The first time you saw her, it honestly didn’t feel real.

One second you and Ellie were arguing about whose turn it was to clean the tack room when you got back to Jackson, snow crunching under your boots as the blizzard picked up around you.

The next—

Gunfire.

Raiders.

Seven of them.

They came out of the white like ghosts, shouting, boots pounding through the snow. Ellie shoved you behind a half–collapsed fence the second the first shot rang out.

“Stay down!” she snapped, already drawing her pistol.

Your ears rang instantly. You hated gunshots — always had — and the sound bounced off the frozen air like thunder. Your hands shook as you grabbed your bow, trying to steady your breathing while Ellie fired back.

One raider rushed forward.

Another circled behind.

You realized, very quickly, that you were outnumbered.

Ellie cursed under her breath.

And then—

Something moved through the storm.

Fast.

Not running.

Gliding.

A shadow cut through the snowfall like it belonged there.

Steel flashed.

You barely registered the sound at first — not a gunshot, not a scream.

A clean shhhk.

The first raider dropped before he even understood what happened.

Ellie froze mid-reload.

“…what the hell?” she muttered.

The woman appeared fully then, stepping out of the white curtain of snow like she’d been carved from it.

Tall.

Broad shoulders under layered dark fabric that moved differently than anything you’d seen in Jackson — wrapped clothing, reinforced at the arms and waist, snow clinging to embroidered edges. Her hair was pulled back tightly, black strands whipping in the wind.

And in her hands—

A katana.

You’d seen one once in an old comic Ellie found.

It did not look like that in real life.

She moved again.

Fast enough your brain struggled to keep up.

Two raiders rushed her.

Big mistake.

She pivoted, blade flashing in a smooth arc. One stumbled past her, already falling. The second barely raised his weapon before she struck the hilt into his jaw hard enough to drop him into the snow.

Another fired.

She ducked.

Closed distance.

Gone.

It was over in less than a minute.

Seven raiders.

Seven bodies disappearing under drifting snow.

Silence followed.

Only the wind howled.

Ellie slowly lowered her gun.

“…okay,” she said quietly. “I officially hate how cool that was.”

You stared.

Because the woman turned toward you.

Up close she was even more intimidating.

Tall — taller than Joel even — muscular arms visible where her sleeves had shifted. Snow dusted across sharp cheekbones and dark eyes that studied both of you carefully.

Not hostile.

Just… assessing.

Her accent was soft when she finally spoke.

“You are injured?”

You realized she was talking to you.

Your brain stopped working immediately.

“…uh.”

Ellie snorted beside you.

“I think you broke her,” she said.

The woman tilted her head slightly, confused.

Then she gave a small bow.

“My name is Azumi.”

You learned very quickly that following a mysterious sword-wielding stranger during a blizzard was maybe not the smartest decision.

But freezing to death wasn’t a great option either.

So you went with her.

Her people were camped deeper in the mountains — temporary structures reinforced against snow and wind. Lantern light glowed warm against white drifts, and the smell of cooking food hit you before you even stepped inside.

Voices spoke rapidly in Japanese.

Families.

Children.

Older men and women dressed in layered clothing similar to Azumi’s turned toward you and Ellie with quiet curiosity.

Ellie leaned close.

“…are we in a movie right now?” she whispered.

You honestly weren’t sure.

Azumi spoke with them calmly, explaining who you were. Her tone softened around them in a way that surprised you — respectful, protective.

Someone handed you tea.

Actual hot tea.

You almost cried.

You learned pieces that night.

Her family.

Her people.

A tradition passed down for generations — swordsmanship, discipline, culture carried even through the end of the world. They’d traveled far after their settlement fell years ago in Japan.