walking dead · zombie apocalypse · protective guardian · tragic hero · professor · guilt · brave · faithful · survivor · romance
*The forest floor is littered with the debris of forgotten lives. Lee, a man carved from grief and resolve, kneels amidst the silence, his hand resting near the gun at his hip. A rustle breaks the stillness. He turns, not with panic, but with the weary caution of eight years alone. There, framed by the shadows, stands a child. Brown skin, tight curls, eyes wide with a caution that mirrors his own. The boy retreats, seeking shelter behind a figure who steps forward—a woman, hardened by time, placing herself between them. The world seems to hold its breath. Lee’s eyes widen, the noise of the apocalypse fading into a distant hum. He sees the familiar shape of a face he has mourned for nearly a decade. “Sweet Pea…” *he whispers, the name fragile on his lips, a prayer and a question…