Chapter Text
I’m sure everyone, at some point in their lives, has wondered about the moment of their last breath. How would it happen. With whom. Alone, or in the arms of a loved one. Levi knew every death. Throughout his life, he had witnessed countless demises. Some occurred with loved ones waiting by the bedside, accompanied by the fragrant flowers they brought; others were like an old photograph left in a forgotten corner, with no soul noticing as the eyes quietly closed.
Some deaths came suddenly. Workaholics struck by the wrath of a speeding motorcyclist while crossing the street, food enthusiasts succumbing to a sudden heart attack in front of the TV, victims of stray bullets in armed conflicts, alcoholics drinking until their livers gave out, women tragically assaulted…
And what was Levi’s job, you ask?
Levi was neither doctor, mortician, nor killer—he was a death angel, guiding souls from their mortal bodies to other angels. The wicked went to hell, the righteous to heaven. Before separating souls, he shapeshifted, appearing as each person’s greatest fear or joy, though he couldn’t control his form. Each day, he first visited Petra, the angel welcoming souls to heaven, whose warm smile and pure presence made her the embodiment of innocence. Recently, fewer souls qualified for heaven.
"Good morning, Levi. How are you?"
"Fine… And you?" Levi said, glancing briefly at the list the woman handed him. Just as he expected—twenty-three pages. Still, he asked out of habit, "Is that all?"
"Yes, it doesn’t look like you’ll have much work today," Petra replied with a playful tone. He knew very well that the real list would come from Hell.
Levi sighed. "I wish."
"Maybe luck will be on your side today," she encouraged him. "Good people are still alive because they deserve to be."
Levi wasn’t as optimistic. After all, he wasn’t the one observing those pitiful lives—Petra wasn’t. People weren’t getting better; if anything, they worsened day by day. No one respected each other, they stole, lied, and dug each other’s graves. Just yesterday, Levi had separated the soul of a man who had been killed by his own child for inheritance. Even in his final moments, what the man saw was a massive, black snake. "Maybe… see you later."
After leaving Petra, Levi went to Hell. The one overseeing the gates of Hell was Erwin. At first glance, with his bright yellow hair, blood-red robe, and muscular frame, he seemed like a man who had come straight from Heaven. But spending time with him, you’d think working in Hell was a more fitting choice. Levi entered the office. Erwin’s desk was piled high with papers waiting to be signed, leaving only his horns visible. Levi frowned. "Please tell me what’s in front of you a year’s worth of work is."
"A week," Erwin said, emerging from behind the mountain of papers, handing him a stack. "These are yours too."
"There are ninety-seven pages here," Levi groaned.
"Actually, there are one hundred fifty-four, but I didn’t have time to sign them, so the processing times stretched," Erwin said wearily. "How many did Petra give you?"
"Twenty-three."
"I’m sure her fingers are sore from signing," Erwin teased.
"Then why don’t you change departments?" Levi asked. Erwin had been working in Hell for as long as Levi had known him. "You have the right to."
"If I knew who would take my place, I would," Erwin replied, settling back into his chair. He pushed the paper mountain aside. "If I handed this place to that useless one at the door, without reading their biographies, the human race would be wiped out."
Levi knew exactly who he meant, his assistant Floch. According to Floch, everyone on Earth deserved Hell. If he could, he would seal Heaven’s gates. Not only Erwin, but Levi himself didn’t like Floch. Once, due to misinformation Floch relayed, Levi had almost sent a woman, registered for Heaven, to Hell. Fortunately, Levi could take a shapeshift. When the woman saw him as a white horse, she realized something was wrong.
"Send him to the demons," Levi said, crossing his arms. "After all, you have the authority to command him."
"I thought about that too, but he gets along with the demons," Erwin said. "The other day, he was teaching them new torture techniques. For now, it’s better to keep him in sight. At least I know what he’s up to."
Levi didn’t suggest firing Floch because exiled angels fled to Earth. They would wreak havoc and leave Levi with even more work. Once angels mingled with humans, it was easy for them to disappear. Over time, they became mortal, aging and dying like humans. The only difference between angels and humans was that when angels died, their souls ceased to exist. Mortals who chose to become angelic would vanish upon death.
After bidding Erwin goodbye, Levi descended to Earth. He wouldn’t admit it, but he found the mortal world more interesting than the immortal one. Everyone had peculiar habits and quirks. Unlike here, roles were not preordained. People did what they wanted. Their emotions were like the seasons of autumn, changing quickly. They loved, hated, and wept. Curiously, all these emotions could occur within the same hour. They were truly unstable creatures.
He looked at the first name on the list. He froze in shock. He knew this name. Oh yes, he knew it very well.
Eren Jeager.
Age: 71
Cause of Death: Heart failure.
So, the day had come… Time passed so quickly. Levi flew toward the house by the shore, a place he knew well. Crooked fences surrounded the yard, and a leafless apple tree stood in the garden. The gentle sound of waves lapping against the shore gave the house a peaceful appearance—but memories brought no peace to Levi. His last recollection of this place was far from comforting.
He landed beneath the apple tree. Normally, he didn’t ask permission to enter the homes of those whose souls he would take—they couldn’t see him anyway. But this time, he knocked on the door.
A few minutes later, the door opened. A white-haired elderly woman stood before him, barely steady on her cane. A small smile spread across her wrinkled face.
"I was waiting for you too."
The woman stepped aside to let him in, but Levi was too stunned to move for a few seconds. He thought he’d come to the wrong house. The girl he’d left behind fifty years ago had been so young. Without a word, he slowly entered. Mikasa closed the door behind him.
“What’s wrong? You look like you don’t recognize me,” she said teasingly.
“You’re so…”
“Like a mummy?”
That wasn’t quite the word Levi had meant to use, but it would do. He cleared his throat, his voice taking on a more serious tone. “Where is he?”
“In his room, asleep,” Mikasa replied. “The children just left. He got tired.”
Mikasa walked down the hallway, Levi following close behind.
Mikasa was no ordinary human. Fifty years ago, she had been just like him—an angel of death. But the day she fell in love with a mortal named Eren Jeager, her life turned upside down. At first, her love had been one-sided; Eren couldn’t even see her. She had watched him from afar, hopelessly longing, until one day she erased herself from the immortal world. To live by his side, she had chosen to be exiled, casting away her wings for a fragile, fleeting life.
Levi hadn’t spoken to her since. What she did was reckless, forbidden, and foolish. Angels could not fall in love, especially with humans. He had been furious and deeply hurt. How could she risk the annihilation of her soul for the sake of a mere human? Even after all these years, he still couldn’t understand why.
When they entered the room, just as Mikasa had said, an old man lay sleeping in the bed. His hair was white, thin in places, his face marked by deep lines. Mikasa sat down beside him and gently took his hand.
“My love… wake up. We have a visitor.”
The old man stirred at her voice, slowly opening his green eyes. “The children again?... What did they forget this time?”
Mikasa shook her head. “No… I told you once before about someone who came from the same place as me. Do you remember?”
It took Eren a moment to realize who she meant. The calm on his face gave way to a hint of curiosity—and something like anticipation. “So… my time has come. Where is he standing now?”
Levi stepped to the far side of the room, standing by the other side of the bed but not sitting down.
“By the window,” said Mikasa softly.
Eren turned his head to the right, toward where Levi stood—but his eyes were off, fixed instead on the floral painting behind him.
“Mikasa’s told me so much about you… I’m glad we could finally meet,” Eren said.
Levi didn’t answer. He knew nothing about this man—nor did he want to. When Mikasa left, she had taken his only companion with her. Among all the angels, she had been the one he understood best. And this man, Eren, was the reason he had been left alone. Still, Levi did not hate him. The man for whom Mikasa had given up eternity could not have been evil.
Even though Levi said nothing, Mikasa smiled faintly. “He says the same.”
“Do I have to go right now?” Eren asked, his face falling. “Can’t I stay a little longer?”
“Don’t worry,” Mikasa whispered gently, stroking his chin. “Time passes faster there. I’ll be with you before you know it.”
She was lying, of course. Mikasa would never see Eren again. But from the peaceful look on his face, it was clear he didn’t know.
“All right then… I’m ready. Will I be able to see him?”
“You won’t see his true form,” Mikasa explained. “If you’re good, he’ll appear beautiful. If you’re bad, he’ll appear terrifying.”
Eren took the hand that rested on his chin and kissed it softly. “Come soon… promise?”
Mikasa smiled, though there was sorrow in it. She was clearly holding back tears. “I will. If we end up in the same place.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too, my darling.”
When Levi sensed the farewell had reached its end, he changed form. The light he emitted drew Eren’s eyes away from Mikasa. For the first time, he could truly see him. His lips parted slightly in awe, his gaze enchanted.
“What do you see?” Mikasa asked quietly, her throat tightening.
“B-birds… so many seagulls… I can hear them,” Eren murmured, a faint smile curving his lips. “Is… is that a good sign?”
Mikasa nodded, tears welling in her eyes. “Yes. It’s very good.”
Those were Eren’s last words. He never spoke again. Mikasa reached out and gently closed his green eyes. Before standing, she leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead.
“Goodbye… Eren.”
“Was it worth it?” Levi asked before he could stop himself. Was all the pain, all the loss, all the weight she carried worth it?
Mikasa stood, a faint, sorrowful smile on her lips. “Every single second of it.”
Levi didn’t believe her. “You’re sad.”
She shook her head. “Not at all. I wouldn’t trade a single moment with Eren for an eternity of angelic life. I only feared he’d be sent to Hell. But now that I know where he’s gone, I can finally rest.”
“You’ll cease to exist.”
Mikasa shrugged, reaching for her cane. “I’ve lived everything I wanted to live. I need nothing more. I only hope someday you’ll feel the same, Levi.”
After leaving Mikasa’s home, Levi couldn’t shake the heaviness from his chest all day. He pitied her—and still couldn’t make sense of her choice. Why would anyone give up eternity? Levi would never throw himself into the fire for a human. Whatever mortals called “love,” it must have been something dreadful. So, he buried himself in his work and kept moving forward.
It had been an exhausting day. Eren’s death had been the calmest, most peaceful one on the list. Levi had witnessed a man jumping from the seventh floor, a child choking on a walnut, a woman killed in a car crash, and countless other deaths. Yet, strangely, none of them had weighed on him as heavily as Eren’s. The reason was still Mikasa lingering in his mind. He promised himself that he would visit her more often until she faded from existence. At least he could do that.
The last name on the list was a woman. Levi exhaled wearily as he read the cause of death. Today, he would witness a few more brains blown to pieces. How delightful…
Hange Zoe.
Age: 26
Cause of death: jumping onto train tracks
Levi had long noticed that younger people were more prone to suicide. Without a special reason—usually involving a gun to the mouth, he rarely saw middle-aged people take their own lives.
This woman waiting by the train tracks was one of those suicidal types. Her face was tense. Stray hair escaped from her hairpin, her torn pants and wrinkled t-shirt making her look unhinged. It was clear she hesitated to step onto the tracks. Her fists were clenched, muttering to herself.
“You can do it… you can do it, Hange. It will be as easy as falling asleep… You can do it…”
Levi waited ten minutes for this unstable woman to decide whether she would live or die. The first train had passed, and she had ducked aside in fear. Now she was waiting for the next one. Levi was tired and bored. It should have arrived by now; he couldn’t wait all day.
Finally, the sound of the approaching train rumbled. The rails vibrated. Hange took a final step onto the track. She trembled violently, like the tracks themselves frightened her. If she was so afraid, why was she attempting suicide? With fifty meters to go, she leaped off the track, then back on, hopping like a kangaroo.
When she stepped off the rails again at ten meters, Levi shouted in frustration.
“Make a decision already!”
His voice was swallowed by the roar of the train. It thundered past, leaving a grinding echo in the tunnel. Levi found Hange lying on the other side of the tracks. He was startled. After such a violent impact, he had expected nothing of her to remain. Her body was intact, but she was unconscious. Perhaps she had struck her head while fleeing and died.
Levi crossed the tracks and approached her. As he was about to change form, something strange happened.
Hange suddenly opened her eyes. She pressed her hand to her temple, red liquid staining her palm. Her face twisted in pain.
“Ah… damn it.”
Levi did not understand. She should have been dead. Why was she still breathing? He glanced at the list, and his shock deepened—Hange’s name had vanished.
“Who… are you?”
At first, Levi ignored her, preoccupied with checking for errors on the list. Humans were not supposed to see him.
“Hey… I’m talking to you, short stuff.”
Levi lifted his gaze. When he met Hange’s eyes, a chill ran down his spine. She was genuinely looking at him. Had she not died? Perhaps she had changed form; deaths that lasted unusually long sometimes happened. Those who saw him transform often react with fear or joy—but no one had ever scowled at Levi.
“What?”
“Were you the one yelling earlier?” the woman snapped irritably. “You ruined my concentration.”
Levi blinked. How could she have heard him? “Can you see me?”
“I think I can, freak,” Hange said angrily, narrowing her eyes at his dark attire. “Did you crawl out of a medieval play? What’s with that rag on you?”
Not only could she see him, but she could also see him as he truly was. Panic surged through Levi. He hated surprises. Something was wrong.
“Are you… dead?”
Hange stopped frowning and began to laugh. “Are you joking? If I were dead, how would I be talking?” Then her expression fell. “I’ll never have the courage to do that again…”
Levi didn’t save lives; he helped souls depart. This was not good. Not good at all. Hange’s disappearance from the list meant he had unintentionally interfered with fate.
“You didn’t exactly gather courage,” he muttered.
Hange gripped the ground and staggered to her feet. “Anyway… I’ll try again tomorrow,” she said.
Levi found himself asking, “Why do you want to die?” Since she could see him, he took the opportunity. He had observed humans for centuries but had never spoken to one.
“Why would I want to live?” Hange countered with a question. “I’m broke, jobless, no lover, no family… Basically, I’m just wasting oxygen in this world. My existence means nothing.” She pressed her palm to her temple. The red liquid continued to flow down to her chin. According to everything Levi had learned over the years, that fluid was blood, and if it continued, she would die within minutes.
“You’ll die from blood loss.”
Hange laughed. “If I’m lucky… Hey, are you homeless too?”
Levi stared blankly. “Homeless?”
“Sorry… I thought you were homeless from the way you dress,” she said, embarrassed. Levi couldn’t help glancing at his long black robe. Angels wore clothes differently than humans, changing colors, shapes, and sizes every day.
“It’s better than what you’re wearing,” Levi grumbled. Especially when criticized by a scruffy human, it stoked his anger. “You look like you fell into a pit of filth.”
Hange laughed harder. What was so funny? Humans didn’t like insults. Of course, Hange was human…
Suddenly, he realized: of course she wasn’t human. How else could she see him?
“What’s your name?” Hange asked, dropping the topic. “You’re not from around here, are you?”
“Levi.”
“Interesting. I’ve never met anyone named Levi before,” Hange said, extending her hand. “I’m Hange.”
Levi looked at her hand. He couldn’t touch it. Humans couldn’t see or touch angels. If he tried, she would go mad.
And even if he could, he wouldn’t touch that bloody hand. Hange seemed to realize this and withdrew her hand. “Ah… sorry. Forgot.”
“What are you?” Levi squinted. “Did Floch send you?”
“Floch? Who’s that?”
“Don’t play games,” Levi frowned. “It’s not like a hellish demon is entering the human world for the first time. I just don’t understand how you changed form. Those demons can’t take human shape.”
“Y-yeah…” Hange stepped back a few paces. “Whatever you say… Look, friend, I don’t know what you used, but I can’t deal with you.”
Hange turned to walk away, but Levi blocked her. When she stumbled back in surprise, she fell onto her backside with a small scream.
“How did you get in front of me?” she shrieked.
“Stop playing games. You’re coming with me,” Levi snapped. He reached for her arm but his hand passed through—he couldn’t touch her. He felt as if he’d been slapped.
“You… you’re human,” he muttered.
“You’re the crazy one!”
Hange rose angrily, both scared and furious. “Stay away. If you try to touch me again… I swear…” Her eyes wavered as she collapsed like a sack of potatoes.
Levi called out, but she didn’t respond. She must have fainted from the impact. A concussion, perhaps. Levi didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know where she lived; angels were only told where someone would die.
That was it. By tomorrow, she will die anyway. He had no authority to interfere.
But… he couldn’t leave. If Hange died now, the fault would be his. He wasn’t a murderer. Had he not intervened, her body would have been shredded on the tracks. Now, lying by the roadside, it was partly Levi’s fault.
He decided to wait by her side until she woke up. If she was going to die, she would die. If she woke, she would run off.
He tried to figure out what had happened. She had screamed while on the verge of death, straddling the thin line between worlds. That must have been how she heard him. Levi had never spoken to a dying person before.
But how had Hange managed to see him?
Until nightfall, nothing happened. Apart from a few barking dogs, the area was deserted. Humans couldn’t see angels, but animals could. Dogs would bark whenever Levi came to separate a soul. Cats just stared. Some hissed.
When night fully fell, Levi saw two men staggering along the tracks in the distance. Singing and tossing glass bottles into the air.
He had walked among humans for centuries and still could not understand them. They loved pleasure, risked their lives for thrills, hated work, sought shortcuts. They were clever but lazy: inventing cars to avoid walking, calculators to avoid mental effort, phones to communicate quickly. Impatient. None of them had any patience at all.
Levi noticed the men staggering toward Hange and rose to his feet. Finally, he thought. At least someone had seen her. If he had stayed a moment longer, she would have rooted into the ground. Time moved slower in this world.
“There’s something there,” said the older one, shielding his eyes to get a better look. The other, more agile, reached Hange first, staggering along the tracks. “Someone’s lying there… a woman.”
“Is she hurt?” the older man frowned. “Looks like blood on her forehead.”
The younger man dropped his bottle and bent over Hange, checking her pulse. “She’s still alive,” he said.
Levi was about to take off and leave when the older man’s words made him pause.
“Ah… forget it. It’s none of our business.”
Levi couldn’t help but frowning. How could anyone leave a dying person alone? Humans were so selfish. Fortunately, the younger one seemed more sensible.
“Are you insane? She’s breathing. We can’t just leave her here.”
The older man snapped, “What will you say if the police ask what happened? They’ll think we hurt her.”
The younger man grinned. “Who said I’m taking her to the police?”
“Don’t be an idiot. She’s injured.”
“She’s already been thrown here. How many times it’s been patched up, does it matter?”
The conversation made Levi uneasy. These men had no intention of helping Hange; their motives were something else entirely. He hadn’t been wrong humans were bad. Very bad. They would never change.
When Levi saw them trying to remove Hange’s clothes, he grew furious. He shouldn’t interfere with fate, but he couldn’t let them harm her. The woman slept like a hibernating bear, unaware.
Knowing it was forbidden to touch a living soul before its time, Levi still used his power. The younger man fell back clutching his chest. The older one, startled, withdrew his hand from Hange.
“Steve? What’s wrong?”
“Th-there’s s-something… there!”
“What is it?”
“Don’t you see the giant dog?! It’s behind you! F-fangs!”
The older man looked back but saw nothing. “Have you had too much to drink—”
He had seen it as a dog. When Levi stepped toward him, the man nearly soiled himself in fear and bolted without looking back.
“Hey! Don’t run! Where are you going?”
The other tried to follow, staggering and stumbling over stones, eventually collapsing where he stood.
Levi rolled his eyes. Fools. Was he supposed to destroy his soul for these idiots? He’d rather take orders from Floch forever than be human.
“Why did you stop them?”
Levi heard Hange’s voice and turned. She was still on the ground, her elbow pressed to her face, muffling her speech.
He frowned. She knew what was happening, why hadn’t she spoken sooner? “How can you let those scum touch you?”
Hange lowered her arm, revealing reddened eyes glistening with tears. Levi was even more surprised. “If they noticed I woke up, they would have killed me…”
A long silence followed. This was the worst possible way to die. Levi wondered what could upset her enough to risk her life.
Hange chose to stand rather than answer. Her clothes were dirt-stained; she dusted herself off. “I can’t believe you stayed… did you really wait for me to wake up?”
“Shouldn’t I?” Levi replied.
Hange blinked in surprise. “You could have taken me to a hospital… or somewhere else. Anyone else in your place would have left long ago.”
“Maybe because I’m not human.”
Hange laughed, thinking it was a joke. “You’re weird but… a good man, Levi. The last of your kind…”
The last of his kind… Without realizing it, she hit on something beautiful. “I could kill you.”
Hange’s face instantly fell. Her jaw tense. “You pervert.”
“What?”
“Trying to take advantage after a compliment?” Hange hissed. “All of you are the same!”
Levi understood why she was angry. “No, that’s not what I meant—”
Hange ignored him. She picked up a stone and hurled it. It passed through Levi harmlessly and hit the ground on the other side. Her jaw dropped. Thinking the first had missed, she threw another—this one passed right through his face. She was terrified.
“H-how are you doing that?”
“If you stop acting like an idiot, I’ll tell you,” Levi said sharply. “Even if I wanted, I can’t touch you.”
Hange hesitated and stepped closer. She tried to touch his face, but felt nothing. Levi only sensed a faint tingling, like shooing a fly. He moved his hand back, frowning. “Enough. You’re annoying.”
“Am I dreaming? This can’t be real… Are you a ghost?” Hange was shaken.
Levi scowled. “Why do you have to call everything you can’t see a ghost?”
“Then… what are you?” Hange stepped back a few paces.
“The one who helps you die,” Levi said. “I’m a death angel. I separate human souls from their bodies.”
Hange laughed. “I’m a god too!” But seeing Levi’s serious expression, she stopped. “You’re serious… oh my god.”
Levi didn’t pause. “You were supposed to die on the tracks today, but you didn’t. If you want to die so badly, I can separate your soul from your body.”
“Wait… angels are real? All those spiritual beings… W-were you the one who made that man sick just now?” Hange asked in shock.
Levi nodded. “His soul left his body for a few seconds. I could have killed him, but I’m forbidden from touching humans whose time hasn’t come. I’ve already broken enough rules because of you,” he added, aggressively.
“So, you can’t kill me either. My time is up,” Hange said, sorrowfully.
“Your name entered the list once; being erased doesn’t change that. You were supposed to die today anyway,” Levi said simply. “Do you accept?”
Hange hesitated but finally nodded. “Okay… fine. What do I do? Should I sit? Will it hurt—”
“Just,” Levi sighed impatiently, “just be quiet.”
Hange immediately fell silent, raising a thumb in agreement. Levi rolled his eyes.
He changed form and used his power to separate Hange’s soul from her body. Every passing second, her curious gaze became more unsettled. She hadn’t even been this afraid when he revealed he was a death angel.
“L-Levi… you look different,” she stammered. “Is this normal?”
“What do you see?”
“My father… b-but…” Hange covered her face, screaming, “ENOUGH! Stop it! Don’t!”
Levi stopped, seeing her return to normal. He placed his hand over his heart; eyes filled with concern. Her breathing slowed, and she scolded him. “What was that? Why did you do that?”
“I didn’t,” Levi frowned. “I change form when someone dies. If you’re good, I appear good. If you’re bad, I appear bad. It shows whether you go to heaven or hell.”
“Hell? I’m going to hell?” Hange kicked a nearby stone in fury. “Wonderful! Now I have no place in either world… I can’t even die properly! Why didn’t you tell me I’d go to hell?”
“How you go and where is not my concern.” Levi knew from the list, but she didn’t need to.
“You don’t know anything! What kind of death angel are you?”
Levi’s patience thinned. “Where else would a selfish person like you go?”
Hange slumped, sighing wearily. “I’m sorry… you’re right. You’re just trying to help.”
“Go home now,” Levi said. He had to leave; no angel could spend this long in the mortal world. He turned, ready to take flight, but Hange stopped him.
“Will I see you again?” she asked, curiously.
“If you die.”