Rei opened her eyes. For a moment, she couldn't remember where she was. Sunlight streamed through the windows. It must mean that its early morning, but she didn't knew whether it was the morning after yesterday or some days later. She was right to think that she loses her bearings of time when she's feeling sick. 

She tried to get up and shuffled to the window. She swept the curtains aside and the rays of the sun blinded her for a second. Her eyes adjusted, and she saw the beautiful blue sky, with white fluffy clouds floating by. She looked at the wall, and there was still the leaf. 

She was still alive.

"Glad you're awake," said a familiar voice. She turned and saw Eren, all dressed in black.

"Eren..." Rei muttered, looking quizically at Eren. "Why are you wearing... black clothes...?" Eren shook his head. 

"Armin..." Eren started to say, his voice shaking. "Rei, Armin... Armin is dead."

Rei's knees buckled, and she fell to the floor. She started to sob silently. Eren patted her gently on the back. 

"Don't cry, Rei," Eren said. "Armin wouldn't like that." He was forcing out courage, but he himself looked like he'd just finished crying.

"Why..." Rei cried, "Why...did it have to happen...? I was the one who should die..."

"How did he..." Rei started to ask.

"He was dripping wet, hypothermia, I think. He was lying at the hall below, right beside the door. Leaning on the wall outside was a steel ladder." Eren explained. "The authorities thought it had some relation to Armin's death."

Eren helped her stand up, then Mikasa entered.

"Eren. Rei." Mikasa said, "Armin... Armin was holding something." She was also dressed in black, and her eyes were puffy. 

"You didn't told me that earlier," Eren said. 

"We didn't saw that until we opened his clasped hands." Mikasa replied, then she searched her pockets.

"This." Mikasa said, showing it to Eren and Rei. It was a crayon—a green crayon. Eren snatched the crayon from MIkasa's hands.

"What's with this?" Eren asked, confused. Rei's eyes widened. She opened the windows.

"I need a pair of binoculars!" Rei said, "Or a telescope!"

"What for?" Eren asked.

"To view that leaf closer!"

Mikasa handed her a half-meter long telescope and she focused it at the leaf. Rei staggered back as if she was punched in the gut. She dropped the telescope, and the lenses shattered into a million pieces.

"Armin... Why..." Rei muttered. Her lungs felt like it was being filled with ice—ready to burst in the next ten seconds. The truth dawned on Mikasa, and she cried silently. Eren looked at the window. Focusing his eyes, he made out the leaf's appearance.

It was a drawing of a leaf, pretending to be attached on the vine at the wall.

A lone leaf.

Armin's leaf.

Fin.