Levi arrived at the base just before sunset. The tan stone castle may have been pretty in the brilliant orange light, but Levi didn't care about that. Hael was paler than ever and both of them were soaked with blood. He ran into the castle, litterally running over an unfortunate cadet who was in his way. Upon reaching the infirmary, Levi breathlessly explained what happened to the same nurse that wrapped Hael's arm nearly a year ago.

The doctors got to work on her immediatly. Levi kept trying to get closer to her, and promptly being repelled by a doctor. Normally, this would have infuriated him, but today, he didn't have the strength to argue. Instead, he collapsed into a chair and put his head in his hand.

A few minutes later, Levi felt a hand on his shoulder. It hurt. Why did it hurt? He wondered; then he remembered landing on it. He didn't care; then the hand squeezed and Levi winced, looking up. He was shocked to see Erwin standing over him, he shouldn't be here yet! Had he fallen asleep? Levi cursed himself and stood up, "How long?"

"About an hour... Levi, the doctors are saying she may not make it."

Levi pushed a nurse out of the way to see Hael. If it was possible to be any paler than she was before, Hael had accomplished it. How could he have fallen asleep while Hael was dying?

Hael gasped, eyes flicking open. Levi knelt beside her. Her eyes were glazed and distant, each breath was ragged and he took her hand. Her skin was cool to the touch. Hael fingers fumbled with her promise ring and dropped it into Levi's palm, "I- l-love you." Each word was followed by a rattling breath, "It's n-not your fau-l-l-t." The word ended in a gasp, Hael's eyes flashed with pain and she fell limp, hand slipping from Levi's grasp.

To Levi, it appeared that she was wilting like a flower; from her beautiful face, down her body. Her skin was so pale, she took a shuddering breath; as her chest rose and then dropped... And stopped moving.

It felt like the energy flew from her, leaving her looking old. There was a sweet smelling, warm breeze; maybe he imagined it, maybe not. It smelled like her, felt like her. And then it was gone.

"No, Hael... Hael... I love you. Don't leave me. Please." Levi cried. No one in the room had ever seen any sort of outburst from Levi except Erwin, who was present at the deaths of Isabel and Furlan, "I can't live without you." The sentence was so quiet and filled with heartbreak.

Erwin took Levi's shoulders, pulling him backward. "Levi, come on." he said quietly.

"No! Get your hands off me!" Levi was pulling back against Erwin trying to get back to his wife.

"Levi, she's gone."

"No... No. Hael. I love you, I'll always love you." Levi was crying, fighting back. He elbowed Erwin in the stomach and raced toward Hael.

"You idiot. Come back..." He clutched her ring in his hand and held it to his chest. "You promised-- you said we could be together after all of this!" Levi ripped his ring from his finger and threw both against the wall. They clanged softly as they hit the stone.

Sweeping his cloak around his shoulders, Levi strode out of the room, melting in the shadows. He followed the now familiar path to the willow tree and collapsed with his back to the tree. Finally alone, he dropped his head into his hands and sobbed. It was a beautiful night. Levi hated that. He hated that it was a beautiful night when his love was dead. He hated the tree and the stars and the stream. He hated the wind and the grass. He hated himself. He had failed to save that which he cared about yet again.

Around midnight, he arrived back in his room. When he got there, Levi fell onto the bed. The too empty bed. The cold bed. Still in his clothes, Levi spiraled into a restless sleep. He dreamed of the willow tree; Hael in his arms laughing. Then she grew still and when he looked at her, she was dead, soaked with blood.

Levi cried out and woke up in his bed, in the dark, all alone.

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Alright. I re-wrote a lot of this chapter and I think I'll do the same thing with the next one or two. I know thats not very "professional" and stuff but I decided I didn't like how I wrote it. Enjoy please and I apologize for filling up your notifications with re-written chapters!