The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse-Chapter 43: Ch : Gathering Allies- Part 1

As soon as Selene and Zara stepped out of the dungeon, the difference in the atmosphere was immediate.

The air felt lighter, and the chaotic screams that had filled the plaza before were now dying down. However, the presence of people remained.

And there were far more of them outside now compared to before. It was a mess she did not want to think about.

Selene barely had time to process the change before a clear notice rang in her mind:

[First Dungeon Cleared. The Area Will Stabilize Temporarily.]

The message was being displayed by the administrator in the sky as well, but it seemed that those with the system got a separate message to convey this.

The world was finally catching its breath, even if only for a moment. It was a temporary peace, but the people did not need to know that.

Outside, people who had attempted to enter the dungeon were now forcefully thrown out. Some stumbled, some collapsed in exhaustion, and others simply stood in shock.

Zara sighed, crossing her arms.

"I don’t feel like dealing with people right now."

Selene glanced around at the scattered groups. Many of them looked lost. Some were injured, some crying, and others filled with desperate hope. Even though they had failed, they had taken the risk because they had no other choice.

Selene understood that feeling all too well.

"Should we wait for Ethan?"

She asked. People were beginning to pay attention to them and it was beginning to make Selene uncomfortable. She wanted to be somewhere away from these eyes.

Zara shook her head.

"Nah. He’ll find his way back."

Selene frowned. "

You sure?"

Zara smirked.

"He’s like a cockroach. Hard to kill, always shows up when you least expect it."

Selene snorted, but Zara was already turning toward their car. She trusted Ethan a lot, and he was someone who had survived for a long time.

"For now, we need to head home and reinforce it."

Selene didn’t argue. They didn’t just have to protect themselves from monsters—they had to protect themselves from people.

Because now that the world had changed, desperation would turn into danger.

The drive back was tense but uneventful. Selene stared out the window, her mind running through what had happened so far.

The dungeon was cleared. That meant they had time. Not much, but enough to prepare before the next one appeared.

The problem was—no one else knew that.

When they arrived home, Zara immediately set about reinforcing the house.

Selene, on the other hand, decided to take a moment to herself. She grabbed some clean clothes and took a long shower, washing off the grime and blood from the dungeon.

Afterward, she sank into the couch and turned on the news.

Every channel was flooded with coverage.

It was impressive that the reporters were still doing their job, even after all that happened..

Selene did not know if she would call it desperation or professionalism. It seemed everyone wanted to hold onto the ’normal’ they knew.

Reporters spoke with grim expressions, government officials made dramatic statements about how they would "protect the people," and experts speculated on the cause of the disaster.

Selene scoffed.

’They have no idea what the world is about to become. This is just the beginning...soon, things will get worse.’

She knew that this was just the beginning.

The first dungeon had been cleared, so things would calm down for now. But soon enough, the second wave would come.

The governments didn’t know that. The people didn’t know that. And right now, fear was winning.

Selene turned off the TV with a sigh.

Her body was heavy with exhaustion.

Without thinking, she lay down on the couch, curling into herself. Sleep took over almost instantly.

Selene wasn’t sure how long she had been asleep when she felt it.

A soft, gentle touch. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

Something—or rather, someone—was playing with her hair.

It felt nice, calm and soothing. It made Selene want to lean into that familiar touch and surrender herself to her feelings.

’I want more. This feels so safe. I want more of this feeling’

Her eyes snapped open.

Ethan.

He was sitting on the armrest of the couch, his fingers lightly twirling a strand of her hair.

The moment she woke up, he immediately jerked his hand back and looked away, pretending he hadn’t been doing anything.

Selene blinked.

Ethan stood up, casually stretching as if nothing had happened.

"You sleep too much."

She narrowed her eyes.

"You—"

"I did nothing."

He cut in smoothly, already walking away.

Selene frowned, but decided not to question it.

It wasn’t worth the headache.

Instead, she rolled over and tried to go back to sleep.

______

A day passed.

Slowly, the panic began to settle. The streets were still filled with tension, but aid was beginning to arrive.

The government, now aware that people had gained powers, was working to regain control.

More and more Awakened were starting to appear. Some had enhanced strength, some had elemental abilities, and some were already forming groups and alliances.

Selene knew that this was only the beginning.

With the rise of powers, the balance of the world would soon shift completely. Governments would try to control those with abilities. Some people would become heroes, others would become tyrants, and many would lose themselves in the chaos.

Selene didn’t care about any of that.

She had one priority right now—her party.

So, she called a meeting.

Ethan and Zara sat across from her, both looking curious.

"I know what we need to do next."

Selene said firmly.

Zara raised a brow.

"Oh? Do tell."

Selene exhaled.

"We need to go get our Shielder."

Ethan leaned back.

"You mean her? The one you talked about before?"

Selene nodded. She had told Ethan and Zara about a few of her plans beforehand.

"Yes. It’s time."

Zara whistled.

"You sure? Didn’t you say you did not know where she was?"

Selene smiled wryly.

"I did not...until now. But I do have a good idea where she might be now."

Zara shrugged. "Alright. So what’s the plan?"

Selene’s eyes gleamed.

They had survived the first dungeon.

Now, it was time to gather their team.

______

Selene folded her arms and narrowed her eyes at Ethan.

"I want to go alone."

Ethan leaned back in his chair, resting his hands behind his head.

"Not happening."

Zara, sitting on the edge of the table, smirked.

"You know he’s right, Selene. You’re good, but she’s not going to trust you that easily. And if something goes wrong, having backup wouldn’t hurt."

Selene sighed, rubbing her temple. She knew that it was a risk, but she wanted to take this risk. It felt like she would go mad otherwise.

"I know Rize. She’s had a tough life. She won’t trust strangers, and the more people I bring, the worse it’ll be. I need to do this alone."

Ethan remained annoyingly relaxed.

"Still not happening. I’m not sending you out there alone."

Selene shot a glare at Zara, silently asking for help. Ethan was acting up too much and now it was beginning to get on her nerves.

Zara raised her hands in mock surrender.

"Hey, don’t look at me. Between you going alone and Ethan following you like a lost puppy, I’d rather you just take him with you and save us both the trouble."

Selene groaned. She knew that Zara was right about this.

"Seriously?"

Zara shrugged.

"At least this way, he won’t stalk you from the shadows."

Ethan smirked.

"See? Even Zara thinks I should go. Come, let’s head out!"

Selene rolled her eyes.

"Fine. Whatever. Let’s just get this over with."

Zara chuckled as Selene and Ethan headed toward the door.

"I’ll hold down the fort. Try not to kill each other while you’re out."

As soon as they stepped outside, Selene felt a wave of unease wash over her. The streets were in chaos.

People wandered aimlessly, some clutching their wounds, others looting abandoned stores. Fear was thick in the air.

The world had changed, and everyone knew it.

Ethan whistled.

"Well, isn’t this a beautiful mess?"

Selene scowled.

"This isn’t funny."

Ethan glanced at her, then sighed.

"Yeah. I know."

He fell silent for a moment before suddenly smirking again.

"But you know what is funny? You. You’re walking like some righteous hero, all tense and broody."

Selene shot him a glare.

"Ethan."

He grinned.

"Just saying, you could loosen up a little."

Selene didn’t respond. The sight of starving, desperate people made it impossible to ’loosen up.’ She had been in their position once before, helpless and struggling to survive.

Ethan must have noticed the shift in her expression because his teasing demeanor faded.

"...Sorry."

He said, voice quieter than usual.

Selene blinked.

"What?"

"I said sorry."

Hearing those words come from Ethan of all people shocked her. She stared at him, then smirked.

"Wow. You, apologizing? What’s next? You’re going to start acting human?"

Ethan huffed, looking away, but Selene caught the slight twitch at the corner of his lips. A near-smile.

Before she could comment, Ethan cleared his throat and changed the subject.

"So, where exactly are we going?"

Selene exhaled, letting the moment pass.

"The shelter. If Rize is anywhere, she’s there."

The shelter was overrun with people.

Families huddled together in makeshift sleeping areas. Volunteers scrambled to distribute food and medical supplies. The air was thick with exhaustion and quiet murmurs of fear.

Selene pushed forward, heading straight for the front desk. A weary worker was flipping through a logbook, barely looking up as they approached.

"I’m looking for someone named Rize Spencer."

Selene said.

The worker didn’t even glance at her.

"No one by that name is here."

Selene stiffened. "Are you sure? Maybe you missed her?"

The worker finally looked up, sighing.

"I don’t have time for this. If she’s here, she registered under a different name. You’re free to look around for her."

Selene’s fingers curled into fists. Of course. Rize wasn’t stupid. She wouldn’t use her real name.

Ethan leaned on the counter.

"So? Giving up?"

Selene ignored him and scanned the room. If Rize was here, she had to be close.

Selene scanned the shelter once more, her sharp eyes darting over the sea of weary faces. She had asked twice. No one by the name Rize Spencer was here.

The answer should have been simple: Rize wasn’t at this shelter. But something about it didn’t sit right with her.

She had been so sure.

Yet, she wasn’t here.

Selene stood still, the noise of the shelter fading into the background as a thought crept into her mind.

’Did Rize lie to me?’

It didn’t make sense at first—why would Rize lie? But the more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt.

’What if she never intended to tell me the truth about her? What were we to each other? People to keep at distance?’

What if everything Rize had told her about where she was at the start of this mess was just a lie to keep Selene from digging deeper?

Selene clenched her fists, jaw tightening.

There was only one reason she could think of—Rize didn’t want Selene to know her real circumstances. Maybe it was shame. Maybe it was fear. Maybe it was something else entirely.

Either way, it left a bitter taste in Selene’s mouth.

She had considered Rize a friend, someone she had trusted. But now, for the first time, she wondered if that trust had been misplaced.

Ethan, watching her expression darken, tilted his head.

"You done wasting time?"

Selene exhaled sharply.

"Yeah. Let’s go."

She turned to leave, but something stopped her.

A presence.

In the farthest corner of the room, nearly hidden in the shadows, a small figure was curled up against the wall. A boy, no older than ten, cowering as if trying to make himself invisible.

Selene paused, her gut twisting.

There was something wrong here.

Before she could think twice, she started toward him.

Ethan groaned behind her.

"Selene. No. No. Don’t do this."

She ignored him.

Ethan sighed.

"You don’t even know him."

Still, she kept walking.

She didn’t know why, but something about this child felt... off. And she had learned long ago to trust her instincts.

The boy flinched as she approached.

Selene knelt down, her voice softer than usual.

"Hey. What’s your name?"