The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse-Chapter 153: Ch : Catching some Rats- Part 1

"Alright, we finally made it. You know what to do in there, right? We might only get one chance, so we gotta make it count."

The night had settled over the half-built facility, casting long shadows over the skeletal framework of the project.

The air was cool and still, the faint sounds of distant city life barely reaching the quiet construction site.

Two figures moved swiftly through the darkness, their steps careful, their breathing measured.

A man and a woman, both cloaked in black.

"We need to hurry! If we take too long, we’re done for."

The man whispered, his voice tight with urgency.

The woman, her sharp eyes darting around the dimly lit corridor, frowned.

"I know, I know. But rushing and getting caught would be even worse. What if we get caught too quickly? I am scared."

She hissed back, but her tone sounded equally scared. Even her body was shaking at the thought of what would happen to her next.

As they crept deeper into the site, they suddenly heard a noise—a faint but distinct footstep echoing from nearby.

Both froze in place.

The man reacted instantly, his hand moving up in a practiced motion. Within seconds, a thin layer of distortion rippled around them, and the pair vanished from sight.

Just in time.

Zara appeared at the far end of the corridor, her expression unreadable.

The two intruders held their breath, watching as she walked past, her footsteps steady and unhurried.

As she disappeared down another hallway, the woman let out a quiet breath of relief.

"Was that her? Did we find the one we were looking for?"

She asked in a whisper.

The man shook his head. "No. Our target has black hair and is a little shorter."

The woman’s shoulders relaxed slightly.

"Good. That means we haven’t messed up yet. We either need to take our target or make sure this place is not able to complete in time. Once we achieve this, we won’t have to worry about food ever again."

They continued moving forward, their steps silent against the concrete floor.

The deeper they went, the quieter the surroundings became. The male intruder frowned.

"...We’re close. ’Miss Shadow’ would be close by! We just need to make sure she-"

He muttered, his voice tense.

But when he turned to look at his partner—

She was gone.

His stomach dropped.

"...Hey? This isn’t funny."

He called out in a hushed tone.

No response.

The silence felt too heavy. Something was wrong.

His fingers twitched toward his belt, where his phone was strapped. He needed to contact her. Now.

With a quick movement, he grabbed his phone and started dialing—

But he never finished.

A crushing force suddenly slammed into his back, sending him sprawling to the ground. His breath hitched in shock, his phone slipping from his grasp.

Before he could react, a foot pressed firmly between his shoulder blades, pinning him down.

He struggled, but the weight above him didn’t budge.

A voice, smooth and almost amused, spoke above him.

"Give up."

The man’s eyes widened in panic.

Ethan.

The foot on his back pressed harder, making it impossible for him to move.

"There’s no way you’re making it out alive at this rate. So why don’t you be a good little rat and stop squirming?"

Ethan continued casually, as if discussing the weather.

The intruder gritted his teeth, sweat beading on his forehead.

His hand inched toward his mouth.

He knew the rules. If caught—self-termination.

His fingers brushed against the tiny capsule hidden in his gums.

Just a little more—

CRACK.

A barrier formed between his teeth, stopping him from biting down.

The man’s eyes widened in horror.

From the shadows, another figure emerged.

A boy with an unreadable expression, his presence calm yet suffocating.

Orion.

The intruder stared at him in disbelief.

He looked young. Too young. Yet, the cold gleam in his eyes made it clear that he was far from an ordinary kid.

"Y-You...Who... are you?"

The intruder gasped, his voice hoarse.

Orion tilted his head slightly, his tone even.

"I should be asking you that, don’t you think?"

The man swallowed. They knew.

They had known he was coming.

Which meant—

"...We were tricked."

He realized, his stomach twisting in fear.

A trap.

And he and his partner had walked right into it.

______

The female intruder moved silently through the dim corridors of the half-built facility, her steps measured and cautious.

Yet, despite her focus, a growing unease settled in her chest.

Her instincts screamed at her.

Something was wrong. free𝑤ebnovel.com

She turned her head slightly, expecting to see her partner just behind her—but he was gone.

Her breath hitched.

"...Klyde?"

She whispered, stopping in her tracks.

No response.

Her fingers tightened into fists. She wasn’t supposed to panic. She couldn’t afford to panic.

He must have gotten ahead, she reasoned. Or maybe he fell behind?

She shook her head, forcing herself to take another step.

"Keep moving. Just keep moving."

She muttered under her breath, unaware that her voice carried softly through the corridor.

She moved forward again, her heartbeat hammering in her ears.

Then—

A hand shot out from the darkness, latching onto her arm.

Fear flooded her body.

She reacted instantly.

Her free hand snapped to her belt, fingers curling around the familiar handle of her knife.

She drew it in one swift motion, slashing toward the unseen figure.

"Let go!"

She hissed, the blade gleaming under the faint light.

But her captor didn’t release her.

Instead, they simply held firm, unfazed by her struggling.

She could barely see their face, but she felt their presence—strong, steady, unyielding.

Panic seized her chest as she slowly backed away, her knife still raised in warning.

She took another step.

Then another.

Until her back hit something solid.

A wall.

She had trapped herself.

And before she could even react—

Chains shot out from the shadows, wrapping around her arms and legs.

Her eyes widened in horror as her weapon was ripped from her grasp.