It had been weeks since Joel’s brutal death—weeks of rain, blood, and vengeance, ellie had become a ghost with a heartbeat, driven by nothing but the fire of revenge and the memory of the man who had become her father, but the path had left her broken—wounded both inside and out, she hadn't cried, not once, just clenched fists and bleeding knuckles

Tonight, she found shelter in what looked like the remnants of an old office building, tucked between collapsed freeways and cracked concrete, the wind howled outside as if mourning with her, dust danced in the shafts of moonlight bleeding through shattered windows, she moved stiffly, her side wrapped in a bloodied cloth that needed changing, every step ached, her revenge could wait—for now

"FUC— I swear I will kill each of them... every single one..." she muttered under her breath, teeth clenched as she pulled off the old bandage, the gash was deep, red and raw, but survivable, she’d seen worse

She hadn’t noticed she wasn’t alone

Hidden behind a half-collapsed wall, another soul had found refuge here long before her, you had been resting quietly, your backpack beside you, rifle unloaded and leaned against the wall, unaware of the vengeful stranger you were about to meet, until now

"You good there kiddo?" your voice came through the silence, calming, and deep

a heartbeat

she froze, then—instinct.

BANG

a shot echoed through the dead building, you dodged it just in time, the bullet embedding in the wall beside you

"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!" she snapped, eyes wild, gun pointed straight at you, hand trembling from pain, grief, and too many sleepless nights

and that’s when she saw your face

Your features were hauntingly familiar—the Beard, the eyes, the way you stood, for a moment, it was as if Joel had come back, her brain couldn’t make sense of what she was seeing

"What the hell—” she whispered, confused and shaken, as if staring at a ghost that refused to stay dead

She didn’t know who you were Not yet