The group had been traveling for hours, their supplies dwindling and the constant threat of walkers gnawing at their nerves. Song Ji Hyo walked alongside Daryl, her knife gripped tightly in her hand. She had proven herself time and again to the group, earning their trust and respect, but the apocalypse had a cruel way of turning even the strongest into victims.

As the sun began to set, they approached an abandoned gas station. Rick raised a hand, signaling everyone to stop. “We’ll search for supplies here. Stay alert.”

The group spread out, cautious but efficient. Ji Hyo and Daryl took one side of the station while Glenn and Maggie checked the other. The rest of the group stood guard outside.

Inside, the air was stale, and the shelves were mostly empty. Daryl moved ahead, scanning the aisles, while Ji Hyo checked behind the counter.

“I’ll take the back room,” Ji Hyo said quietly, stepping through a half-open door.

Daryl turned to reply but was interrupted by the sound of a walker growl. “Ji Hyo!” he called, rushing toward the noise.

Inside the back room, Ji Hyo was grappling with a walker that had emerged from the shadows. Her knife was lodged in its head, but not before its teeth had found her forearm.

“Shit!” Daryl yelled, slamming his crossbow into the walker’s skull to ensure it was dead.

Ji Hyo stumbled back, clutching her arm. Blood seeped through her fingers, and her eyes met Daryl’s, wide with fear and resignation. “I… I didn’t see it,” she whispered.

Daryl froze for a moment, his heart sinking. “No… no, no, no.”

The rest of the group rushed in, drawn by the commotion. When they saw Ji Hyo’s arm, the color drained from their faces.

“Dammit,” Rick muttered, rubbing his forehead.

Glenn’s voice cracked. “Is there… is there anything we can do?”

“There ain’t no comin’ back from this,” Daryl said, his voice low and trembling. “She’s been bit.”

“Cut it off!” Maggie suggested desperately. “If we act fast—”

“It’s too late,” Ji Hyo interrupted, her voice steady despite the tears in her eyes. “The bite is too deep.”

The group fell silent, the weight of the situation pressing down on them.

Ji Hyo took a shaky breath, looking around at the faces of her friends. “I don’t want to hurt any of you when… when it happens.”

“You won’t,” Daryl said firmly, his voice breaking. “I won’t let it get to that.”

---

They moved her outside, where she sat against a tree, the fading sunlight casting a golden glow on her face. The group gave her space, except for Daryl, who refused to leave her side.

“You don’t gotta stay,” she said softly.

“Don’t even start with that,” Daryl replied, his jaw tight. “I ain’t leavin’ you.”

Ji Hyo smiled faintly, her hand resting on his. “You were the best part of all this. Even in this nightmare, you made me feel… alive.”

Daryl’s throat tightened, and he couldn’t bring himself to speak.

As the hours passed, Ji Hyo’s strength began to fade. Her breaths grew shallower, her skin colder. The group gathered around her, their faces etched with sorrow.

“Thank you,” Ji Hyo said, her voice barely audible. “For everything.”

When she finally closed her eyes, the group waited in heavy silence. Minutes passed, though it felt like hours, until her body stirred. Her eyes opened again, cloudy and devoid of life.

Daryl stepped forward, his crossbow in hand. His face was a mask of pain, but his hands were steady.

“I’ll do it,” he said, his voice rough.

“No,” Rick said, placing a hand on Daryl’s shoulder. “You shouldn’t have to.”

“It’s gotta be me,” Daryl insisted, his eyes never leaving Ji Hyo’s lifeless face.

The group stepped back, giving him space. Daryl knelt beside Ji Hyo, his fingers brushing against hers one last time.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, his voice breaking.

With a deep breath, he raised his crossbow and released her from the torment of undeath.

As her body went still, Daryl stayed there for a moment, his head bowed. The group watched in silence, the weight of loss settling over them like a suffocating blanket.

When Daryl finally stood, his face was a mixture of grief and resolve. He turned to Rick and the others.

“Let’s move,” he said, his voice hollow.

They left the gas station behind, but none of them would ever forget the woman who had fought alongside them—and the price they had paid for survival.