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DAY 309 OF THE APOCALYPSE

The world outside of the gates of Woodbury was quiet, unnaturally so. Ariana could hear her own breath, steady, but controlled, a habit that she'd honed since the world had gone to shit. It was the kind of quiet that gnawed at your sanity, like the calm before a storm.

She could feel the weight of it, pressing down on her as she stood at the edge of Woodbury's gates.

"I can do this." She whispered into the darkness, as if saying aloud would it more real. "I know I can handle myself."

The words were a mantra, a reminder of the strength that had gotten her this far. But strength alone wasn't always enough. Not in this world.

Her grip tightened around the hilt of her knife, the familiar feel of it grounding her. Michonne was somewhere close, her presence a silent reassurance to Ariana. They'd been through too much together to part ways now. It wasn't just about survival anymore. It was about something deeper, a bond forged in blood and fire. They are a team... Ariana, Michonne, and Andrea. Well, they were team.

Andrea. Her name lingered in Ariana's mouth like a bad taste. Things had changed when they got to Woodbury. What seemed like a safe haven had quickly turned into a gilded cage. The Governor's promises of safety and security were tempting, but there was something about him that Ariana couldn't trust. It wasn't just the way he smiled, too easy and too wide, but the way his eyes never quite met hers. There was darkness behind them, a darkness that even the bright lights of Woodbury couldn't hide.

It was Andrea who wanted to stay. Ariana could see it in her eyes, the way she looked at the clean streets, the stocked shelves, the semblance of normalcy. She wanted to believe in it so badly, maybe more than any of them. And for a moment, Ariana wanted to believe it too. But belief in this world could get you killed, and trust was a luxury they couldn't afford.

There was no way that Ariana and Michonne were going to stay in Woodbury. Not after everything they'd seen, everything they knew. Michonne had sensed it first, the wrongness of the place. She had that way about her, an instinct that cut through the bullshit. When she said it was time to go, Ariana didn't question it. Andrea did, though. She hesitated, her loyalty divided between them and the false promises of the Governor.

Andrea fell for nothing more than a charming smile and his knack for saying all the right things. A mistake Ariana hoped that she would never make.

But Ariana and Michonne couldn't just wait for Andrea to make up her mind. Every second that they stayed put them at risk. So they left. Just Michonne and Ariana, slipping through the shadows, leaving behind the walls that offered nothing but the illusion of safety.

As they made their way through the darkness, the sound of footsteps beside Ariana was the only comfort that she needed. The bond between her and Michonne had been tested, strengthened in the fires of this unforgiving world. They moved in sync, no words said, only a shared understanding that this place wasn't home. It never could be.

Woodbury might have felt like a sanctuary to some, but to Ariana, it was just another lie. And in a world full of lies, the only thing you could rely on was yourself.

And each other.

They walked away from the gates, the distant sounds of Woodbury fading behind them, swallowed by the night. There was no telling what lay ahead, but it didn't matter. They had survived worse. Together, they could survive anything.

Andrea made her choice. They made theirs.

And there was no going back.