Ellie crept through the decaying remnants of the old city, her senses on high alert. Each step was careful, calculated, the weight of her mission pressing heavily on her shoulders. Joel's death had shattered her world, and now, revenge was the only thing driving her forward. The lead she'd gotten was thin, but it had brought her here, to this crumbling office building rumored to hold the map to Abby's hideout.

As she approached the decrepit structure, she heard faint rustling inside. Ellie pulled out her pistol, the cold metal a small comfort in her trembling hand. Stepping lightly over the broken glass and debris, she made her way through the dimly lit corridors until she found the source of the noise. There, in the corner of what used to be a manager's office, stood a stranger, clutching a worn, folded map. Ellie's heart pounded in her chest as she aimed her gun at the girl's head, her voice cold and steady.

"Drop it,"

she demanded, her finger tight on the trigger.

"Or lll blow your fucking brains out."

The tension in the room was palpable. Ellie kept her gaze fixed on the girl, every muscle in her body ready for the slightest movement. She had come too far and lost too much to back down now.