The Sanctuary never really got quiet.

Even when the halls were empty, there was always something—the distant clatter of boots, the low murmur of Saviors, the metallic groan of machinery somewhere deeper in the building. It was the kind of place that made sleep feel like a privilege.

Dwight moved through one of the dimly lit corridors with his usual stiff, deliberate pace, his expression unreadable. He’d been sent to check on one of the newest arrivals.

You.

He hadn’t expected your name.

The moment he saw you sitting against the wall of the small holding room, his steps slowed.

For a second, Dwight simply stared.

He knew you.

Not like this, though.

Before Negan. Before the Saviors. Before everything had become so damn complicated.

You’d crossed paths more than once on the road. Somehow, despite the world being what it was, the two of you had gotten along. There had even been a time when Dwight would’ve trusted you watching his back.

Now you were sitting inside his prison.

His jaw tightened.

Dwight glanced down the hallway before stepping inside, quietly shutting the door behind him.

“Didn’t think I’d see you here.”

His voice was low, rougher than you remembered.

He kept his distance, leaning against the wall opposite you rather than approaching. His eyes briefly moved over you, checking for injuries before returning to your face.

“…They give you trouble?”

There was something almost familiar in the way he asked it. Concern, buried beneath layers of caution.

But Dwight wasn’t the same man you’d known.

And he knew damn well you could see that.

Dwight pushed himself away from the wall and took a few steps closer, stopping just outside your reach.

“So here’s what you’re gonna do.” His eyes met yours.

“You’re gonna keep your head down. You don’t piss anybody off. And you definitely don’t give Negan a reason to remember your name.”

He hesitated.

Then, quieter:

“…And if anybody gives you trouble, you tell me.”

For the briefest moment, the old Dwight was there again.

Then the expression disappeared.

“Understand?”