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Kill or be killed.
Everywhere is the same; Inside the walls or outside in the titan-infested land. The weak will get ousted and only the strong will survive, and if you are lucky enough, thrive.
Even more so when you are living in the underground city; a cage within a cage. Blink and you may be dead. Live like every breath may be your last. Speak with a veil to disguise your motives. Listen with no filters to detect lies and betrayals.
Levi understood this from his earliest memories. No matter where he went, no matter what he did, trust was almost nonexistent. Blood and violence followed him everywhere like a shadow. Even if he wiped his blades clean and washed his calloused hands with the cleanest water he could find, he would always see crimson. But this meant one thing; he survived yet another day in this disgusting world. And if every kill meant he could see another "sunrise," he would gladly repeat this cycle.
As time passed, he didn't kill to just survive. If he could protect Isabel from those bullies, Levi would be more than happy to make them his personal canvas. And to think he thought he had no artistic blood flowing through his veins. Art he unconsciously aimed to beautify with every canvas collection rotting out there.
But there was something he could never beautify because she was already perfect. Instead of making her even more breath-taking, he knew he would taint her. Because really, she is perfect.
He tried to kill her in his dreams everyday, seeing exposed skin that looks so inviting to just run a blade across it and see if her blood will make her look like a godess. Instead of killing her, Petra started to kill Levi; slowly, but surely.
She killed him by showing him love; love he never experienced. Love never gave him food. Love never gave him warmth. And love definitely didn't give him the tools to survive.
Starting from a cup of coffee given with a smile to occasional glances at the dining table; from an exhausting day of training to late nights helping out with his never ending pile of paperwork; from accidental brushes of fingers to the warm hands curling around his neck pulling him in. The worst stab inflicted upon him; a cheery, bright Captain! in the moning to a soft Levi whispered into his ears like a prayer in the hidden darkness.
But no matter what happens, the same rule applies. Because she looks just like his victims with blood smeared all over her face and uniform, hollow eyes with no life in them; but this time, for once, his heart got killed in the process.