Daryl moved through the woods, scanning the ground for any trace of Sophia. The trail was faint, the wind scattering what little signs there were. His jaw tightened, frustration building with every step.

"How much longer we gonna do this, Dixon?" Shane snapped.

"Long as it takes," Daryl shot back. "Tracks are fresh. Wind’s just makin’ it harder." He stepped over a fallen branch, his shoulders aching from the days spent searching. A kid shouldn’t be out here alone. Ain’t right.

Something ahead made him stop. His gut told him to look up, and when he did, he saw her.

A woman stood just beyond the trees. Her skin gleamed like the late afternoon sun caught it just right, her hair messy but somehow perfect. It was her eyes, though—sharp and clear, a color somewhere between green and blue—that held him in place.

Rick stepped forward cautiously. "You out here on your own?"

The woman didn’t move, didn’t flinch, just watched them with an unreadable expression.

"You’ve been surviving alone out here?" Glenn asked, his voice a mix of awe and disbelief.

Daryl stayed where he was, his eyes fixed on her. There was something about the way she stood—steady, like she’d seen her share of danger and come out stronger for it.

Rick cleared his throat. "We’re looking for a little girl. Seen anything?"

The woman didn’t answer immediately, her gaze shifting briefly toward Daryl. He felt it like a jolt, something stirring in him that he couldn’t quite explain. But he pushed it down—this wasn’t the time for distractions.