(Part Two)
If there was one thing that Petra couldn't avoid, it's getting attached with people.
It's only been three days and two nights since they started living on the manor, but she felt like finding a home in the city. The veteran couple was very accommodating and generous. She almost treated them as her grandparents. She considered them as a blessing that the deity must have sent. However, the couple arranged all important matters and decided to set their departure on Friday afternoon.
"Where are you going to live now, Grandpa?" Petra asked, curiosity was bothering her since the first day.
The grumpy old man closed the trunk and looked at her. "Somewhere passed the mountains and plains where giants won't hinder our freedom."
She was taken aback. That's deep.
There was a chuckle coming from the grand staircase. "Don't make fun of her, Captain."
"I just considered not to use the word 'classified'. She's a civilian." He retorted. "Are we all set?"
"Yes." The old woman replied and shifted her attention to Petra. "Don't forget to feed the fishes on my pond, okay?"
Petra nodded. "I sure will, Granny."
"And don't forget to clean the house neatly." The old man reminded.
She chuckled and said, "Okay, got it. Uh, by the way, Nifa should be here."
"The other girl… She went to the hospital a while ago. It's something urgent." The old woman said and held her hands. "I don't know if we can visit you on Holidays so I'm entrusting this home to you. Don't worry, the ghosts here are quite friendly."
She chuckled. "Geez! That's scary."
The old man stood beside his wife and looked at Petra impassively. "If you happen to find an interesting painting, be sure to hang it on the wall. I think someone must have hid one of my collections I couldn't find." He shot a brief glance at the old woman who was grinning secretly.
"Yes, Grandpa." Petra answered with enthusiasm and saluted before him.
"You're giving me chills, kid." He said and reached for her right hand, much to the old woman's smirk that Petra would never understand. "Here, take this with you. It might save you from this cruel world."
Petra shot him a puzzled look before staring at the Swiss knife in her hand; she was stupefied. "W-Why are you giving me a weapon?"
His eyebrows twitched. "Baseball bat is not enough to save your life, young lady."
"You know, he's got a point. I once thought that baseball bat is enough to kill a house intruder. Unfortunately it will only delay his escape strategy. But you'll get the chance to call the police if you threaten him with a Swiss knife." The old woman added.
She nodded, quite enlightened, and bowed her head in front of the couple as an act of gratitude. "Thank you for everything, Granny and Grandpa. I will miss you."
"Aww. Come here." Said the old woman and hugged her tight. "I will miss you too, Petra dear. Tell my regards to Nifa. I hope she's alright."
The old man messed Petra's hair before opening the passenger's door for his wife. "Don't let your guard down, Petra."
Petra's tears welled up while watching the couple's car went off the gate, the old woman was waving a hand from the open window as the car disappeared in her sight. She never expected to have an instant grandparents in the city who would give her a shelter for free. When she went back inside the manor, her eyes scanned the huge paintings hanging on the walls. She remembered when the old man showed her the collection of paintings on the east side of the manor.
I don't know where she hid that one painting of a soldier. He said with twitched eyebrows as they walked through the long corridor of the east wing the other day.
Who was that soldier, Grandpa? She curiously asked.
He stopped by a certain painting of a female soldier with burnt orange hair and amber eyes. Her Captain.
The memory made her smile until she remembered to call Nifa.
"Are they still there?" Nifa's voice was a bit groggy on the other line.
"They already left just a while ago. Hey, are you alright?" she asked, there was a hint of worry in her voice.
"I didn't even had the chance to say goodbye." Said Nifa with a frown, "Don't worry about me. I'm fine. I'm on my way back." she added and hanged up.
Their work in the university started two days after the veteran couple left. The manor seemed so empty and lonely but the two ladies managed to adjust some time later.
Petra was usually the one to get up early to prepare their breakfast and get herself fixed. One morning, she accidentally dropped her lipstick on the floor and it rolled under her bed. She let out a muffled complain and crouched down to get it. When she extended her arm to reach for it, she touched an edgy object and got curious.
"What is that supposed to be?" she asked herself and pulled it out from under the bed, her lipstick rolled back to her feet.
Her eyes widen upon seeing a huge painting of a soldier covered by a dusty cloth.
"This must be the painting that Grandpa was talking about… I should tell him! Ugh, I didn't even know where they live now."
She asked Nifa to come over and helped her hang it on the wall of her room just above her bed board.
"You're driving me crazy. How come did you start getting fond of paintings and soldiers?" asked Nifa with a slight scowl on her face.
"Just now." Replied Petra with a smile painted on her face.
Nifa gave her a 'you're getting weird' look.
That night, she stared at the man on the painting for a good two hours. She wondered who it was, still pondering on what the old man told her.
Her Captain.
Curious about the painting's whereabouts, she went to the east wing to investigate. She turned on all the lights on the east side of the manor and explored all the paintings hanging on the wall. There were different faces, all of which were wearing combat uniforms, but what's gotten in her mind was the fact that the female soldier with burnt orange hair and amber eyes was the only person painted alone on the canvass. And then there's Her Captain painting in her room which was also another solo.
"Does that make sense?" she asked herself, thinking if her speculation was true.
Three years later, she dreamed of a man called Humanity's Strongest Soldier. He has piercing grey eyes, his face was almost always frowning, and the way he expressed his opinions were blunt it could shut everyone up. She was watching him silently with admiration until he caught her eyes and they made an intimate eye contact. Her heartbeat raced at quite a speed when he started making his way towards her direction.
What should I do? She asked herself in panic.
He lightly tugged her arm and brought her outside the conference room where all other soldiers where gathered and chatting with each other. She was all surprised, and with wide eyes she stared at him as they walked through the corridors, his hand was still attached to her arm. When they walked pass the right corner of the corridor, he frantically pushed her against the wall and cornered her with one arm.
"Petra." He started, his eyes were piercing through hers. "I don't want to see you hanging out with that brat on your duty."
She was stupefied in her feet. "I…" Words were escaping like as if her mind was now an open prison cell. She couldn't find the words to say.
"I should have let him clean the whole castle the other day. Tch."
Castle? Him? Petra was so surprised her mouth almost dropped.
There was sudden footsteps coming from the corner so he immediately distant himself from her.
"Levi Heichou!" one of the two men said as if in a hurry.
"What is it, Erd?" he replied. Petra shot him a surprised look.
Levi…Heichou… she whispered and suddenly woke up soaked in her own sweat.
Her heart was pounding heavily on her chest. "Levi Heichou?" she breathed and turned to look at the painting above her bed board. "Are you a Captain? Is your name… Levi?"
And upon her realization, somewhere in the Survey Corps Headquarters, where titans' remnants and the things for further investigation were lying, slowly appeared a mysterious glass door–the passage between two alternate universe–to reconnect the invisible strings that were never been cut off.
Author's Note: I made some edit on the first two chapters because I suck at writing. But it's alright if you didn't go back reading it. It's just minor edit like I changed the term 'corporal' to 'captain'. And sorry for the long delay. I finally got the chance to update this after almost a year. I hope you're liking this story. I'm expecting reviews so I can know your thoughts about the plot. Thank you. x