Levi stepped beyond the palace gates.
A cool breeze brushed past him.
He took a deep breath.
"...Freedom."
A smile slowly spread across his face.
"I'm finally out of that place."
He looked around at the familiar streets.
'...Wait.'
'I know this place.'
Pieces of Levi's childhood memories slowly surfaced.
'I used to run around here...'
'When I was little.'
His feet began moving on their own.
Before long...
He stood before a small, run-down house.
The wooden walls were weathered.
The roof had partially collapsed.
Levi stared quietly.
"...Hello?"
No answer.
He knocked.
"...Is anyone home?"
Silence.
The house had long been abandoned.
Levi lowered his hand.
'...Don't tell me.'
'I don't even exist in this timeline.'
He lingered for another moment before quietly turning away.
"...Guess there's no point staying."
-
The city bustled with life.
Merchants shouted from their stalls.
Children laughed as they chased one another through the streets.
Levi wandered aimlessly.
Then...
A thought crossed his mind.
'Wait...'
'Where exactly is the Darkin Forest?'
He spotted a gate guard.
"Excuse me."
The guard looked over.
"Yes?"
"Could you tell me where the Darkin Forest is?"
The guard pointed down the road.
"Take the main road."
"At the end, turn right."
"You'll eventually reach it."
Levi smiled.
"Thank you."
The guard nodded.
"...No problem."
A moment passed.
His eyes slowly widened.
"...Wait."
"...Your Highness?"
Levi froze.
"...Uh..."
Before the guard could say another word...
Levi bolted.
"HEY!"
"YOUR HIGHNESS!"
Levi was already halfway down the road.
The guard stared after him in horror.
"..."
"...I'm so fired."
-
Thirty minutes later...
Levi stood before the Darkin Forest.
Ancient trees towered overhead.
Their thick branches blocked out much of the sunlight.
The deeper parts of the forest were swallowed by darkness.
Levi swallowed.
'...Can I actually do this?'
He looked back toward the road.
Then toward the forest.
"...Ah."
"Whatever."
He stepped inside.
-
It didn't take long before trouble found him.
Several goblins emerged from behind the bushes.
Their crude weapons glinted beneath the trees.
They looked at Levi.
Levi looked back.
"...Gentlemen."
"We can discuss this peacefully."
The goblins roared.
Apparently...
They disagreed.
One lunged forward with a rusty dagger.
"RAAA!"
Levi instinctively stepped aside.
The goblin stumbled past him.
Levi blinked.
"..."
"Oh."
"...Right."
"I trained for this."
A second goblin attacked.
Levi ducked beneath the swing.
His hand shot forward.
He twisted the goblin's wrist.
The dagger slipped free.
Without thinking...
Levi drove it straight into the goblin's chest.
The creature collapsed.
Levi stared at the weapon now in his hand.
"...Well."
"I've got a sword now."
The remaining goblins hesitated.
Levi smiled awkwardly.
"...Round two?"
Moments later...
The forest fell silent.
Goblin bodies lay scattered across the ground.
Only one remained.
It turned and fled deeper into the forest.
Levi watched it disappear.
"...Go on."
"I'm not chasing you."
He wiped the blood from the dagger onto the grass before continuing deeper into the forest.
-
Hours passed.
The trees only grew thicker.
Levi wiped sweat from his forehead.
"...I'm exhausted."
He dropped onto a nearby rock.
His throat felt dry.
A nearby river caught his attention.
He knelt and drank from the cool water.
"...That's better."
He stood.
Then paused.
"...Wait."
He slowly looked upstream.
A loud roar echoed through the forest.
Water.
Rushing.
Levi's eyes widened.
"...A waterfall?"
He hurried toward the sound.
Moments later...
A massive waterfall stood before him.
Mist drifted through the air.
Levi couldn't help smiling.
"...Found it."
He walked behind the falling water.
Hidden from the outside world...
Ancient stone ruins rested in silence.
At the centre...
Embedded within a stone altar...
Was a sword.
Its crimson blade shimmered faintly.
"So..."
"This must be it."
Levi wrapped both hands around the hilt.
He pulled.
Nothing.
He planted his feet.
Pulled harder.
"...Come on..."
"...Move!"
The sword refused.
His entire body strained against it.
"...Seriously?!"
Then...
The ground trembled.
A low rumble echoed through the ruins.
Levi frowned.
"...Huh?"
The stone altar cracked.
Massive pieces of rock broke away.
Levi's eyes widened.
"...Wait..."
"...That's not an altar."
The sword hadn't been embedded in stone.
It had been buried...
Straight through the chest...
Of an enormous stone golem.
Crimson light ignited within its eyes.
The giant slowly stood.
Levi still clung desperately to the sword.
"..."
"...WHAT THE FUCK?!"
The golem roared.
With one violent movement...
Levi was hurled across the chamber.
Crash!
His body slammed into the stone wall.
The impact knocked the air from his lungs.
Blood trickled from a cut across his forehead.
Levi slowly pushed himself upright.
His vision blurred.
"..."
"...This..."
He wiped the blood from his brow.
"...This is why she didn't just give me the sword."