Flashback

"Never thought you'd be able to meet her but look at the both of you now, huh dad?" The man gazes into the bedroom of his daughter from the doorframe. Laying on her stomach, she points out different people on a drawing for her grandfather. "That's my friend, Katsumi. She's taller than me." The young kid points to a sketch of another girl. "And that's her big sister." Her father continues to watch, never wanting to admit how fascinating it was to him. Even though he couldn't see his own father in the room, he knew his presence was there with them.

(F/n) happens to glance up and notice her father in the mirror, watching them. "Daaad!" The little girl whines, getting up to shove him out. "Can I watch you, (nickname)?" "No!" She replies without hesitation, shutting the door when he's out of the way. The girl returns to the floor to continue showing her grandfather drawings of her friends and family but his visiting spirit is gone. (F/n) sighs in disappoint, forgetting that whenever she is not focused on the spirit, they disappear. "See you later then, pop." She mumbles, sliding the pictures over into a pile to put away in her desk.

Placing the slightly wrinkled and bent pictures back in the drawer, she glances at the others she did not pull out. All of them were pictures of her mother. At least, what she imagined she would have looked like. Thinking about all the spirits she has encountered so far, none of them resembled her drawings. No one looked similar enough to look like her mother. It was not possible for her to meet her without realizing. Since her brothers nor father ever wanted to feed into her questions about the absent woman, asking her grandfather was probably the next best thing. Although, she was pretty certain even he wouldn't answer those questions.

What did she do to make them stay this silent?

Flashback end

"Who told you about her and why would someone tell you?" My Captain glares deeply into my (color) eyes. "You should sit down for this." I finally spit out, picking at the skin next to my fingernail. My Captain lets out an audible breath, slowly sitting down at his desk, hands tense as I can see his veins protruding. My throat feels dry and ticklish as I think of any last minute excuses. I was ready to tell him about my secret because I completely trust him. He's my superior! The fact that he's pretty short, verbally, and straight to the point is a bit of a help too so I wouldn't suspect him to go telling everyone anyway. "On with it, (last name), I don't have all day."  He snaps with an even harsher tone, if possible. "R-Right, sorry, sir." I nod, swallowing one last time before spilling out the truth.

"You see, I snuck out the other night and found this old room with files of deceased soldiers so I snooped around because I couldn't help myself. I'm sorry sir, I take full responsibility for my foolish actions and will not oppose to whatever punishment you deem necessary." My words come out faster than Wall Maria coming down. "Slow down, (last name), your word vomit is unprofessional." My face is probably as white as his cravat at this point. I just lied to the Corporal and there's no doubt he can see right through me. "Y-Yes, sorry, sir." I nod once more, taking a breath. "I read files on past deceased soldiers and found her name. You two were in the same squad, right?" I repeat much slower this time.

I don't know what's worse, the silent death stare I'm receiving or the fact that I lied to a superior. I can almost hear my own blood flowing in my veins. The prolonged silence is just as killer as his gaze, making me frozen in place. It's been at least two minutes since he called me out on my clumsy mouth, what is he thinking? Oh, right, maybe I can read it? Never have I once tried or wanted to poke into the mind of my Captain. Taking a wild guess, his thoughts probably consist of shit jokes, soap, and a deep hatred for life. Why not confirm it now?  Our eyes are still locked, although I'm trembling under his tight gaze, I still manage to keep the focus.

He's... more shocked than angry?

I can't tell exactly what he's thinking considering he's a pretty quiet and secret guy. The more open-minded people are, then, the easier it is to read them. Being shut out like this doesn't make it easy but I can pick up a bit of his energy. Before I can dig deeper, his voice startles me out of reading. "I'm disappointed my own cadet would break a rule but I'm not surprised in the slightest."

Funny, I could feel your shock, though.

"Stupid and curious cadets like you aren't supposed to be foraging through documents only superiors can access. I know you're new here but this is general knowledge, I expected better from you but you're always sneaking around with that pony pal of yours." My lips are severely dry and chapped now from holding my breath and chewing on them.

Did... he really believe my white lie?

"However, that doesn't dismiss the fact that you lied to a superior about your whereabouts and knowledge of private matters."

Aaaaand there it is.

I release my held breath, defeated. How the hell did he catch me though? "Sorry... again, sir." I reply, letting my defeat show but he doesn't even acknowledge my hundredth apology. "I'll have to think of an appropriate punishment that will certainly discipline you for your actions." He announces, rising from his chair. "If... you don't mind me asking, how did you even know?" I decide to ask, still curious on how he cracked the case. Am I really that transparent or is it another reason? The Corporal blinks, his hands stretched out on either side of the walnut stained desk in front of him. "I may barely know you but you're a horrible liar. That and I could tell by your hands. The last time you picked at your skin was when I asked if you wiped down the tables in the dining hall. Which you didn't."

So that's it. I'm just that easy to read.

"Oh." Is all I can say out of disbelief. "While I think of a more severe punishment, you can start by mopping every hallway and dust the cobwebs off the ceiling for being in a boy's dorm after seven." Of course that's what he would assign and that's not even the worst. "Yes, sir." I keep myself short and straightforward. Kind of like him. "I suggest you go get started. No breaks and I expect everything done before dinner."

I only get that long?!

"Sir, what about my training today?" I have to ask. How am I supposed both those things done in such little time? "You're dismissed for today to pay the consequences of disobeying rules. Plus, you hardly need the training anyway. Those fools need it more than you do." I have to bite my lip in order not to chuckle, I know the corporal gets headaches just from Sasha alone. "Understood, sir." The Captain gives a look, I mean, his expression has barely changed but I know he's telling me to leave. "You're dismissed." He finally speaks, sitting back down to continue on with his work before training starts. "Yes, sir." I say quietly as not to disturb him. I give one last salut before exiting his office and gently shutting the door. If I close it a certain way, he will definitely add more to my chores and I'd rather that not happen. I let out a sigh and stand in front of his office for a moment to think.

I can't believe he didn't push more questions?

That's how he is though. The Corporal isn't much of a talker and when he is, he uses his words through actions. Apparently he had to beat someone's ass that's in my squad. Well, whatever gets his feelings across is fine I guess. Maybe he's too afraid to ask or maybe he's playing some kind of mind game to confuse me like right now. That's probably it. Deciding I should go and get the cleaning supplies, I hear my squad downstairs getting ready to head outside to train. I descend the stairs and wave when I spot them. "(F/n)! Hurry up!" Sasha shouts amongst the group. "Sorry guys, I'm missing today because I have to clean." I reply when I get off the last step. Jean looks over and makes a face before remembering. "Oh, yeah, we'll miss you today." The others turn to look at him, confused. "I was at his and Conny'a dorm last night."

Sasha exchanged a glance with Conny, I could only guess what they were communicating. Well, I already knew. Mikasa just kept a bored face while the other boys snickered and punched Jean's shoulder, making him pretty confused. "Guys, we're friends. Remember?" I pinch the bridge of my nose, not in the mood for teasing. "Sure, friends." Sasha air quotes, giggling after. "Conny was with them so he would tell us what really happened!" Eren exclaims, his turquoise eyes wide with wonder. "Um... I fell asleep not too long after they showed up... so," Conny shrugs, genuinely not knowing. All he remembers was that they were talking about their Captain. "Man, he's making excuses." Eren grumbles, earning a pinch to the shoulder by Mikasa. "Ow!" He swats her hand away. "There's more important things to be doing than engaging in drama." She warns. Eren rolls his eyes and looks at Jean for a second. "I'm just surprised he has a friend, that's all." This catches Jean's attention. "Excuse me?!" He raises his voice as he spins towards the shorter boy.

Before everyone starts fighting, a threatening voice booms throughout the hallway, directly behind us. "Get your asses to training now. I've had enough of you children for today." Everyone freezes on the spot, already knowing whose voice it is. "(Last name), I told you to go clean and you haven't even started. Get to work now before you lose more precious time and I add more to your to-do list." The others had saluted and scurried outside before they got their asses personally handed over to them. I turn around to finally face my Captain on the stairway platform, arms crossed and eyes as cold as ice. "Yes, sir!" I salut, running off immediately after to begin my work.

I sense the Corporal leave which allows me to be in my thoughts. As soon as Eren had said that and got Jean angry, I felt Marco's presence. Of course he was the first person to cross Jean's mind after hearing that. Both of those boys have been through enough but they'd rather butt heads than understand each other. My thoughts continue on as I reach a supply closet and grab all the appropriate tools I need to start my cleaning journey. I decide to start at the main entrance while everyone is outside and out of my way so I head back towards the front. A heaviness seems to be following me, like a bear laying across my back. I have to stop by the stairs in order to place my supplies down and relieve the heaviness I am experiencing. Eventually, it fades away so I proceed to the front to begin working.

~~~

Two hours gone and about a fourth of the entire building is mopped and dusted. This is really going to take all day. Every so often someone will come down the hallway and I have to hiss at them while scooting them away with the mop just so I don't have to redo my work. Now I understand why my Captain is so particular about cleaning duties and gets frustrated when it's not done right. I swear I better not turn out like him. I manage to finish a corner and check out my surrounding to make sure that the coast is clear. No signs of my Captain so I make the ultimate decision to take a quick breather as my arms are killing me. Not to mention my back for being hunched over.

In the middle of my very short break, a force almost knocks me over, completely catching me off guard. My eyes are probably as big as a Titan's as I catch myself before I hit the floor, or a wall, startled. "What the hell was that?" I mutter, exhaling before standing up straight again. There's nothing over my shoulder but when I face the front again, a face in mine is the topping on a cake. This time, I let out a shriek. "What are you doing?!" I say behind my hands, heart pounding.

This is my least favorite thing about being a psychic medium.

"Did I scare 'ya?" The young redhead snickers, rocking back and forth from her heels to her toes. "Yes! You scared me!" I pant, removing my shaky hands. "That was the worst one yet." I shake my head down at the floor. Isabel giggles some more and skips around my being to gain my attention which she accomplishes. My eyes trail up her transparent boots until I meet her own eyes. "Sorry about that." She smiles innocently but I know her antics by heart. "No you're not." I can't help but laugh this time, reaching for the mop. Isabel nods with a mischievous grin. I already have this girl figured out.

"Hey, you better hide for a bit because the Corporal will be here any second to inspect and yell at me for making such a racket." I mention, still waiting for his arrival. "Can't I hang out some more? I wanna see him!" The bubbly girl follows me as I move the cleaning supplies to the next hallway. "I know how desperately you want to talk to him but it's too soon. I almost got caught earlier." I say lowly, dipping the mop into the soapy bucket. "Oh... sorry about that." Her tone matches mine and I can tell she feels bad about that. "No worries. I just need to be more careful next time." I give her a smile to show her that it's okay. "Maybe I can bring my other friend to meet you!" She exclaims after a silent moment. "Well, um... that may be-"

If only I wasn't preoccupied I would have noticed my Captain's growing presence. I was too caught up with talking to Isabel and chasing her with the mop to sense another person in the hallway. Who knows how long he was standing by and listening. If he didn't think I was crazy before, this is a reason to believe it now.

Isabel and I keep up our antics until her energy drains and has to go. I tell her goodbye and watch where her figure once was when she is gone. "I'll try one day, promise." I whisper to her, knowing she can still hear me. A shiver trails up my spine as her way of acknowledging my promise. My grandfather does it sometimes as well and it brings a smile every time. Even though others will think of me as some freak, which I totally get, I still feel blessed knowing that even if I lose someone, their soul is still here. I can't ever miss them because they will always be at my side.

If only I could say the same for my mother.

That evening

I swear it's been at least a week but really it's been more like six hours of cleaning. I've never felt more relieved in my life than now. I will definitely never look at a mop and bucket the same anymore, thanks to my Captain. Note to self, never piss him off again. After dumping out the dirty water, I go to return the supplies to the storage closet but my hands are so sore and red from gripping them all day. The broom was a mess and full of dust and cobwebs from being used on the ceiling but a beat down on the front steps fixed that problem with a few sneezes as well. Tossing them in there, I shut the door and lean against it with a sigh of relief. My limbs could be better but I can already see a good night's sleep in my future. Plus, I finished with ten minutes to spare before dinner. I take the opportunity to freshen up in the bathroom then I drop off my jacket in my bedroom since I've been sweating since noon. Now, I can really notice my growling stomach since I missed lunch.

Before I can have dinner, I have to find the Corporal and let him know that I'm finished with my chores otherwise he'll write me up and make me do it all over again. I make my way towards the main stairs and then to his office at the end of the hallway. It's pretty quiet up here like always but it feels unusually quiet now. I knock on his door three times and announce my presence. "Captain Levi, I finished cleaning." I wait a second to see if he responds but there's nothing. It's completely silent. Pursing my lips I wait one more moment before knocking again and repeating myself.

He's not in there.

Strange. He's almost always in there. The only time he leaves is for food, to clean, or push someone over for not training properly. Maybe he went outside to yell at my squad mates? Who knows what the reason for his absence is. Leaving his door, I head back to the stairs to meet the others for dinner since I'm more than starving by now. As I'm one step away from the landing, my eyes meet the window above, glossing over the colors of the early evening sky. The same golden yellows and baby blues, cirrus clouds slowly moving across the developing sunset. As my vision seems to darken at the corners, I miss a figure making their way up the staircase where I stand frozen.

Flashback

"How much longer until the sun is down?" He asked as we sat on top of a church's bell tower. I paused to watch the sun gradually make it's way behind the wall. It was hard telling when exactly it would kiss this Earth but the sun is fastest once it's in the final descent. "It should be totally dark in about thirty minutes but I don't think anyone will notice once the sun is completely down. They'll assume we're military. How about ten more minutes?" Quincy liked my suggestion and nodded as he tightened a few more belts on his thighs that felt loose. "Yeah, sounds good."

When the sun was gone and all the beautiful colors were stolen with it, the moon took over and was accompanied by her scatters of stars, sprinkling the once glowing sky. My district fell silent, the only sound was the wind and the creatures of the night. A few people roamed the streets as they made their way home or into a bar. I only had to give my brother a glance to ask if he was ready. His response was a smirk and he raised his fists, holding the hand grips. I grinned to myself and jumped over the edge of the tower, shooting my hooks into the closest building.

I heard Quincy follow after me, the sound of the wind whipped past my ears and blew through each strand of my hair. We zipped through tight allies, past sharp turns, then sprung ourselves high above the buildings. Quincy and I always played a game to see who could last the longest without deploying their hooks as we free-fall. Usually, he wins but sometimes he let me win because he had an ounce of sympathy. He caught up to me and turned his head to face me. I looked back at him and nodded. In unison, we both released the gas triggers to let ourselves fall. The weight of the ODM pulled us back down to the Earth below us but it felt so peaceful up here. This is what freedom felt like.

The Earth was coming fast as we plummeted towards the hard cobblestone surface beneath us. It would only be a matter of seconds until we were flattened upon the hard impact. I peeked at Quincy whose (hair color) hair was ruffled and blowing into his face as we fell back-first. He looked over at me and smiled like a douche, his eyes asking if I was about to give up. I wasn't going to let him win.

3...

My eyes narrowed on his hooded eyes, communicating back that I was in this as much as he was. He only smiled more, almost mocking me and attempted to make me second-guess myself. I still wouldn't let it happen.

2...

I shut my eyes, the last thing I saw was the star-speckled sky. The most beautiful one I had ever seen. This could have been my last second on this Earth. I could have let myself hit the ground. Would that make me the winner?

1...

The sound of Quincy's gears filled my ears as he took off, a trail of gas following him as he flew up and away from the surface. A devilish smile took over my face as I followed after him. My hooks hesitated but deployed into two houses parallel to me. My tailbone and ODM grazed the cool stone before I thrusted myself back into the air and followed after my brother.

I had won.

Quincy sped much farther ahead of me, I knew he was irritated I didn't back out before him. Oh well, I would claim my victory and annoy him for the next two weeks or at least until we played again. Having two brothers made any competition worth winning. The sky was darker than before and a few lights lit up the street we were above. Other than that, we were in complete darkness. The wind continued to whip by me as we soared throughout the city. I hadn't even noticed how far ahead Quincy had gotten and I was pretty far behind. He was probably embarrassed that he lost and didn't want to hear me boast just yet.

I looked at the sky again to embrace the wondrous stars and the full moon. I blinked and when my eyes opened back up, everything was black. The last things I could remember other than the stars was my brother's muffled voice before the darkness consumed me and my body went numb.

Flashback end

A harsh and sharp pain in my torso brought me back to reality. That and someone's bored voice snapping at me. I blink three times before my vision is restored and I notice that the sun is on the verge of setting. I take a few seconds to recollect my thoughts and let out a breath before turning to the side to see who was talking to me. Not to mention letting the pain subside as well. I was probably ignoring Jean, unintentionally. "Sorry, Jean, what'd you say?" I ask, my eyes finally follow my body and look straight ahead.

That is definitely not Jean.

My Captain stands in front of me, eyes glaring (up/down) into mine. His pupils as narrow as his squint, clearly unhappy with me. "O-Oh, Captain!" I exclaim, quickly saluting to try and save myself. "I didn't realize you were there." I add before he can open his mouth and start spewing curses. "Whatever, cadet. Drop the salut." He crosses his arms over his chest. My own arms slowly fall back to my side, palms feeling clammy.

How long was I standing there?

"I was just at your office looking for you, sir but you weren't there. I came to tell you that I finished all of my chores on time." The Corporal waves me off, telling me to shut up. To this, I press my lips together, waiting for what he is about to say next. "I saw. It's not as good as I would want it but it'll have to do." I nod slowly, only knowing nothing I do will never be enough for him but I have to live with it instead of dwelling on it. "You're lucky I'm not in the mood to assign more chores on your list for ignoring me while I was trying to get your attention, idiot."

There it is.

"Sorry Captain... I spaced out, it's been a long day." I apologize, hoping he will understand but for as long as I've known him, he'll call it bullshit. "No excuses, cadet. You're in the Scouts so of course you'll have long days and you're trained to put up with it but you didn't get the proper discipline at the training corps. I knew I should have rejected your dumb ass when I was offered to take you in." He mutters the end as he walks away. Ouch, that really stung but he has a point. I didn't go through the training corps like everyone else did.

But...

"Sir, didn't you skip training corps too?" Now I've done it. Why did I have to open my fucking mouth, I'm dead for sure this time. Goodbye (dog's name), you were a very good boy and I'm sorry this is how it'll end but we suspected it would be because of my stupidity. "What did you just say, cadet?" The Corporal stops on the third to last step behind me. My face is undoubtedly pale. I think I'm going to be sick. Of course, I can't stop my mouth from talking more. "I heard you didn't go through training either so we're pretty similar, right?" I turn to face him, my nerves suddenly leaving but only for a second. It does not take much to be scared of him. One look and- yep. There's the evil stare. "We are nothing alike. Go eat before I decide to shove a broom up your ass until it comes out of your big mouth."

God, he has low insults.

"Which end of the broom, sir?" My big mouth continues on. "Whichever one hurts the most." He replies as he continues to walk up the stairs and back to his office. I may be internally terrified of what just happened but I have to let at least one laugh out. When I turn around I see Sasha, Jean, and Conny waiting at the bottom of the staircase. They must have heard everything. "Oh, you guys ready for dinner? I know I'm starving!" I brush everything off like it never happened. They don't acknowledge my food talk as their jaws are on the floor and their eyes as wide as saucers. "How... are you alive, right now?" Conny manages to get out, still in disbelief. "...You heard that?" I rub my shoulder awkwardly, scuffing my heel on the floor. Sasha had the biggest eyes, one of them even twitching. "I..." Was all she could squeak. Jean was the first to break out of the shock, starting to grin. "Now that is the coolest friend to have."

"What the hell is going on in here?" The door slams against the wall as a man storms into the room. "W-We have no idea, she hasn't gotten up all day and when we came in here, she was speaking gibberish." Someone else explains, backing away from the source. "What do you mean?" The man from before asks, walking over to the middle of the room. "S-She might have a dangerously high fever... her skin was hot but now it's as cold as ice." A younger girl speaks nervously, fiddling with her hands.

The angry man glares at the woman, taking in this information. "You haven't even tried to get help?" He snaps, glazing across the others in the room. "W-Well... when we tried to, she screamed at us... in gibberish again. She won't let us get help!" The girl is petrified, not even comfortable standing next to the other woman. "Nonsense." He brushes off, not believing the others. The man takes another step forward but that sets off the resting woman. Suddenly, she sits up and everyone is thrown across the room. Screams are heard throughout after their bodies fall back to the wooden floor. "What the hell is going on?!" The first boy shouts in horror, not believing what had just happened. Terrified tears start to pour out of the girl's eyes as she makes a run for the open door. The woman's head snaps to the right and the door swings shut before she can get out. The girl screams again, clasping her hands over her mouth as she stumbles back.

The first boy rushes over to the other girl, pulling her back and away from the cursed woman who is laughing in a mockingly deep voice. Who is this? What happened? She was normal just the other night and now she's turned into a complete monster. The man who had stormed in only minutes ago turns to look at the woman on the bed, eyes wide and confused. "What the hell has gotten into you?"

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

『Word Count:』4,946

Hey guys sorry it's been forever and a long time coming of this book! I've been really busy and as much as I would like to regularly update this book I know that's impossible.

However, with the end of this semester only a few weeks away, I hope I can update a bit more often!

I hope whoever is reading this has a lovely day or night and take care of yourself!

Thanks for reading!

~AlpineBreadStick