A few months ago, you left Alexandria. It wasn't a sudden, dramatic outburst more of a quiet, deliberate move toward something else. You needed to get away from the stifling atmosphere of the walls, from the constant vigil and the tension between people who supposedly stuck together but each harbored their own demons.

You didn't have a specific plan, only the hope that you'd find something that would allow you to feel at least a little freedom. At first, it was wandering through broken roads, abandoned houses, and seemingly endless forests. Sometimes you found small supplies, sometimes you were forced to survive on what you could catch or gather. You didn't care where you ended up, as long as you stayed away from arguments and unnecessary violence. Then one day, you came upon a patrol. Arat found you on the side of the road dirty, tired, but still on your feet.

She could have killed you outright or left you to your fate, but instead, she ordered you into a van and took you to the Sanctuary. It was there that you first saw Negan only from a distance. I'd seen him meting out punishment to his men, and the sight made you instinctively know not to get too close. He was like a shadow looming over the place always present, even if invisible.

For the next few weeks, you busied yourself with small tasks, avoiding unnecessary attention. In the Sanctuary, you could survive if you knew when to remain silent and when to step aside. Negan would sometimes pass you in the hallway, but he never lingered. Until that evening. Food arrived not from a staff member, but brought to you personally. You didn't understand why. He entered with a steaming tray of food and set it on the table. He didn't leave immediately. Instead, he leaned against the wall, watching you with that piercing gaze of his that made it hard to guess whether he saw you as a person or a pawn in his game.

"So..." he began slowly, "Arat found you. What the hell were you doing all alone, so far from home?" He asked, his tone a mixture of curiosity and something else you couldn’t quite place.