Episode 4

Yuki flutters her eyes open as numbness settles over her body. Her eyesight fades between white and black until it adjusts to the brightly lit room. She carefully turns her head to the right, her pink  orbs growing wide in shock. She swiftly pushes her up to a sitting position while subconsciously grabbing a knife hidden under her dress. She quickly grabs the person closest to her, pulling them down to her height. She presses the blade against their neck and flashes of everything that happened to her replays like a bad nightmare. Her knuckles fade into a white shade, her breath coming out hoarsely. Her torso raises and falls rapidly in panic. Her mind slowly processes where she is, her gaze locking onto a young woman's shocked facial features. 

    "It's okay, Yuki. You're safe now. No-one is going to hurt you, I promise," Levi's voice automatically snaps her out of her traumatic state. She instantly lets go of the woman as she settles back on the mattress. Her eyes dart around frantically, the girl leaning her back against the wall. She appears to be in her old bedroom from when she used to work alongside him. Everything looks in place, well mostly. It's completely spotless and she can tell he kept wellcare of her belongings. She sighs in exhaustion, glancing at the poor woman. 

    "I'm sorry about that. Reflexes," she mumbles while popping her stiff neck loudly. The taller girl shrugs her shoulders like it's no big deal and smiles brightly. 

    "It's okay. I can see why Levi likes you so much. You're really feisty and adorable," she mumbles, making Yuki blush at her words. 

    He narrows his eye at the mysterious woman as he clears his throat. 

    "Hanji, get on topic," he demands, crossing his arms over his chest. She rolls her eyes while letting out her hand. 

    "I'm Hanji. It's a pleasure to meet you. Levi brought you in and I had to patch you up. You should be fine as long as you rest for a few days. You're very lucky," she states, Yuki shaking her hand in return. She pulls away just as quickly and examines herself for the first time since her world fell apart. Her facial features twist into a blank canvas, sadness pumping throughout her veins. 

    Her skin is covered in bandages from her neck to her calves. Faded scars glow against her untouched arms as well as a bruise engraved on the right side of her face. A dull ache pulses at the back of her head, black smeared around her eye sockets from nights of staying up twenty-four-seven in the village finally showing up. She always covered up her flaws with pounds of make-up with her dear sibling's help. In fact, she's always had little scars or small stitches from the stunts she pulled while Levi was gone. What her twin told her before she died was very true. She blinks multiple times, his gaze taking her in over like the first time he saw her. A small smile pulls at his lips for a second in an attempt to comfort her and Hanji breaks their staring contest by jabbing Yuki in the side harshly. 

    Hanji is taller than her with an average frame. Her dark brunette locks are pulled into a loose ponytail, her hazel eyes flickering with curiosity. Glasses are propped up on the bridge of her nose and for some odd reason Yuki feels like an experiment or something along those lines. 

    Yuki hisses in pain as she snaps her head in the taller girl's direction. She narrows her eyes, clenching her jaw tightly. Hanji giggles lightly in embarrassment while she sits on the edge of the bed. She goes to take the girl's hand, Yuki pulling away quickly. 

    "Sorry, I just want to know what happened to you. Will you tell how you got injured so badly?" She asks and sighs when the girl keeps her mouth shut. 

    "Hanji, I've got nothing to say about it. It ended in chaos, blood, and pain. There's all you need to know. Now, can you leave and let me get cleaned up. I feel disgusting," Yuki snaps automatically and turns her body around to face the direction of a nearby bathroom. The other girl nods her head in understanding, quickly leaving the room without another word. 

    Yuki wraps her slender fingers around the bedpost for support as she forces herself to stand up. Levi slowly approaches her, watching her carefully. She sticks her tongue out at him in annoyance while focusing on walking on her own. 

    "Don't. You're too weak to move at all. Get back in bed and get some rest," he states, a stern expression twisting into his emotionless facial features. She rolls her eyes playfully in response and tries stepping forward. Her legs immediately freeze up, unbearable pain latching onto her muscles. 

    Her fingers slip from their hold as her weight presses down on her body. Gravity quickly pulls her toward the floor while she braces herself for impact. She closes her eyes tightly, waiting for a new wave of stiffness to seep into her frame. The feeling of pain plunging into her bones never occurs and she hesitantly opens her eyes. She feels strong arms holding her by her waist, her gaze coming face to face with Levi. Her face flushes light pink from embarrassment and she flashes him a shy smile. He glares at her, gently helping her upright. 

    "Idiot," he mumbles as she wraps an arm around his shoulders. She quickly positions herself to stand by him, leaning her side against his. He helps her walk into the bathroom while making sure she doesn't trip over her own feet. She uses the nearby sink for support, hooking her fingers around its metal structure. She leans her back against the wall and they both stare at each other for a moment. He clears his throat awkwardly, eyeing her damaged state. 

    "Um...do you need any help? You can barely walk, let alone stand by yourself," he states as he looks away from her. His face fades into a bloody red shade, Yuki's eyes growing wide. Her mind immediately realizes what he's asking while he places a hand on the back of his head. He's suggesting helping her out with her bandages. 

    "No...that's not necessary," she mumbles in response, slightly lifting the bottom of her dress. She quickly unclips the knife leg holster wrapped around her right thigh and swiftly hands it to him. He lifts his chin, placing a hand on top of her head. 

    "Whenever you're done...meet me in my office. We have a lot to talk about," he says, ruffling up her violet bangs. He quickly leaves without saying another word and she silently watches him shut the bedroom door. She stumbles into the shower with some difficulty, closing the sliding glass door-frame shut. 

    Yuki hums silently to herself as she quickly slips on a new sunflower dress over her head. She swiftly wraps a pair of bandages around her limbs, gathering herself together. She fixes her violet bangs in front of her blood-shot orbs while flashes of the deaths she caused or witnessed play in front of her pupils like a projector. She shakes her head to clear it, forcing herself to focus on being presentable for Levi. She tilts her bruised face to the side and winks painfully at her reflection. She bites into her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, noticing she looks creepy like that. She shrugs her shoulders in disappointment and heads out of the bathroom. She hides her arms behind her back, hesitantly doing what her fiance told her. 

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***