The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse-Chapter 128: Ch : Unfinished Business- Part 2

The night was still heavy when Ethan arrived at the secluded hideout where Lyra and Rose were staying.

It wasn’t hard to find them.

Lyra had done as she promised—she was taking care of Rose, watching over him like a devoted shadow.

But Rose...

Ethan observed him from the darkness, his gaze sharp and unreadable. The encounter he had with Selene and Ethan seemed to have taken a heavy toll on his body and mind.

The man who had once been so full of righteous conviction now looked... smaller.

Rose sat on the ground, leaning against the wall, his arms bound and his head tilted downward.

His face was twisted in anger, frustration simmering beneath his expression, but there was something else beneath it—something almost broken.

Lyra knelt beside him, carefully tending to the injuries he had sustained.

"I’ll have to plan my next move. Next time, I will not-"

Rose muttered, his voice low but resolute. Despite having faced such a big back-lash, Rose did not seem to have learned his lesson.

Lyra flinched. Her expression looked full of determination and she knew that she needed to stop Rose this time.

"Rose—"

Before she could say anything else, a heavy thud echoed through the empty ally before a presence could be felt.

Rose gasped, his body jerking forward as Ethan’s foot pressed against his back, pinning him firmly to the ground. Ethan had almost broken Rose’s back with his action, but not a spec of guilt could be seen in Ethan’s eyes.

"Planning your next move already?"

Ethan said, his voice laced with mockery.

"You’re a real piece of work, you know that?"

Rose gritted his teeth, his hands curling into fists beneath him.

"Get off me."

Ethan ignored him, increasing the pressure just slightly.

"You really should quit while you’re ahead, Rose. No one’s going to let you pull the same trick twice."

Lyra’s eyes widened as she hurriedly stood up.

"Ethan, that’s enough."

Ethan barely spared her a glance.

"Is it?"

Lyra hesitated, her fingers trembling slightly.

"You’ve already won. Just let him go."

Rose let out a bitter laugh from beneath Ethan’s boot.

"Yeah, Ethan. Why don’t you stop bothering other people? It’s unpleasant."

Ethan’s smirk didn’t falter.

"Funny. That’s exactly what I was going to tell you."

Rose let out a sharp breath, his body tensing, but he didn’t fight back. He couldn’t. Not now.

Ethan crouched down slightly, his foot still pressing against Rose’s back as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small contract scroll.

"Here’s the deal. You and Lyra are going to sign this contract."

Ethan said, his tone dangerously casual.

Lyra’s breath caught in her throat.

"What? We already signed one!"

Ethan held up the scroll.

"That is different. That one ensures that neither of you will be able to use your abilities on other people. However, this one’s for you both to leave Selene alone. I don’t want you anywhere near her. Do you hear me? If you break the contract, you will suffer the consequences."

Lyra stiffened.

"Ethan, that—"

"That what? That it’s unfair? That it puts you in danger?"

Ethan’s gaze flickered toward her, cold and unyielding. He let out a humorless chuckle.

"Not my problem."

His expression darkened.

"I don’t trust either of you. So consider this insurance."

He said bluntly.

Lyra swallowed hard, glancing at Rose.

He wasn’t speaking anymore, but his jaw was clenched tight, his entire body coiled like a spring.

He hated this.

But even he knew—fighting Ethan right now was a lost cause.

Ethan rolled the contract open and placed it in front of them.

"Sign."

Neither of them moved at first.

Ethan sighed, standing up straight and pulling his foot off Rose’s back.

"Look. You can sign it willingly."

Ethan looked calm when he spoke, but his voice felt powerful.

"Or I can make you."

A dangerous silence settled over the room.

The air itself seemed heavier.

Ethan’s presence alone was suffocating.

Finally, Lyra exhaled shakily and stepped forward, grabbing the pen. She hesitated only for a second before signing her name.

Then, she turned to Rose.

Rose didn’t move.

Ethan raised an eyebrow.

"Need help?"

Rose’s fingers twitched. He was furious.

Humiliated.

But in the end—

He grabbed the pen.

He signed.

The contract glowed softly, sealing itself in place.

Ethan rolled it back up, satisfied.

"Good. Now behave."

He said simply. Without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving them both behind.

As the door shut behind him, Lyra let out a shaky breath, glancing down at Rose.

Rose stared at his hands, silent.

But something in his eyes had changed.

And Lyra wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing—or something far, far worse

______

The night air was thick with the weight of everything that had happened.

Ethan walked back at a steady pace, hands shoved into his pockets, his mind still replaying the events of the night. Rose and Lyra had signed the contract. They were bound now. It should have been the end of it.

But something didn’t sit right with him.

He wasn’t sure what it was—just a nagging feeling in his gut that made him restless.

Then, suddenly—

His senses flared.

It was faint, but he felt it. A shift in the atmosphere. A ripple of power.

An ability had just been used.

Ethan’s body reacted before his mind fully processed it. He turned sharply, his boots hitting the pavement as he rushed back toward the alley where he had left Rose and Lyra.

The alley was eerily silent.

Too silent.

And when Ethan stepped into the space, his golden eyes narrowed at the sight before him.

Rose and Lyra were lying on the ground—completely still.

They weren’t tied up. There were no signs of a struggle. They looked like they were simply asleep.

But Ethan knew better.

A subtle, sweet scent lingered in the air. It was almost floral, but not quite. The moment it hit his nose, his instincts screamed at him.

Something was wrong.

His fingers twitched as he scanned the alley, his eyes sharp, his ears straining for any movement—any hint of who or what had done this.

Nothing.

Whoever it was... they were already gone.