The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse-Chapter 135: Ch : An Abomination- Part 4

Selene left first, and Nora followed suit, shooting one last glare at Madam Verta before turning away.

But just before she stepped out of the tent, a firm grip wrapped around her wrist, stopping her in place.

She turned, startled, only to find Madam Verta’s cold, piercing gaze locking onto hers.

"...Be careful! Do not trust her too much."

The older woman murmured.

Nora frowned.

"Excuse me?"

Madam Verta’s expression darkened.

"That girl may be harboring something... something even she is unaware of."

For a moment, Nora felt a strange chill crawl up her spine.

But then, she yanked her wrist free and shot Madam Verta a sharp look.

"I trust Selene more than I’d ever trust someone like you."

And with that, she walked away, leaving Madam Verta alone in the dim candlelight of her tent.

Outside Madam Verta’s tent, Ethan leaned against a nearby post, arms crossed, waiting.

The night air was cool, but he barely felt it. His mind was preoccupied, restless, as he stared at the entrance of the tent, waiting for Selene to emerge.

The moment she stepped out, Ethan straightened. His eyes instantly scanned her, checking for any signs of distress, discomfort—anything that might indicate that she needed help.

She looked fine. At least, on the surface.

Still, he walked over without hesitation.

"What happened in there? Did she say something? Do you need help?"

His voice was low, serious.

Selene blinked up at him, then let out a soft chuckle.

"Relax. Nothing happened. And no, I don’t need help."

Ethan frowned. That wasn’t good enough.

"I don’t trust that woman. I’m going to keep an eye on her."

He muttered, his gaze flickering back toward the tent.

Selene let out a sigh, tilting her head slightly.

"Ethan, it’s fine. Don’t waste your time worrying about Madam Verta. She’s not worth losing sleep over."

Ethan scoffed.

"Who said I was worried?"

Selene’s lips curled into an amused smirk.

"Oh? Then I must have misunderstood. I’ll be sure not to worry about you next time, either."

Ethan’s eyes widened slightly.

Wait—was she actually saying that she had been worried about him?

Something about that made his stomach twist, and before he knew it, the words were tumbling out of his mouth:

"No, wait—worry about me again."

Selene blinked, then let out a genuine, light laugh.

"So you do care."

Ethan groaned, running a hand through his hair.

"Just—shut up."

Selene simply grinned, clearly enjoying herself.

Their playful exchange continued for a moment longer, but it was soon interrupted when the tent flap behind them shifted, and Nora stepped out.

Unlike Selene, her expression was far more serious.

Ethan immediately noticed the difference—there was something heavy in her gaze, as if she was deep in thought, troubled by something. But before he could ask, she turned away and walked off.

Selene watched her for a moment before sighing.

"She’s got a lot on her mind."

Ethan hummed in agreement, but his attention remained fixed on Madam Verta’s tent.

Even if Selene told him not to, he wasn’t going to let his guard down. Not when it came to that woman.

______

Meanwhile, Nora made her way back to her own tent, her thoughts swirling with Madam Verta’s words.

Selene shouldn’t exist?

Selene might be harboring something unknown?

The weight of those implications made her stomach churn.

So deep in thought, she almost didn’t notice when she stepped inside—until she heard a familiar voice.

"Where did you go?"

Nora snapped out of her thoughts and looked up, only to find Noah staring at her, arms crossed, expression unusually serious.

For a moment, she hesitated.

She had a lot on her mind, and she wasn’t sure if she should burden Noah with it.

But in the end, she sighed.

"I was speaking with Madam Verta and...Selene."

At those words, she expected Noah to make some sarcastic remark, maybe tease her for sneaking off without telling him.

But there was nothing.

Silence.

Confused, Nora glanced up at him—only to freeze.

Noah’s usual easy-going expression was gone.

Instead, his eyes were dark, filled with something dangerous. His entire body radiated anger, and an almost tangible killing intent filled the space between them.

Nora’s breath caught in her throat.

"Noah?"

His voice was low, sharp.

"Did something happen with Selene?"

Nora swallowed.

"Something happened ... .more like, Madam Verta said somethings about Selene...that were...."

The air around them grew colder as Nora told Noah what the older female had told her.

Noah’s hand clenched into a fist.

"Should I end her?"

The question was so calm, so casual, as if he was simply offering to take care of a minor inconvenience.

But the sheer rage in his tone sent a shiver down Nora’s spine.

"No! That’s not what Selene would want."

She said quickly.

Her words seemed to reach him because, after a moment, the tension in his shoulders loosened—just slightly.

Still, his expression remained dark.

"Then don’t let her words bother you."

Nora let out a frustrated sigh.

"How can I not be bothered? She spoke about Selene like she was some sort of anomaly—like she wasn’t even supposed to be here."

Noah shook his head.

"It doesn’t matter."

Nora frowned.

"How can you say that?"

Noah looked her dead in the eye, his voice firm.

"Because nothing changes. Selene is our sister. That will never change."

Nora sucked in a breath.

She hadn’t realized how much she needed to hear those words until now.

A part of her—deep down—had felt uneasy. Doubtful.

Not because she didn’t trust Selene, but because of what Madam Verta had said.

But hearing Noah say it so definitively...

It made her feel ashamed for ever letting herself hesitate.

After a long pause, she exhaled.

"You can be useful sometimes, you know."

Noah arched a brow, smirking.

"Sometimes? I’m always useful."

Nora rolled her eyes.

"Sure, keep telling yourself that."

Noah grinned.

"I will."

His lighthearted attitude managed to ease the heavy atmosphere, and for the first time since she left Madam Verta’s tent, Nora felt like she could breathe again.

Maybe Noah was right.

Maybe it didn’t matter what Madam Verta said.

Because at the end of the day, Selene was Selene.

And nothing would change that.