Chapter 2

It was raining when Eren woke up. It was raining but he felt hot. He lurched as he saw the steam surrounding him. He tugged himself from the muscles and flesh connecting him to his titan. What happened? What did Ymir do to me? His head throbbed as he slipped from the decomposing titan. She implied that he'd be given a chance to change the past. What she meant by that remained to be seen. The Paths were destroyed along with the Curse of Ymir and the power of titans. Looking around, he's definitely not where he last were. The grass were a clear stark from the yellow plains of barren land. He's still a bit disoriented from the sudden transportation but this wasn't something that could be easily shaken off. The proof that he's in Paradis was the Walls looming over the distance. The question was where exactly was he, in Maria, in Rose? But He raises a trembling hand when he noticed something. Turning his head, he noted his long hair draped over his shoulder. Looking down, he's still wearing a hoodie and his pants, the same clothes he was wearing during... Eren retched. Just then, a fragment of memory entered his mind. Memories that's not his. It was raining. An explosion on a cart. Someone with a gear and green cloak, a scout was blasted away. A bridge. A forest. A slumped body by the river. Scouts arriving near, and one of them was Hange. They turned the bloody body over before speaking with a small voice. "Levi?" Eren dry-heaved. It was Captain Levi. Levi's face was covered with blood but the open wound that stretched over his face diagonally from his temple, over his eyes, until his chin, extending to his neck was gruesome. His fingers were also missing. He looked... dead. "He's dead." "He got caught in the explosion of a thunder spear at point blank range." If that were Captain Levi's state just before... Eren's eyes burned as tears traced his cheeks. The memories were gone, faded. Now, the rain soothed the burning rage consuming his body but he still glared. He pounded the ground with his clenched fists. Captain Levi always came back from expeditions with minimal injuries. He wasn't someone who'd easily make a mistake on the field or let himself suffer from grievous wounds. He had quicker reflex than that of a normal human. If he was injured, he must've been taken off guard. "Zeke!" Eren gritted his teeth. He's about to curse his half-brother for every single thing he'd done to injure his people that Zeke justified for his cause. The man was just like Reiner. "He's here." A woman's voice, Ymir. "Ymir?" Eren flinched as he glanced upwards at the grey skies. The rain peppered his face. "He's still there." Suddenly, an inconceivable idea churned in his mind. Eren stood on shaky limbs before moving forward. Walking, until he found himself jogging towards somewhere his feet consciously led him. In a distance, there's a familiar bridge. He urged his feet to move faster until he's running. After crossing, he ran along the familiar river. "Captain-!" Eren gasped. "Captain Levi!" He knelt and carefully turned the body over. It was him. The same image he saw as Hange. The fact that this happened inside Paradis, where he should've been safer, instead of the battlefield filled Eren with rage rivaling the anger he felt when he felt his freedom being threatened. "Captain..." Eren lifts a shivering hand to Levi's cheek. It's cold. He needed to immediately administer first aid. Clean the wounds, assess, before treating it. But they shouldn't stay under the pouring rain. So, he gathered his captain's unconscious body and head towards the cover of the trees.

When he found a decent shelter, he propped Levi by the base of a tree. He probably shouldn't have carried him without a stretcher board but... Eren had a feeling. So, he started cleaning the blood from Levi's face. As he saw the pale skin underneath the dark red blood, his hunch was confirmed. Instead of a ghastly open bleeding wound, only a healed scar remained proof of what Levi experienced. It was healed. Eren grasped Levi's hand and saw that the fingers were complete but there's also a scar where it should've been detached. Like someone reattached the fingers and stitched it on. It was only then that he allowed himself to breath a sigh of relief. Levi now had several scars across his face including a prominent one across his right eye and scars on both the index and middle fingers on his right hand. Well, among several old scars all over his body. But he's alive. He shouldn't have been able to recover from the explosion, his leg should've been injured too but it's not. It could only be Ymir. She could create and shape anything she wanted using the sand in the Paths just like she did with Zeke. Once Eren's satisfied in Levi's current state, sitting beside Levi, he closed his eyes. He intended to go to the Paths to look for Ymir but he couldn't. A force or a wall seemed to hinder his way. Eren frowned. He's still not sure where he was exactly. The only thing he's sure of was they somehow came back to the past.. At least until Levi was seriously injured. Probably inside Wall Rose. But how... and why? If this was the past, or at least a few hours before his death, then what was he supposed to do? And why was Levi with him. Hange should've found Levi. Or did he arrived earlier. Then, Hange should be here soon. But-! Eren felt dread. Zeke's body should've been near. And the debris of the explosion wasn't anywhere to be found. There's only Levi's unconscious body. He started breathing heavily. Pressing the base of his palm over his eyes, he concentrated on slowly inhaling and exhaling to calm himself. Being agitated and angry wouldn't help his confusion. When he managed to settle down, he glanced at his companion. Only to be surprised by the trembling eyelids. Levi seemed to be waking up soon. Eren hurriedly knelt and leaned over Levi, his hand gently cupping the Captain's cheek. It felt like hours as he knelt frozen in position while waiting for a sign of consciousness. He felt the world clicking into place again into a semblance he's familiar with. With Levi, he was aware how much secured he felt. Levi anchored him. Even if Levi might condemn him, Eren wouldn't mind. He already lost. He wouldn't mind being defeated by Captain Levi. Maybe, he could ask if his companion remembered anything before they ended up here. Maybe, Ymir spoke with him. Eren found his balance again. No matter, when and where they were. He'd only move forward. This chance that Ymir granted him, he'd utilize it. A breath hitched in his throat when Levi's left eye blinked open. A gunmetal eye met his own and Eren felt winded. The memories returned.

Levi pov. Am I going to die? He was about to chop of Zeke Yeagar's limbs when the bastard pulled the string detonating the thunder spear. A flash, a ringing in his ears, and a shock-wave from the point blank explosion. His body was thrown far away. Then his skin was burning, his insides too. Levi felt a jolting sensation that wasn't like anything he'd ever experienced before. No, he's not fucking dying. He'd die after killing the damn Beast Titan. But he's quickly losing his consciousness. The ground was hard and cold as he laid on his stomach. And it was raining. Levi's body was going numb and tingly, but might it have been the adrenaline. It felt like someone hit him with a big shovel all over his body, and mostly his head. His lungs felt like they're burning and he really had the urge to wheeze or cough but he couldn't even move. Am I really dying?

Levi blinked as he was abruptly transported to some place. At once, his body could move and the ringing in his ears stopped. The rain halted and replaced by a clear night sky streaked with lights swaying and seemed to be connected to a large tree made of light in a distance. He slowly breathed as he sat up. Surprisingly, there were sand everywhere but the ocean was nowhere in sight.

With a flicker, a woman with blonde hair, small stature, and wearing ragged clothing appeared in front of him. The lights behind her hid her features but Levi could still make out the curve on her mouth. She was smiling.

Ymir stated and Levi couldn't understand half the crap she's spouting.

Then world shifted throwing him back on the cold hard ground. It was still raining. But something was different. Last, he remember that he's lying on his stomach. Right now, he's on his back. He expected to feel the ground and stones digging on his back instead of warmth. Seems like I dodged death once again. Someone was holding him. His body was gingerly carried somewhere that sheltered him from the rain. Then, a cloth found his face and gently wiped away the blood and grime. Who? One of the scouts? Hange? He gradually lost his consciousness again. With a bit of a struggle, Levi finally managed to open his left eye. The first thing Levi saw after his eyes adjusted to the light was familiar ocean blue eyes. The last time he saw those same eyes, the once dull eyes that he never wanted to see on its owner. But now, the barely restrained emotions contained in Eren's eyes nudged something in his chest that he thought he'd lost. Hope. The one thing that Eren represented.

Levi's voice croaked. Eren's hair grazed his ear as the man leaned closer and Levi was finally able to decipher the emotions leaking from those gaze. Relief. Worry. Guilt... Elation. Hopefulness.