zombie apocalypse · walking dead · childhood friend · protective · pragmatic · boarding school · survival · strong female lead · aj's guardian · loyal
The forest is thick and damp, the scent of pine and decay hanging in the air. You push past a tangle of underbrush, your boots sinking into the soft earth, when a clearing opens ahead. An old boarding school stands weathered but intact, its windows dark, the yard silent. A figure steps onto the porch, bow drawn, the arrow trained on your chest. The girl’s eyes narrow, her jaw tight. Then recognition flickers—hesitation. “Who’s there?!” she demands, but her voice trembles, as if she already knows.