{LEVIHAN} Always

Chapter 4: Ghosts

Levi's POV

It's been a few weeks since Hanji's death. Armin had told me that there was no new evidence of where Hanji's body would've been. I could feel my anger seething and bubbling when the days passed, and her body hasn't been found. Some creep has her dead body, and I can't bear to think of what was going on. Where is she?

Unable to sleep once more, I decided to take my wheelchair and go down the empty halls of this old castle. I can remember when it was full of Scouts the night before an expedition. I hear a few of them crying, wondering if they'll make it home. A few would be having a few drinks, but not too much before they're unable to move the next day. A few would be singing songs to push the fear away. Then, there would be a few playing some childish games to remind them of times of peace.

I remember when Hanji would stay down in her lab, writing a few experiments and last-minute proposals to bring a few things with her on the expeditions. Sometimes, Moblit would stumble into my room, asking me to help calm Hanji down from drinking too much. I remember a lot of things when she was around... Hanji... 

I never knew how much things revolved around her.

Even now, I could see her running in the halls... 

Running?

The footsteps couldn't be some figment of my imagination. "Hanji?" I called out, gripping my hands on the wheels. Was it true that losing my eye meant I could see ghosts as well? I began to spin my wheels on the wheelchair, trying to follow the sound as I called out to figure. "Hanji? Is that you?"

I could feel myself growing desperate. If I could run, I could catch up to the figure. My arms felt weak, but I kept pushing them to move me in that wheelchair. The footsteps went down towards Hanji's old laboratory in the basement.

"Hanji! Hanji!" 

When I came to the stairs to the basement, I could see the wooden door faintly swinging. Someone had been here... that door should've been closed. Hanji never had it unlocked or open like that. 

"Hanji!" I cried out again, trying to get to my feet.

"Captain Levi!" I turned around, not noticing myself slipping off of the wheelchair. Armin was running with a few people behind him. Even Gabi and Falco came to his side. Before I knew it, I fell down the flight of stairs, passing through the door.

Grunting in pain, I tried to look in the darkness with my one good eye. I could see some sort of shadow in the corner... it... looked like... Hanji...

"Hanji? Is that you?"

My fingers gripped onto the stone floors as I tried crawling towards her. "Please... Hanji...?"

"Captain Levi!" Armin quickly grabs me by the armpits. "What's going on?!"

"She's down here! I saw her! I saw her!" I cried out as Jean helped carry me up the stairs. "Hanji! She's down there!"

Armin looked down into the basement before looking at me. Mikasa did the same as Jean looked down at his feet. Onyankopon had to hold me down to the wheelchair while Gabi and Falco held my arms down.

"Captain... you know it's impossible... she got burned up. Don't you remember how I was when I was burned up by Bertholdt? I could barely breathe", move... as much as I wish it was Hanji... she has to be dead..."

"Then how the hell did she move? The only thing I can think about her disappearing body is that someone took her and used her body for something! If she could've lived... if she could be living... I swear... she's down there..."