After letting out a gut-wrenching scream—"STOP!"—Levi stayed frozen. Shaking. Eyes shut tight, hands still covering his head.
"I don't wanna die… please…" he whispered, breath faint and trembling.
But nothing happened.
No hands grabbed him. No voices followed.
Only silence. He hadn't realized it yet but he was no longer in the room. He was somewhere else entirely.
A blank space. Dark. Quiet. Empty.
He was in his own mind.
Then— "Brother…"
A voice called. Soft. Familiar. But Levi didn't move.
"Brother…"
Again. Closer.
"Brother…"
Still no response. Still shaking.
"Levi!"
That last one hit like a shock. Sharp. Real.
A voice he knew.
And for the first time… Levi flinched.
Grim Archives, Chapter 5: The Trial's Answer.
After hearing his name shouted, Levi's eyes snapped open from the shock. Slowly, his head lifted—and there, standing in front of him…
"It's me, Yuki… your sister," said the figure gently.
"Y-Yuki…? Is that really you?" he asked, voice trembling, still shaken but calmer now.
"Believe it or not, yeah. It's me. I could even tell you—you were a huge delinquent when you were younger."
The second she said those words, tears burst from Levi's eyes—quiet at first, then streaming. After everything… he was finally crying. Deeply. Fully.
"Yuki…" he whispered, barely audible, but filled with emotion.
Yuki simply looked at him with a gentle smile a smile full of warmth and quiet understanding, as if she knew exactly what this moment meant.
"I'm glad you're okay, brother—"
But her words were cut short.
Levi lunged forward and wrapped his arms around her. A full embrace, tight and trembling. He didn't say anything. He didn't need to. His tears continued to fall, but his voice was silent—just holding on. This was all that mattered now.
Surprised at first, Yuki softened and returned the hug. Slow… but firm. A comforting response that met Levi's grief head-on.
"There… it's okay now," she whispered softly. "You made it… after all." Levi's sobs began to ease, his breath settling. He slowly pulled away, standing upright, wiping his face, and looking directly at her.
"I made it?" he asked, voice steadier, more grounded—curious, not afraid. "What do you mean?"
Yuki smiled faintly, almost cryptically.
"Complete the Trial… brother."
"Yuki? What are you talking ab—"
Before he could finish, his words dissolved. So did the space around him. The darkness was gone.
Suddenly… he was standing somewhere else—somewhere familiar. A faint breeze. Warm air. Childhood light. It was their old house. The one before they moved to Osaka.
Then, a voice: "Brother!"
A younger Yuki, her childlike voice ringing out, infront of him.
She was treating the dark bruises on his face—faint marks from a recent fight. This was back when Levi was still a delinquent.
As Yuki gently dabbed the bruises, Levi turned his head, glancing around the room in confusion.
"Stop moving, Levi! I'm still treating your bruises!" she scolded in frustration.
He blinked, staring at her as if struggling to grasp the reality in front of him. His expression was clouded with disbelief.
"Yuki…?" he murmured.
"What?" she shot back, her voice sharp with irritation, clearly tired of his usual behavior.
"Are you… real?" he asked, voice low and uncertain.
Yuki froze. "What the—have you seriously gone mad now?" she replied, this time with a hint of confusion behind her annoyance.
Levi didn't answer. He was lost in thought, caught in a surreal haze. The warmth of the room, the familiarity of Yuki's presence—it all felt too real to be false. And yet…
"Was it all just a dream?" he wondered, heart sinking. "Have I really been trapped in a nightmare all this time…? But if so… why did it feel so long?"
Still dazed, Levi looked down at the floor to try grounding himself. "Hey, Yuki—"
But when he lifted his head again, his words died.
The room was no longer the same.
Now, he found himself in their living room—the one in their Osaka home. Sitting infront of him was not Yuki anymore… but his mother. She was now the one treating his bruises on the face, her hands gentle and steady.
Realizing what had just happened, Levi slowly looked around.
They were now in the living room. The warm stretch of sunlight poured through the windows—it was bright, full day. Because it was. His heart began pounding faster. Nervousness crept in.
While his mother continued tending to his bruises, Levi gently reached forward and held both of her wrists. He looked straight at her.
"Mom… what's happening?" he asked softly, his voice laced with fear. His mother blinked. Her expression shifted—genuine surprise, then concern.
"Honey, what's wrong?" she asked, clearly worried.
"Please… just tell me what's going on."
"Levi, are you okay? Do you not like where you are right now?"
"Mom, I don't even know where I am—I just—"
He didn't get to finish.
Without blinking, without looking away, without any sensation of change… he was no longer in the living room.
Now, he was outside. Sitting on a swing in their front yard. The sun had shifted, morning or late afternoon, it wasn't clear. But the moment had changed. Entirely.
"What the hell is happening?!" his thoughts screamed. "I keep shifting places and every time, it's with different people!"
His breathing grew uneven. Then—he turned.
On the other swing beside him… was his father. Sitting in silence, staring ahead. The atmosphere was still. It felt like they had already been talking before Levi noticed.
"D-Dad…?" Levi whispered, his voice trembling.
His father remained quiet for a moment longer. Then, calmly, he spoke.
"Levi… I know this might be difficult to accept. But don't let anything hold you back in life."
Levi's eyes widened. "Dad, what are you talking about…?"
"You have to keep going. Finish life's trial. Even if we're… gone."
The words hit like a cold wind. Levi's entire body tensed. Goosebumps rose along his arms. His breath shortened. He opened his mouth to speak—
And everything changed again.
No transition. No warning.
He was standing in front of their house.
It was night.
His school uniform clung to him under the cool air. Lights flickered on from inside the house. Sounds echoed—muffled conversations, movement.
Everything felt… normal.
He was back in front of their door.
He opened the door slowly.
And there—they were.
His mother, Akari Kurose. His father, Hatsuo Kurose. His sister, Yuki Kurose. All of them… present. Right there in front of him.
His parents wore matching aprons, setting dishes down on the dining table—smiling, talking casually. His sister sat nearby, flipping through a book, her expression calm and focused. They looked like a family untouched by sorrow. Just another normal night.
"You guys…" Levi thought to himself, his breath catching. He took a step forward.
Then—reality glitched.
His family flickered in and out like a faulty projection. The warmth of the home glitched with them, alternating rapidly: warm and bright… cold and empty… light… dark… presence… absence.
It repeated—faster. Until only darkness remained.
The room was silent. Still. Empty.
Just like it was when they first vanished.
Levi stood in place, unable to move. Panting. His breaths were heavy. Shoulders trembling. His heart pounding like a war drum. Then, his mind went blank.
"...If I knew where the endpoint of my life was... I'd wish to be closer to it. Without them, who am I?"
A hollow thought echoed in the void of his mind.
When he opened his eyes again, everything had changed.
Before him stood… a vision.
His family was there again—but it wasn't the present. They were outdoors, in a bright field under a golden sun. Having a picnic. Laughing, eating, playing. Together.
And… Levi was with them.
But not this Levi.
The Levi standing there—watching—was alone. Far from them. Just a spectator to what could have been. To the life he lost.
He didn't speak. He didn't cry.
He just stood there. Frozen in disbelief.
And before he could take another breath—
The scene melted.
Now he was in their living room again. But it wasn't the same as before.
It glowed.
Soft light poured in like a dream. Like a memory. As if heaven itself touched the room.
And seating across from him... was his mother.
Because of everything that had happened—everything he had seen—Levi couldn't even cry.
He stood there, hollowed out by disbelief and exhaustion. His eyes were shadowed by heavy bags. His expression, distant. Lips curled slightly, trembling—like he wanted to say something but couldn't.
"…Mom," he finally whispered, "Can I… come with you?" His voice was soft. Shaky. A breath away from breaking.
Akari didn't reply immediately. She simply looked at him—warmly, with a faint, genuine smile. One that carried both love… and understanding.
"Levi…" she said gently. "It's okay. We'll always be with you. We're your family, after all."
At her words, Levi's shoulders dropped slightly. His gaze sank to the floor. His eyes squinted—on the verge of tears—but none fell. He couldn't bear to meet her eyes.
"Levi," his name called again.
But this time, it was his father.
Suddenly, they were outside once more. The swing in the front yard creaked gently beneath them. Levi and Hatsuo sat apart, quiet beneath the pale sky.
"Like your mother said… it's okay," Hatsuo began, his tone calm, steady. "We'll always be with you. No matter what."
His voice was strong—serious—but filled with genuine warmth. Levi closed his eyes tightly. He wanted to disappear. Wanted to shut it all out.
"Brother!" another voice rang out.
He opened his eyes slowly.
Yuki stood before him now. They were back in his bedroom.
She let out an exasperated sigh, but her expression was soft. Genuine. "Don't forget, we're always gonna be with you," she said, folding her arms. "Even if you were a delinquent. No matter who you are."
Her words hit him like a quiet wave.
And for the first time, Levi's expression shifted, not in fear or despair—but realization.
"These…" he thought, eyes widening slightly, "…these are my memories. From the promise I made… the day I decided to change."
And as that final word echoed in his mind—
"Change."
The scene shifted once more.
He found himself in the living room again—but now it was radiant. A white space, glowing. Pure. Peaceful. And in front of him, seated together, were his mother, his father, and Yuki.
All three smiled at him.
They didn't speak at first. They just looked at him—softly, lovingly. Then—
"Levi," his mother called.
"Oi, Levi," his father followed.
"Brother!" Yuki beamed.
They were all smiling. All hopeful. And Levi... He closed his eyes and began to cry.
But it wasn't fear. Not guilt. Not relief.
It was something deeper.
It was acceptance.
Tears streamed freely as he choked out soft sobs. His legs nearly gave out. He clutched his chest. Sniffling. Trembling. But he didn't look away this time.
And then, without a word, all three of them—his mother, Akari. His father, Hatsuo. His sister, Yuki—stood up slowly and walked toward him. Levi didn't move. He could only stand there, trembling.
And when they reached him—they embraced him all at once.
A warm, enveloping hug. A moment suspended in light. His broken pieces held together by the very people he feared he'd lost.
And they said it together, all three of them:
"You have a chance—"
Then, Darkness. A quiet stillness.
And Levi, all alone once more, finished the sentence himself. "…To accept."
The Zen Trial… was complete.
The trial's design was simple, to bring Levi to a true acceptance of his reality and his will.
Had he not answered the call of his will, he would have remained trapped… reliving memories on an endless loop, shown again and again the life he could have had if he hadn't lost them.
It would have continued, endlessly—until acceptance.