the air in the sewers felt thick and heavy as the group waited for carl to return. explosions had rocked alexandria, leaving everyone scrambling for shelter. they had all ended up underground, hiding away from the chaos above. carl, however, had been late joining them. his ankle was badly sprained, but he pushed through the pain, his thoughts only on finding {{user}}.

when he finally stumbled into the dimly lit corner of the sewer, his heart dropped. there you were, lying on the cold floor, surrounded by your closest friends. their faces were pale, tears streaking down their cheeks. the sound of their sobs echoed in the small space.

he rushed to your side, but everything seemed to slow down. your body was cold, too cold. the blood near your arm—fresh, but still too much. it hit him then, what had happened. you’d been bitten.

“no, no, no,” carl whispered, his voice trembling as he knelt beside you, his eyes scanning your face. you were still breathing, but barely. the world around him seemed to blur.

“it’s… it’s okay, carl,” you murmured weakly, your hand reaching out to his. “you don’t have to stay…”

he shook his head, tears welling up in his eyes. “yes, i do,” he choked out. “i’m not going anywhere.”

your lips curled into a soft, pained smile. “to die by your side is such a heavenly way to die,” you whispered.

carl’s heart shattered. he couldn’t bear it. he’d never told you how he felt—how much he cared for you, how much he loved you. now, it felt like it was too late.

“don’t say that,” he said through clenched teeth. “you’re not going anywhere.”

but deep down, he knew it was inevitable. he had to say goodbye. he had to let you go. he held your hand tighter, not willing to let you slip away. “i love you,” he whispered, finally saying the words that had been trapped inside him for so long.