanced around until her eyes fell on dark brown hair. Rylan! Aside from Emery, he was the only friendly face in the village. She hurried towards him, but was cut off by an elder witch. The woman was taller than Emery, her white hair pulled back into a loose braid. She was smiling at Rowan, staring into her soul. Rowan blinked.
"Excuse me." She muttered before maneuvering around the woman. A frail hand grabbed her wrist though and tugged her back. She turned back to face the woman, eyes narrowed.
"So, when are yah going to eat him?" The woman whispered. Rowan faltered, her heart pausing before ramming against her chest.
"Eat him? Eat who?" Her eyes were wide. Perhaps this woman just had a few screws loose.
"The human, silly. Emery told all of us that you claimed him. We've all kept our hands off of him so I think we should be able to watch the ceremony. Some of us have never seen one before." Her eyes were bright and lively.
"Ceremony?" Did they think she was going to eat Levi? What kind of village did they stumble upon? Witches hardly eat meat, let alone humans.
"Yes, the ceremony. You know all of this." The woman's gaze narrowed, her brow furrowed.
"Right…I do." She twiddled her fingers, trying not to meet the woman's gaze. She could sense someone approaching from behind her and she prayed to whatever higher power that it wasn't Levi.
"Emery! Maybe you can convince your cousin to let us spectate. It's only fair since we are allowing her, an outsider, to claim the human." The woman shouted, pushing by Rowan.
"Rowan is the one who brought the human into the village. He belongs to her and only her. She will get to decide when the ceremony is and who gets to watch." Emery stood tall next to Rowan, her eyes narrowed. Rowan didn't realize the amount of power Emery held in the village. Though, she supposed it made sense. Emery's father was the village Elder. Their family lines were among the strongest and though they weren't close by any means, Rowan's mother was the sister of Emery's father. They both were destined to be village Elders.
"Oh, whatever. You're no fun. We just want to see a soul be extracted and absorbed." The woman huffed and turned away. She scurried off towards the center of the village. They thought she was going to extract and absorb Levi's soul? What kind of monster would do that? How is that even possible?
"I can sense your fear and apprehension. I have no intention of having you absorb Levi's soul. It's what we do to humans in this village though and if I didn't tell everyone you claimed him, someone else would have. It was the only way to keep Levi safe." Emery spoke in a hushed tone, her eyes scanning their surroundings.
"Absorb his soul? Emery, that's horrible. I'm not a monster." Rowan retorted, stepping away from her cousin.
"Neither am I. It's tradition Rowan. I'm not saying it's a good thing by any means, but it is our way of life. It is how we survive and keep our life energy full. How else would we be such strong healers?" Emery explained, but Rowan didn't want to hear her excuses.
"I'm not hurting Levi. No one is. I'll kill anyone who tries." She stated firmly and Emery lifted her hand. "Don't you dare use your emotional manipulation on me. I am fully aware of it and it won't work on me anymore." She snapped and Emery's hand fell to her side.
"He's just one human, Rowan. I'm doing everything I can to keep you both safe, but…" That didn't matter. None of it did.
"I love him…" Rowan's eyes filled with tears, the image of Emery in front of her blurring. It was the first time she admitted it to herself, but it didn't make it any less true.
"I know. I could feel it as soon as you both crossed the barrier. I would never ask you to absorb his soul." She squeezed her shoulders and Rowan pulled away. Even if she didn't, someone else in this village would try. She wouldn't stand for that.
"Where is he?" She had nothing left to say to Emery.
"He's in a tree, by the river. Rowan…you can't tell him."
"I can't tell him that the only reason we are alive is because they don't know I'm a traitor and that everyone thinks I'm going to eat him like some freaky cannibal?" She growled, trying to keep her voice hushed. It was difficult though, the anger radiating out from within.
"Well, technically it wouldn't be cannibalism." Emery added and Rowan rolled her eyes. "Regardless, a human should never learn the practices of a witch village. Helping them win a war is one thing…" She trailed off, but Rowan cut her off.
"I don't care. Levi is my captain, my friend, and my person. I'm telling him the truth."
"Do you really think he will just sit by calmly, knowing the truth?" Emery countered and Rowan only faltered for a second.
"It doesn't matter. He could slaughter this entire village if he had to." He needed to know so he could properly protect himself if something happened to her.
"I don't doubt his talent, but don't underestimate this village Rowan." Emery warned and Rowan chuckled bitterly.
"Would you stand against us?" Rowan knew she stood no chance against her cousin.
"I wouldn't have done everything to protect you thus far if I would."
"Good. I thank you for that, but I'd like you to stay away from us from now on. If it comes to a battle, we won't come after you or your father. I can't promise what will happen to the rest of the village though." She smacked her shoulder against Emery's and headed off towards the river. It was one location she knew well in this forsaken village. The dried leaves crunched under her boots as she maneuvered over fallen logs and down the slope on the edge of the village. The sound of the rushing water guided her and she found herself at the river. "Reveille!" She shouted, unsure if anyone was nearby.
"Oi." She turned at the sound of his voice. Levi was really up in a tree. He was resting on a branch, his left knee bent with his right leg extended in front of him.
"Can you come down?"
"No." He frowned and she sighed. She didn't even have her ODM gear to catch her if she fell. She huffed, using her life force to shove her body off the ground. She reached the branch right below Levi and dropped onto it, clinging onto it. The bark was rough against her skin and she growled.
"I have something important to tell you." A hand extended down to her and she used Levi's strength to help her up to the branch he was residing on.
"Well, the river should do a fine job at nullifying our voices." He responded, waiting while she got situated on the branch. He stood, maneuvering around her. He gestured for her to take his seat and she sighed.
"Thanks." She dropped down with her back pressed firmly against the trunk. She felt more grounded there. He sat across from her, his legs crossed as he waited for her to proceed. Rowan took a deep breath. "The villagers expect me to eat you." If Levi was shocked or confused by her words, he didn't show it. He just stared at her, waiting for her to continue. "Apparently, witches in this village harvest the souls of humans and absorb their power. It's how they replenish their life force. Emery told them that I would absorb your soul. She did that so the villagers would think I have some claim on you and leave you alone."
"Well, you do have a claim on me." Warmth rose to Rowan's cheeks and her eyes widened. "Not to eat my soul or anything, but it's still a claim." He reasoned.
"You aren't shocked by this at all? I just told you that the villagers eat human souls and that they expect me to eat your soul."
"Yeah, I heard you. Why are you shocked?"
"Why am I shocked? Levi, we don't do this in my village. I've never heard of using human soul energy to fuel our magic. It's barbaric." She growled and his only response was a sigh. "You have to stay on guard. We need to find a weapon that you can hide from the villagers."
"How do you replenish your life energy?" He ignored most of what she said.
"I don't." She stated simply, not really wanting to have that conversation right now.
"You don't?"
"No."
"So...what happens to you when you use your magic?"
"It doesn't matter. Can we focus on you and your safety right now?" She quipped, turning her gaze away from him.
"I found this before I found you. I'm sure Jaeger won't mind." Levi handed her the pocket knife Rowan got Eren for winter solstice. She squeezed the handle once before giving it back to him. "There. Problem solved for now."
"It doesn't matter." She huffed, pushing herself to her feet. She leaned her shoulder against the trunk, angling her body away from him.
"It matters to me. Rowan, what happens to you when you heal or use your magic?" Levi was suddenly in front of her. Even though she was taller, it felt like he was towering over her.
"When I use my attack magic, my life energy acts as a boomerang. It extends out and then comes back to me." She mumbled and he stepped closer.
"What about when you heal?"
"I'm sure you've figured it out by now." She shut her eyes.
"Rowan. Please tell me." She felt him step away and she sucked down a deep breath.
"My life is shortened. Whoever I heal keeps my life energy. It's what Thomas told me the day you found me at our tree in the ice storm." She spoke quietly, slowly opening her eyes to gauge Levi's reaction. His eyes held a twist of hurt, regret, and fury. She was taken aback by the pure emotion swirling in his irises. He took one last look at her and turned away, dropping down to lower branches until his feet hit the ground. "Levi! Can we talk about this?" She shouted, but he didn't seem to care. He walked off into the forest and away from her. She dropped down to the branch, pulling her knees to her chest. She shut her eyes and pressed her forehead against her knees. Ah hell.
Levi spent days avoiding her. He slept on the couch during the night, but was always gone in the morning before Rowan woke. She had no idea how he was spending his days, but she spent multiple days searching and never found him. Every night, he would show up, bathe, and go to sleep. He never spoke a word to her. Maybe she was in the wrong. Maybe she should have told him when she found out. It wouldn't have changed anything. She still would have healed his arm. She won't stop healing people.
While Levi spent his days avoiding her, she spent her days perfecting hot chocolate in the kitchen. Rylan served as her taste tester. She'd supply him with hot chocolate and he would inform her about the common village practices and village infrastructure. Apparently, the villagers were angry at her. She needed to absorb Levi's soul to make up for stealing their chance at replenishing their barrier. They used human soul energy to maintain their barrier and she would have to give up some of Levi's to take the place of the human they would have hunted down. She was disgusted, her stomach twisted in a knot.
"Ro?" She flinched, turning to meet Rylan's eyes. They were wide with worry. Rowan's name was difficult for him to pronounce, so he started calling her Ro. She didn't have the heart to tell him how much that hurt, dragging up buried memories from her life as a witch. "Are you and Reveille fighting?" Smart kid.
"Yeah." She sighed, adding the dairy in as the pot simmered.
"Did you do something wrong?" He inquired and Rowan glowered at him.
"Why do you assume I'm the one that did something wrong?"
"I can tell." He smiled innocently and she hung her head, shoulders slumping as she stirred the melting chocolate.
"I found something out a little while ago. Something that I do...it hurts me. I kept it to myself and kept doing it still. He found out the second day we were here and he's mad at me."
"So, you do something that hurts you and he's mad because you kept the truth a secret?" Rylan scratched his head, kicking his legs back and forth.
"Basically."
"Is it something he can prevent?"
"Not really." She sighed, mixing the milk and chocolate together. She poured two mugs and handed one to Rylan. The boy was deep in thought though, the mug nearly slipping from his fingers. Rowan snatched it and placed it on the table before cleaning up the mess she made.
"Maybe he's mad at himself." His words startled her.
"Mad at himself?"
"Yeah. Maybe he wants to protect you from it, but knows he can't. So he's mad at himself. He could be mad that you kept it a secret from him, but I think the protection thing is more important."
"How old are you?"
"Ten." He beamed.
"Has anyone ever told you that you are wise beyond your years?"
"A few times. I also just know that you loveeee each other." He teased, sticking his tongue out.
"What? How?" She knelt in front of him, shaking his shoulders.
"Apparently I am following in Miss Emery's footsteps. I can sense emotions. I won't tell anyone though. I promise." Rowan paused before squeezing the small boy to her chest.
"I don't know what I did to earn your trust, but I am grateful."
"It's simple. I like you." Rylan shrugged before pushing himself up from the chair. "I also know how to help you."
"Help me?"
"Yeah. You and Reveille need to stop fighting. You'll never be able to prevent the soul absorption ceremony if you're fighting." He grabbed the mug off the table and extended his free hand. He wiggled his fingers, waiting for Rowan to grab it.
"How do you know about that?" She entangled their fingers and he smirked.
"I'm just a kid. People still talk when I'm around because they think I'm not listening." With that, he tugged her out of the kitchen and down a path to the edge of the village. "He's over that ledge. We aren't allowed out there because of the cliff, but he trains out there everyday. Bring him this. I'm sure he will appreciate it."
"Thank-you Rylan." She ruffled his hair before grabbing the other mug.
"Just promise me that I can talk to Reveille soon. I want to know about the walls and about Titans. It's the one thing that isn't discussed here."
"You're too young to worry about that kind of stuff. It'll give you nightmares."
"I have watched my parents eat the souls of innocent people. I think I'll be okay. Bye Ro! Good luck with your man!" He spoke matter-of-factly before giving her a toothy smile and waving as he walked back towards the village. Rowan stood there, staring after him. The kid definitely had a vastly different childhood from what she experienced. She sighed, doing her best to navigate over the rocky ledge without spilling the hot chocolate everywhere. As she reached the top, she could hear crashing branches. She glanced up to see Levi flying through the trees with his ODM gear. Different branches were marked with cloth and he hit each target before landing effortlessly on the forest floor. He glanced up as Rowan stepped on one of the fallen branches.
"Hey." She whispered.
"How'd you find me?" He wiped the sweat from his brow and sheathed his blades.
"Rylan brought me here."
"The kid without front teeth?"
"Yeah. I've been spending a lot of time with him. He's a good listener and the villagers think he's just a naive kid. He knows a lot about this village." She explained, dropping down on one of the tree stumps. The villagers must have cut the nearby trees down to build their homes. The edge of the forest was scattered with stumps of various sizes.
"Sneaky brat." He huffed, dropping down on the stump across from her.
"He's a good kid. I feel bad for the life he has had here." A frown touched her lips. The children here experience hardship and terror just like the human children. There was no excuse for it. Children didn't need to be exposed to anything like that.
"Isn't it the same as your childhood?"
"I never watched my parents devour someone's soul. We never harmed humans in my village. Rylan told me that he watched his parents do it. He also told me he wanted to talk to you. He wants to learn more about Titans." She explained and Levi frowned.
"He could just talk to you about that."
"Well, yeah. I'm sure he wants to know more about humans too. Unfortunately, I don't have first-hand experience with that existence." She shrugged and Levi sighed.
"Fine. I'll talk to him."
"Thank-you. Here, I brought this for you. Rylan's been helping me perfect it." She handed him a mug and he sniffed at it curiously. "It's hot chocolate. My mom used to make it for me when I was sad." She sipped at her own mug, savoring the flavor on her tongue. Rylan wasn't exaggerating. This recipe was perfect. Levi sipped at it, a surprised smile on his lips.
"It's not bad."
"I'm glad you like it." Rowan sighed, thinking back to what Rylan said. He was right. They had to stick together if they both wanted to survive this. She swallowed her pride and decided to follow through with it. "I'm sorry."
"For…?" His left brow arched and she huffed.
"For not telling you when Thomas told me about my lifespan." He thought over her words for a moment.
"I want you to take part of my soul. That's equivalent to your life energy, right?" She nearly fell off her tree stump.
"What? Are you insane?"
"It's payment for healing me. Well, it's really my way of repaying you for using your life energy to heal my mistakes." He explained and she shook her head.
"No. No way. I healed you of my own free will. I chose to. You don't owe me anything. I don't even think that's how it works. I'm pretty sure it's all or nothing." She rambled on, hoping that was actually the case.
"Emery said it could work. It would also make the villagers think you absorbed my soul."
"Oh, Emery told you. It must be true." She growled and Levi frowned.
"She's our best resource right now."
"So now you trust her because she's on your side? Ridiculous." Rowan turned away from him.
"I only trust you. You know that." Levi's hand was on Rowan's shoulder and she crumpled under the weight of it. Her resolve was weak against him. Damn it. "I only spoke to Emery because she found me out here. She put up a barrier so the villagers wouldn't see me using my ODM gear. I suppose Rylan saw through it."
"He's a special kid. He'll do great things one day." Everything Levi said made logical sense. Rowan couldn't stay mad at him for that.
"I'm sure he will."
"I'm not taking a piece of your soul. You may be the strongest person I know, but we don't know what that will do to you." Rowan reasoned and Levi sighed again.
"We have to figure out something."
"We will. The villagers aren't chasing us with pitchforks yet." She mused.
"Tch." He pulled away from her and returned to his stump, finishing his hot chocolate. Rowan kicked her legs back and forth, enjoying her own hot chocolate. They sat in peaceful silence for a bit before Levi spoke. "Any other secrets I should know about?"
"None that matter." She shrugged. She couldn't really think of anything at that moment anyway. "What about you?" Before he could answer, Rylan came sprinting over the ledge. "Rylan?" Rowan stood, placing her mug on the stump.
"Reveille! You have to hide." He placed his hands on his knees, out of breath from his sprint. "The Elder sensed Emery's barrier and shattered it. Some of the guardians are on their way to figure out what she was hiding." Rylan shouted.
"Shit." Rowan shoved herself up, eyes scanning their surroundings. Aside from trees, there weren't many hiding places for Levi.
"I have an idea. I want to help." Rylan caught his breath and stepped right in front of Levi. He extended his hands. "Give me your gear."
"No way, kid." Levi stepped back and Rylan sighed.
"Fine. Give Ro your gear. You trust her, don't yah?" Rylan challenged and Levi narrowed his gaze at the boy. He swiftly removed his belt, stepping over to Rowan and securing it around her waist. She faltered slightly, his ODM gear heavier than her gear was.
"Shit. Why is it so heavy?" Rowan adjusted it so it was secured on her hips and waist.
"Hange found a way to provide extra fuel. Don't give away my secret." Levi's fingertips pressed into her chin as he angled her face towards him.
"Aye sir." She mused. That would explain how he could move so much faster than the others. It was quite impressive that the gear had to be improved to keep up with his strategy and skill.
"Now what, kid?" Levi released her chin and turned towards Rylan. He beamed before pointing to the forest.
"You need to hide in the trees. The barrier ends about five trees deep, so don't go further than that." Levi walked over to him and squatted down so they were eye-level.
"Child or not, if you betray Rowan, I will ensure that you suffer." Rylan flinched as Levi fixed his dark glare on him. The kid visibly gulped before saluting him.
"Rowan taught me this. I give you my word and honor, Sir."
"Tch." Levi huffed before turning away from them. "Come get me when this shit is over." He muttered over his shoulder before jogging off into the forest.
"He's intense. You weren't kidding." Rylan sighed in relief, wiping the sweat off his chin.
"Eh, you get used to it after a while." Rowan mused before dropping onto the stump. "Now what?"
"Act like you're showing me your belt. It's called ODM gear, right?" He inched forward, dropping down on the grass in front of her. His eyes were fully focused on the gear. So much for acting.
"Yeah. The grappling hooks come from here. The motors are here. These are the controls you use to release the grappling hooks and to supply gas from the motors so you can move. The blades are attached he-" Rowan went along with it, knowing that Rylan was their only chance at not getting caught. If the villagers found Levi actively using the weapons, he would be devoured for sure. Rowan's claim would be voided.
"RYLAN! Get away from her!" A woman's voice caused Rylan to tense, his shoulders edging upward.
"That's my mom." He whispered, eyes wide as fear settled on his features. "I'm sorry." He mumbled before standing to face the approaching crowd. "I asked Ro to show me the gear they use to fight Titans. I wanted to know more about humans. I'm sorry Mom." His shoulders slumped as he hung his head. A petite woman stomped forward and snatched Rylan by the ear.
"You're done spending time with the outsiders. Get to your room now." She growled and Rylan struggled against her grasp.
"It's lunch time though. You already made me skip breakfast." He protested and she smirked.
"Wicked children don't deserve mealtimes. Instead, spend your newly acquired freetime to reflect on everything you have done wrong."
"He deserves a good beating too. Make sure his father hears about this." Another villager chimed in and Rylan's mother nodded.
"Oh, indeed. I assure you he will." The woman dragged Rylan away before Rowan could even formulate a response. Rylan didn't deserve that. Even if he did something wrong, he still didn't deserve that.
"Outsider. What do you have to say for yourself?" One villager pulled Rowan's attention and she scowled.
"What do I have to say for myself? A whole lot that you won't like." She growled, stepping forward."Rylan did nothing wrong. He was just curious and curiosity shouldn't be punished. It's a natural aspect of being a living being. He especially doesn't deserve to be starved or beaten. He asked to see Reveille's gear, so I brought it outside the village limits to show him. Emery just helped so I wouldn't scare any of the villagers."
"You still endangered a naive child and broke one of our most sacred rules. Weapons are not allowed in the village and your human pet brought weapons in. We demand that you remove the gear at once so we can dispose of it properly." A man pushed his way to the front of the crowd and the other villagers shouted their agreements.
"You will not touch this gear. It is Reveille's property and his property alone. We didn't know about your village's rules and we were running from Titans. I simply walked outside the village with this gear to show Rylan." Rowan argued, but that didn't seem to go over well. The man's face was red and his nostrils were flared.
"Why do you care so much about the pathetic human's property? He can't take it with him to the afterlife. Hand it over to us. It's the least you can do." Rowan internally cursed. What could she say to convince them to let her go with the gear? If they disposed of it, her and Levi had no hope of making it back to the walls once they escaped.
"Simple. It will become her property when I'm no longer of this world." Levi. He had walked up behind the crowd, eyes trained on Rowan as he maneuvered to stand next to her. He kept some space between them, but his presence there calmed her.
"You have no say in this, human!" The villager had said 'human' like it was the most severe insult they could spat.
"I do not, but your village's stupid rules do. Emery already stated that Rowan has claimed me. That includes my soul and my personal property, does it not?" He challenged, his gaze blank as he met every villager's eyes. The crowd broke out in hushed tones, villagers arguing with each other in response to his statement. The original speaker cleared his throat and stepped forward.
"Very well. The outsider may keep the gear, but it must not leave the temporary home loaned to you. The outsider and human must also stay away from the children in this village." He stated firmly.
"Tch. Imbeciles." Levi huffed before nodding his head for Rowan to follow him. He headed off towards their temporary home, shoving through the crowd. They all scattered, keeping their distance from him. "Is this how twisted your village was?" He asked over his shoulder as they wandered through the village.
"No. Not at all. I didn't realize how different each village was. Emery never mentioned anything when she came to visit or when we crossed paths beyond the barriers." Rowan mumbled, eyes trained on her feet.
"Good." He huffed, pausing for a moment. Rowan nearly ran into him. She glanced around his frame to see Emery standing in front of their home. She met Rowan's gaze before walking into the home. Rowan sighed, walking around Levi and stepping into the house. Levi was on her heels and they both stood in the doorway, staring at Emery who was on the couch.
"I apologize for the actions of my village. They are quite stuck in their ways and they do not like outsiders."
"You should apologize to Rylan. He did nothing wrong, yet his parents are torturing him." Rowan grumbled, stepping into the house and standing across from her cousin. Levi shut the door, and leaned against it, arms crossed over his chest.
"That is his consequence for helping you. Unfortunately, I cannot alter family dynamics. What parents do to their children is no business of mine or the Elder's. Rylan knew this when he made the decision to help you." Emery sighed, glancing at her conjoined hands.
"If you can't do anything to help the kid, why are you here?" Levi questioned and Emery turned her gaze on him.
"The Elder has asked that you remain in this home for the next few days. I will bring you meals. This is temporary until the village calms down."
"So we really are prisoners, aren't we?" Rowan growled and Emery flinched.
"No, not entirely."
"I am the prisoner. Rowan is guilty through association." Levi huffed, a frown on his lips.
"Well, yes. Technically, if Rowan absorbed your soul, she would be free to go. She would be welcomed into the village until she was free to leave." Emery explained and Rowan's fists clenched. "I do not think it will come to that, but the villagers are more on edge than I anticipated."
"Very well. What do I have to do to prepare for the ceremony?"
"Would you stop trying to sacrifice yourself? I'm not absorbing your soul. You aren't dying. I can't lose you, you big idiot. Can you understand that?" Rowan stomped over to Levi, staring him down as she jabbed her finger into his chest.
"It's the only rational decision."
"It's not and it's not even your decision to make. It's only my decision and I refuse to do it." Though Emery was surprised by her outburst, Levi wasn't. He simply grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward. She fell into his arms and he held her tightly.
"One of us needs to make it out of here. The Scouts cannot afford to lose both of us. I would trade my life for yours. Don't forget that." He whispered into her hair before releasing her and wandering into the bathroom. The door clicked shut behind him and Rowan listened to the water kick on.
"He is not entirely wrong, Rowan."
"Em, I appreciate what you have done for us, but I will never forgive this village for what it has done to humans. They don't deserve to be treated like fuel. They have hopes, dreams, relationships, and emotions just like we do. Their lives aren't meaningless. Levi? He is the strongest person, human or witch, that I know. He is fearless and is the only hope for the humans in their fight against the Titans that our race created. I will help right the wrongs of our ancestors. I am going to end this. I will bring Levi back to the Scouts, alive. I will fight by his side and we will end this war." Rowan growled. Her anger radiated off her, but Emery didn't even hesitate.
"You know more than I anticipated. Do the humans know that our race created the Titans?" Her head tilted and Rowan was fuming.
"Yes. A human figured it out. They translated our language and pieced the story together from texts they found at an abandoned library. It is where we were ambushed by witches and attacked by hordes of Titans. I hope Hange found what they were looking for. I hope they find the secret to dismantling the witch villages."
"Hange? What a peculiar name. I would love to meet this person." She didn't even bother to entertain Rowan's other statements.
"You'll never get the chance. I'd like you to leave now." Rowan opened the door and gestured for Emery to leave.
"I hope you know that I am still on your side. I always will be."
"If you think the only way out of this is by absorbing Levi's soul, then you were never on my side." Rowan grumbled, slamming the door shut behind Emery.