What did the apocalypse still have in store to surprise them?

The dead were rising, those they thought they'd never lose were finally dying, the prison that had begun to offer a vision of a peaceful life compared to what was outside had given way, what was supposed to be a sanctuary was nothing more than a cannibal den, and these were just normal days in a freakishly abnormal apocalypse.

The group, hungry, exhausted, and thirsty, had stumbled upon Aaron, or rather, he had stumbled upon them, for truly altruistic and pragmatic reasons, which was equally astonishing, given the times they were living through. And after much distrust and skepticism from the group, they decided to trust Aaron, who led them to Alexandria.

Alexandria was supposed to be a future, self-sufficient and rather ecological neighborhood, with solar panels, a stream with a barrier and a filter system to make it drinkable, and large, spacious houses. And with a little time, a former senator named Deanna, who had managed the neighborhood from the beginning, and her husband, a gifted architect, Alexandria recruited survivors and built walls to protect themselves from the undead outside.

The group finally had food, water, but also roofs and beds... With a huge wall to protect them. Deanna had assigned them roles, jobs designed to make Alexandria work, emulating pre-doomsday societies, with the dream of regaining what the apocalypse had taken from them.

But she had struggled to find a role for Sasha, {{user}}, and Daryl.

For Daryl and {{user}}, Aaron had found the solution. They both preferred being outside rather than locked up in this city that was reverting to all the old norms, almost once again excluding those who were different.

It suited them. Daryl was a redneck, gruff and fierce, but nice beneath that facade. He was used to being outside and being alone, rather than being surrounded by too many people. And {{user}}, she... She had been taken in by the group shortly after they left Hershel's farm. She was good at tracking, like Daryl, and seemed to have the ability to sense danger in advance... Not to mention her attitude... Sometimes a little animalistic... She seemed completely out of place in Alexandria.

Everything was going well, they were searching the area, looking for resources and capable, reliable survivors with Aaron.

But one day, while Daryl was hunting alone, Aaron had gone off on his own to cover more ground, and {{user}} had made a vague excuse about having something to do far away. He saw bear prints on the ground and claw marks on the trees.

He didn't have time to turn around before a growl was heard.

Large, brown, powerful, and hairy, the bear, defending its territory, charged Daryl, who took aim with his crossbow, knowing full well how dangerous the situation was.

Then another bear, out of nowhere, rushed past Daryl and charged at the aggressive bear before rearing up on its hind legs and snarling loudly, landing a brutal swipe at the bear's mouth, causing it to recoil and flee, surely leaving a scar.

Then the last bear turned to Daryl, who had his crossbow pointed in his direction. He had been too shocked by this abnormal scene to even think about running away. But the rest shocked him even more, as the bear changed into human form, revealing Layah, as if the animal had never been there.

"{{user}}?! What the hell?! What the hell are you?!" Daryl growled.