LightReader

Chapter 143 - chapter 142

Chapter 142– Two Years of Silence

The world was okay again—for once.

Not perfect. Not painless. But okay.

For the first time since the world fell, there was no blood in the streets. No endless dread lurking around the corner. No undead waiting to tear flesh from bone. Just the sound of people working, talking, laughing… living.

Across shattered cities and overgrown highways, people started coming together. Rebuilding not just walls, but communities. They planted gardens in the ruins of department stores. Turned gas stations into homes. Built schools where children could learn again without fear.

The world that had bled for so long finally began to breathe.

There were still those who missed the blood-soaked days. People who thrived in chaos. Who found purpose in the violence and dominance of survival. But they kept quiet now. Because this new world—Axel's world—wasn't ruled by fear.

People weren't afraid of monsters anymore.

And more importantly… they weren't afraid of each other.

Peace became the new power.

Alexandria and the Sanctuary, once at odds, now worked like twin hearts pumping life through the land. Food was shared. Protection was offered. Disputes were settled with words, not war.

And through it all, Axel's name became something almost sacred. He was a ghost, a legend. The one who ended the nightmare. The one who burned so hot with wrath that even death itself bent to his will.

But he hadn't been seen since Redhold. Since that final scream that echoed across the world and left the dead in silence.

Two years.

Two years of rebuilding.

Two years of peace.

Two years of wondering where he went.

Two years of fearing what would happen if he ever came back.

But life continued.

Crops grew.

Children played.

People loved.

And the world—slowly, gently—became a home again.

Still… every so often, when the night grew too quiet, and the stars too still, someone would whisper:

"If Axel is out there… what is he now?"

Because no one ever believed he was truly gone.

Just waiting.

And someday, the silence might end.

And when it does… will the world survive what wakes with him?

---

Two years.

It had been two years since the end of the world had started to look like the beginning of something new. Since the Walkers had simply... stopped. Dropping where they stood, as if something greater than any of them had pulled the final thread. People had whispered Axel's name like a ghost story or a god. Some feared him, others praised him, but no one had seen him since Redhold.

In the years since, Alexandria and the Sanctuary had merged into something new. A city. A real one. The streets were paved, the buildings rebuilt. Solar panels hummed quietly on rooftops. There was a school, a hospital, a marketplace. Farms stretched past the edges of the old fences. Children played in the streets. Laughter had returned.

Rick Grimes stood at the edge of the old church building, now converted into a community hall. He leaned on the railing, a quiet cup of coffee in his hands, his beard grayer, his eyes softer. He watched the city move, the peace a strange kind of miracle.

"You look like hell," a familiar voice drawled.

Rick turned to see Negan, older too, hair completely gray but his eyes still carrying that same mischief. He walked up with a slow gait, carrying a basket of apples.

"Morning to you too," Rick said dryly, but a small smirk played on his lips.

Negan sat beside him, setting the basket down. "City's looking good. Didn't think I'd ever say that about a place I helped build with you."

Rick took a sip. "Didn't think I'd ever say I'd be glad you're still around."

Negan laughed. A low, real sound. "Touché, sheriff."

Behind them, the doors to the hall opened. Michonne walked out first, her katana still strapped to her back out of habit, though she hadn't had to use it in months. Maggie followed, carrying a tray of food. Daryl came last, his crossbow slung but never far.

They sat together, like they had so many times before. The group that had once carried the weight of the apocalypse now sat in the center of something they never thought they'd see again: normal life.

"Glenn would've liked this," Michonne said softly.

Rick nodded. "He would've."

A silence fell over them, heavy but not painful. These were names they could say now without choking on them.

"And Axel," Daryl said, voice low.

They all looked at him.

"That boy... he didn't just fight. He changed things. Hell, I still don't know what he did or what he was, but..." Daryl trailed off, rubbing his scruffy chin.

"He was a mystery," Michonne added.

"He was a pain in my ass," Negan said, but there was no venom behind it. Only a memory of sparring banter. "Cocky little shit. Thought he was untouchable."

"Maybe he was," Rick murmured.

Maggie smiled sadly. "He was kind to me. Even when I pushed him away."

"He was kind to everyone," Michonne said.

"He was wrath," Daryl added. "Pure fury. But he chose to use it for something good."

Negan leaned back in his chair. "And now the world's walking around like it's been baptized in that fire. You think he knew what he was doing?"

Rick shrugged. "I don't know. I don't think Axel ever knew exactly what he was. He just... did what he felt was right."

Maggie looked down at her hands. "He carried so much pain. So much loss. But he never let it turn him into a monster."

Negan snorted. "Are you sure about that?"

Rick looked at him. "He didn't kill for fun. He killed to protect. Even when it broke him."

They were quiet for a while, just watching the town. Kids ran past chasing a ball. Somewhere a dog barked. The sun was warm.

"Do you think he's still alive?" Maggie asked.

No one answered at first.

Daryl was the first to speak. "If he is, he doesn't want to be found."

Michonne added, "But I hope he's out there. I hope he's seeing this peace. I hope he knows he gave us this."

Rick nodded slowly. "Me too."

Negan picked up one of the apples from the basket and tossed it to Rick. "To Axel then. Wherever he is."

Rick caught it and raised it slightly. "To Axel."

They all raised their drinks or food in quiet respect.

The world had survived hell. And they had survived themselves. For now, that was enough.

.

.

.

You can contact me through my official page on the following Accounts:

telegram:

miraclenarrator

tiktok:

miracle_narrator

instagram:

miracle_narrator

More Chapters