Based on song Die With Smile

The sun was setting, casting an orange glow across the ruins of a once-bustling city. The group had made camp in the skeletal remains of a library, its towering shelves offering a semblance of protection. Song Ji Hyo sat by the window, her gaze fixed on the horizon.

The walkers had been relentless that day, pushing the group to their limits. But now, in this fleeting moment of quiet, Ji Hyo allowed herself a rare smile.

Daryl noticed from across the room. “What’s got you smilin’ like that?” he asked, walking over.

She glanced up at him, her smile soft but unwavering. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” she said, nodding toward the sunset.

Daryl looked out the window, the fiery sky reflected in his tired eyes. “Guess it is. Ain’t much of that left in this world.”

Ji Hyo turned back to the horizon. “We have to hold onto the small things, Daryl. If we don’t, what’s the point of surviving?”

He frowned, sensing something in her tone that made his chest tighten. “You okay?”

She hesitated before nodding. “I’m fine. Just… tired.”

---

The next day, the group prepared to move out. They were heading toward a rumored safe zone, though none of them truly believed in its existence. Hope was a luxury few could afford.

As they walked, Ji Hyo stayed close to Daryl. She’d grown to trust him more than anyone else in the group. He was her anchor, her protector.

But even anchors couldn’t stop the tide.

The attack came out of nowhere. A herd of walkers emerged from an alley, cutting off their path. Chaos erupted as everyone drew their weapons and fought to survive.

“Stay close!” Daryl shouted, his crossbow taking down walker after walker.

Ji Hyo fought with everything she had, but the numbers were overwhelming. In the chaos, a walker lunged at her from behind. She turned just in time to stab it, but not before its teeth grazed her arm.

She froze, staring at the bloody wound as time seemed to slow.

“Ji Hyo!” Daryl’s voice snapped her back to reality. He grabbed her arm, pulling her toward safety.

They regrouped in an abandoned storefront, barricading the doors as walkers clawed and snarled outside.

“You good?” Rick asked, scanning the group.

Everyone nodded except Ji Hyo. She looked at them, her face pale but calm. “I got bit.”

The room fell silent.

“No,” Daryl said, shaking his head. “No, we’ll cut it off. We’ll—”

“It’s too late,” Ji Hyo interrupted, her voice steady. “It’s over, Daryl.”

His hands clenched into fists. “Don’t say that. We can—”

“Stop,” she said gently, placing a hand on his arm. “You know it doesn’t work like that.”

---

The group sat in a circle, their faces heavy with grief. Ji Hyo insisted on spending her final hours with them, refusing to be left alone.

“I want to thank all of you,” she said, her voice calm but filled with emotion. “For letting me be a part of this. For giving me a family.”

Maggie wiped away tears. “You don’t have to do this, Ji Hyo.”

“Yes, I do,” Ji Hyo said with a small smile. “And I want you all to promise me something.”

“What is it?” Rick asked.

“Keep going,” she said. “No matter how hard it gets, keep going. Find something worth living for.”

Daryl sat beside her, his head bowed. “Don’t know how to do that without you.”

“You’ll figure it out,” she said, her smile widening. “You’re stronger than you think.”

---

When the time came, Ji Hyo insisted on stepping outside alone.

“I don’t want any of you to have to do it,” she said. “This is my choice.”

Daryl tried to argue, but she silenced him with a hug. “Thank you,” she whispered. “For everything.”

The group watched from the windows as she walked into the street, the walkers already gathering.

Ji Hyo turned to look at them one last time, her face lit by the fading sunlight. She smiled, her eyes filled with peace, and then turned to face the walkers.

The group couldn’t watch as the walkers descended, but they knew Ji Hyo’s final moments were filled with courage and grace.

Daryl stayed by the window long after the others had turned away, his eyes wet with tears. Her smile haunted him, a bittersweet reminder of what they had lost—and what they still had to fight for.

“She deserved better,” he muttered.

“She deserved peace,” Rick said quietly, placing a hand on Daryl’s shoulder.

And for the first time in a long time, Daryl allowed himself to cry.