Are you a truth, or merely a fleeting illusion?

### **A Place in Wall Maria**

Eren had been sent far away under Levi's supervision, deep within Wall Maria. It was already night, the quiet of the hour broken only by the occasional howl of the wind. Meanwhile, Erwin was stationed at the Trainees' Camp, busy recruiting fresh candidates for the Survey Corps. 

Levi and his team were stationed in an isolated building with Eren, their location kept secret and their presence deliberately low-profile. Eren was ordered to sleep in the underground dungeons, where his titan form would pose the least threat. Tonight was no different.

Levi's squad sat together in a dimly lit hall, sipping tea in rare respite. It was then that Oluo noticed something unusual. "Hey… is it just me, or is Captain wearing a ring?" he murmured, gesturing subtly toward Levi, who sat in silence, his expression unreadable. 

The plain silver band on Levi's left hand gleamed faintly in the lantern light. It wasn't gaudy or ostentatious, but it stood out because it was Levi. He wasn't the type to wear jewelry—or so they thought. 

"Since when does he wear rings?" Eld whispered, furrowing his brow. 

Petra leaned in, her voice hushed with curiosity. "It's the first time I've seen him wearing one. And… did you notice? He hasn't said anything about cleaning all day." 

The realization struck them all at once. Levi, the cleanliness-obsessed Captain, hadn't even glanced at the state of the place. It was uncharacteristic—unnerving, even.

As Eren was escorted to the dungeons and Levi retreated to his quarters, the squad regrouped in the kitchen under the pretense of late-night cleaning. They spoke in low murmurs, careful not to let their voices carry to Levi's ears.

"Oye, Eld," Petra began cautiously, "about that ring… do you think it means something?"

Eld sighed, glancing toward the direction of Levi's room. "I think… I think he might've gotten married."

"Married?!" Oluo exclaimed, earning a sharp glare from Petra.

"Shut up, Oluo! Do you want him to hear us?" she hissed.

"I can't imagine it," Gunther said, shaking his head. "Levi Heichou… married? It feels unreal."

"What's so strange about it?" Petra snapped. "He's human too, you know."

Eld hesitated before adding, "I mean, we all know about Layina, his adopted daughter…"

"Wait. What?" Gunther and Petra exchanged incredulous looks. 

"You didn't know? She's that little girl who sometimes came with Isabel to visit. He and his… well, family-like friends adopted her. Isabel, Farlan, and—" Eld paused. "Sana."

Petra's face froze. "You don't mean that Sana, do you? Sana, the head of the Technical Department?"

"That's the one," Eld replied, his tone careful. "She used to visit him a lot. And he went to her department frequently, too. But then… she's just gone forever."

Petra's expression softened, and Oluo, for once, refrained from making a joke. "Is that why he's been so different lately?" Gunther murmured. 

"I think so. You saw earlier—he had that key, which belonged to Sana San. He gave it to Hange san."

A heavy silence fell over the group. Finally, Eld broke it with a somber note. "I also heard rumors… when she died, she was pregnant."

The weight of the words sank deep, their curiosity now overshadowed by sorrow. They didn't speak further, finishing their tasks in silence before retreating to bed. 

---

### **Upstairs**

Levi sat alone in his dimly lit room, his hands clasped tightly around the mug of tea he hadn't touched. His eyes were distant, fixed on a point beyond the walls, beyond the here and now. 

The world felt heavy, the air thick with memories that refused to leave. The faint hum of the fan and the soft flicker of the lantern above were the only sounds grounding him in reality. Yet even these seemed distant.

And then, it happened.

A flicker of movement in his peripheral vision. He froze, his breath hitching. Slowly, he turned.

"Sana…" 

She stood there, as real as the day she'd left him, her presence so vivid it made his heart ache. Her hair framed her face in soft waves, and her eyes held the warmth that had once been his anchor. She smiled, that gentle, knowing smile that could calm the storms within him.

"Sana," he whispered again, his voice breaking under the weight of her name. He stood, moving toward her on unsteady legs. "How—how are you here?"

She stepped closer, her gaze steady. "Levi… it's me. I'm here."

"No." His voice wavered, his hands trembling as he reached for her. But when his fingers brushed against her, they met nothing but air. His chest constricted. "You're not real."

Her expression softened with sadness. "Levi, you have to let me go. You've been holding onto me for too long. You can't keep living like this."

His head shook violently. "I'm not ready. I—I can't—" His words caught in his throat, and his vision blurred with tears he couldn't hold back. "Don't leave me again."

She stepped forward, placing a hand over his heart. He couldn't feel it, but the gesture still made him falter. "I'm not really leaving. I'll always be here, with you. But you have to move forward. You're stronger than this, Levi. I know you are."

He closed his eyes, the pain too much to bear. When he opened them again, she was fading, her form becoming translucent, her features blurring into the dim light of the room.

"Sana!" he called out, reaching for her one last time. But she was gone.

The silence that followed was deafening. He stood there, staring at the empty space where she'd been, his body trembling. Slowly, he sank back into his chair, his head in his hands. The cold metal of the ring on his finger pressed against his forehead, a reminder of everything he'd lost—and the part of her he still carried.

---

For a moment, he isn't sure if he's still dreaming—or if he's just finally lost his grip on reality.