The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse-Chapter 130: Ch : Genuine Interest- Part 2

Selene hesitated.

Eclipse?

For a moment, she was caught off guard.

She knew that name.

In her past life, Eclipse had risen to become the second most powerful guild—right after the Vale family. They had been a force to be reckoned with. Skilled. Tactical. Ruthless.

But right now, they were just a newly established guild.

Selene had avoided thinking too much about them. She didn’t want to.

She had made a promise to herself not to get tangled up in the past.

Not to lose herself in what was.

Selene took a breath, shaking off the memories.

"It’s possible, but I can’t say for sure."

She finally answered.

Zara pouted slightly. "Hmm."

Selene narrowed her eyes at her.

"Why are you so interested in Eclipse?"

Zara stiffened slightly, then quickly waved a hand.

"Oh, it’s nothing! Just curious!"

She said, standing up abruptly.

And before Selene could press further, Zara practically fled from the room.

Orion blinked.

"That was... suspicious."

Selene crossed her arms.

"Very."

A groggy voice interrupted them.

"Zara has a crush on someone from Eclipse."

Both of them turned their heads to see Ethan stretching as he sat up on the couch. His golden eyes were still half-lidded with sleep, his hair messier than usual.

Orion snorted.

"Wait—what?"

Ethan yawned.

"That’s why she got so excited when you mentioned them. She’s been trying to keep it a secret, but it’s obvious."

He rubbed the back of his neck.

Selene tilted her head.

"Do you know who she likes?"

Ethan shrugged.

"Not sure. She never says anything outright, but she always gets like this when Eclipse is brought up."

Orion grinned.

"That does explain a lot. I mean, when was the last time Zara got that invested in anything?"

Selene sighed. She hadn’t been expecting this, but it wasn’t completely surprising. Zara was normally so confident, but when it came to personal matters, she tended to be secretive.

Still, Eclipse...

Selene wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

"Well, if Eclipse is at the raid, I guess we’ll find out soon enough."

She said after a moment.

Orion leaned back.

"Man, I hope it’s someone dramatic. I want to see Zara get all flustered."

Selene rolled her eyes.

"You just enjoy chaos."

Orion grinned.

"You know me too well."

A small silence settled between them.

For the past few days, they had all been trying to move forward—trying to return to some sense of normalcy.

But deep down, they all knew that things weren’t over.

Justice might have disappeared from the public eye, but that didn’t mean they were gone.

Selene had a feeling that this upcoming raid...

Was only the beginning.

______

The grand dining hall of the Vale mansion was silent except for the soft clinking of silverware against porcelain plates.

At the head of the table sat him—their father, Vincent Vale, the patriarch of the Vale family.

Noah and Nora sat across from each other, their mother, Evelyn, sitting beside their father. The meal was extravagant, as always, but neither twin truly tasted the food.

They were waiting—waiting for the inevitable conversation that came with every dinner.

And sure enough, Vincent set his fork down with a clink, his piercing gaze settling on his children.

"How are your preparations going? What rank have you reached now?"

he asked, his voice calm but firm.

Noah’s hand clenched around his fork.

The pressure was suffocating.

No matter how much they did, it was never enough.

His father’s expectations were a weight that never left his shoulders, and the simple question made his mind go blank. He struggled to find the words, but before he could answer, Nora spoke up.

"We’ve broken into the top 100. And soon, we’ll climb even higher."

She said smoothly, her voice gentle but unwavering.

Their father let out a pleased hum, nodding as he leaned back in his chair.

"Good. That’s what I like to hear."

For a moment, Noah felt relief. Maybe this would be enough to satisfy him—maybe, just this once, they wouldn’t have to hear—

"You’re much better than that spare first I had."

Noah froze.

His fingers trembled as an icy chill spread from his hand, frost creeping along the edges of his plate.

It didn’t matter that his father hadn’t said a name.

They all knew exactly who he was referring to.

Selene.

The firstborn. The one cast aside.

The one they had been raised to surpass.

Vincent smirked.

"Investing in the two of you was the right decision."

Noah’s breath came out unevenly, and the cold in his veins threatened to spill out in a violent storm. But before he could lose control, a warm hand covered his.

Nora.

Her grip was firm, her touch radiating heat, countering the ice spreading from his fingers. She didn’t say anything, but her gaze told him everything.

Not now.

Not here.

With effort, Noah forced himself to exhale, pulling the frost back under control. His father hadn’t noticed—or if he had, he didn’t care.

Dinner continued as if nothing had happened.

Finally, when the meal came to an end, Vincent stood from his seat.

"Make sure you’re both ready for the next raid. "It’s an important one. The Vale family’s name must remain untouchable."

He ordered.

Without another word, he left.

Their mother, Evelyn, remained seated for a moment longer. She sipped her wine slowly, then glanced at the twins.

"You heard your father. Do not disappoint him."

She said.

Then she, too, left the room.

Silence.

Noah gritted his teeth, the frost returning to his fingertips. He clenched his fists, the air around him turning colder.

"That bastard—"

"Calm down."

Nora’s voice was quiet but sharp.

Noah looked at her, irritation flaring.

"How can you just sit there and take that?"

Nora met his gaze evenly. "Because we don’t have a choice."

Noah scowled, but she continued.

"There are people listening, Noah. You know that."

Her eyes flickered to the corners of the room.

Noah exhaled sharply through his nose. He hated this. He hated the walls filled with hidden eyes and ears. Hated the conditioning that forced them to obey without question.

He hated that their father had won.

But he swallowed his anger and nodded.

For now.