The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse-Chapter 111: Ch : The Trials of Sacrifice- Part 2

Selene took a breath, forcing calm over the storm of her thoughts. She needed to find a way out. She could not stay here.

She called on her Insight.

Her vision shifted, colors dulling as the world around her sharpened.

The corridor twisted and turned, and hidden paths revealed themselves.

She saw the faint glow of traps set into the walls and floor, their dangerous energy pulsing.

She also saw faint trails—shadows of movements that were not hers. Someone had been here before. The paths they took were like ghostly imprints.

Selene followed them.

Her steps were quiet, her breathing steady. She avoided the traps with careful precision, slipping past pressure plates and stepping over thin wires. The corridor felt endless, but she did not stop.

The illusion of Rose still lingered in her mind. His voice, his face—all too real. She hated how easily the dungeon manipulated her. How it made her doubt her senses.

She gritted her teeth, using that anger to fuel her.

After what felt like an eternity, the corridor opened up into another room.

This one was larger, with walls lined with strange, twisting roots that hummed with energy. In the center, there was a pedestal with a glowing orb.

Selene approached it slowly. Her Insight told her nothing dangerous was here, but she did not trust it. The dungeon had already fooled her once.

She stopped a few feet away from the pedestal and crouched down. She examined the floor, looking for hidden triggers. There were none. She looked to the ceiling—no traps there either.

She frowned, but curiosity got the best of her.

She extended her hand toward the orb. The light within it pulsed, and the room seemed to hold its breath.

Her fingers brushed against the smooth surface, and a rush of warmth flooded through her.

A message appeared in her vision, clear and bold:

[Congratulations! You have cleared the first trial.]

The orb shattered into light, and a new path opened at the far end of the room.

Selene stood, her expression hardening. If this was just the first trial, there was no telling what the rest of the dungeon held.

She rolled her shoulders, feeling the weight of the journey ahead.

But this time, she would not let illusions or tricks get to her. She would keep her Insight sharp, and she would not falter.

Her steps echoed as she walked through the newly revealed path, her mind set on reaching the end—no matter what the dungeon threw at her next.

______

The room seemed to ripple as Selene was pushed forward, and before she could gather her bearings, she stood alongside Ethan, Orion, and Zara.

The dungeon’s cold stone walls loomed around them, and a faint blue light illuminated the endless corridor ahead. A chime echoed in her mind, and a message appeared before her eyes:

[Final Trial: Reach the end of the corridor. The reward will be yours.]

Selene’s eyes narrowed.

The instructions seemed too simple—too straightforward. She re-read the message, searching for hidden meanings or tricks, but there was nothing. The words remained plain and clear.

Her instincts screamed at her. There had to be a catch.

She looked around at her teammates.

Ethan’s jaw was tight, his usual carefree expression gone. Orion’s fingers fidgeted at his side, and Zara’s eyes darted between the walls as if they might close in on them.

"What’s wrong?"

Selene asked. Her voice echoed, thin and uneasy.

They all hesitated.

"It’s nothing."

Zara finally said, but the tremor in her voice betrayed her.

"Yeah, just another trial."

Orion added, but he did not look her in the eye. freeweɓnøvel.com

Ethan said nothing. His hands were clenched into fists.

Selene sighed. She knew when they were hiding something.

She had seen these looks before—back when secrets brewed under the surface, festering until they could no longer be contained.

"Fine. I’ll go first. You guys follow."

She said, her tone resigned.

She stepped forward, her boots tapping against the stone floor. The corridor stretched endlessly, its dim light swallowing them.

As they walked, she noticed the others slowing down.

Their footsteps dragged, their bodies felt heavy. Selene kept her pace steady, but a cold dread spread through her.

When they reached the end, the corridor led to nothing. There was no exit, no door—just a flat wall of stone.

Selene stopped, turning to face them.

"Alright. Spill."

Their expressions twisted with guilt.

No one spoke.

Her patience thinned, and she bit her lip, her mind working through the possible explanations.

And then, a memory clicked into place—an old tale about a dungeon trial. A story she had heard before.

"The trial...Does it require a sacrifice?"

She began slowly.

Silence.

Zara looked away. Orion’s shoulders hunched. Ethan’s face darkened, frustration radiating off him.

"That’s it, isn’t it? Did the system ask you to sacrifice me? I had a feeling..."

Selene demanded but then rubbed her forehead.

’What a fucking nightmare. I would rather not be here right now.’

Ethan’s composure snapped.

"I’ve had enough of this! This dungeon is a joke. I’m breaking us out of here."

He yelled. His aura flared, energy crackling around him.

He raised his hand, his power gathering in his palm.

"Ethan, stop! You’ll make things worse."

Selene shouted, rushing toward him. She grabbed his arm, pulling it down before he could unleash his attack.

"What do you expect us to do then?" he asked. His voice was rough, his expression filled with desperation.

"Sit here and wait? Let you be the sacrifice?"

"It’s fine. I already have a solution."

She said, a soft smile breaking through her sternness.

He stared at her, disbelief and fear mixed in his gaze.

"Selene, don’t—"

"Trust me. I know what I’m doing."

She whispered.

The room seemed to hold its breath. Ethan’s energy faded, and his posture loosened. But there was still fear in his eyes.

Selene took a step back, her foot meeting the edge of the platform. She glanced over the side. A dark abyss stretched below, an endless void that seemed to swallow light and sound.

"Selene..."

Zara’s voice was small, a fragile thread.

"You better clear the dungeon. Before I’m gone for good."

Selene said, her voice carrying a strange calm.

And then she fell.

The world became a rush of cold air and darkness.

Selene’s mind was still, her body weightless as the wind screamed around her. She felt the pull of gravity, the inevitable end waiting for her at the bottom of the abyss.

But she did not fight it.

Her senses numbed, and her vision blurred. The last thing she saw was the faint glow of the room above, growing smaller and smaller.

And then—

Nothing.