The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse-Chapter 154: Ch : Catching some Rats- Part 2

The hand that had grabbed her earlier finally let go, stepping forward—

Revealing Zara.

The older girl smirked as she twirled the confiscated knife between her fingers.

"You shouldn’t play with dangerous things."

Zara mused, her voice lighthearted despite the situation.

The female intruder—Uryul—froze.

She had been caught.

But even as reality sank in, she gritted her teeth and swore to herself that she wouldn’t say anything.

She would never betray her brother.

She clenched her fists, trying to keep her face blank, trying to push down the fear rising in her throat.

Then, another voice echoed from the shadows.

A voice she instantly recognized.

"Uryul..."

The figure said, stepping forward.

Selene.

Her black hair framed her sharp gaze, her presence overwhelming despite her calm expression.

Selene crossed her arms.

"Why did you feel the need to rely on drugs?"

Uryul’s heart stopped.

Selene’s gaze was piercing—knowing.

It was as if she could see right through her.

"You could have awakened naturally if you had just given your body time."

Selene continued.

Her voice was steady, but there was a tinge of disappointment in it.

Uryul swallowed hard.

Selene stepped closer, her words hitting harder than the chains binding her.

"Fourteen,huh"

Selene said quietly.

"Fourteen is no age to make such decisions."

Uryul flinched.

Her fingers dug into her palms, her breathing unsteady.

"...How do you know that?"

She whispered.

Selene tilted her head slightly.

"What do you think?"

"...Can you—Can you read minds?"

Uryul swallowed.

Selene didn’t answer directly.

Instead, she said.

"My ability is somewhat similar."

Dread crept into Uryul’s chest.

That meant—

There was no point in hiding anything.

No point in keeping secrets.

Selene already knew.

Her body trembled.

She had lost.

Her mind raced. Should she stay silent? Should she take the chance and lie?

But the weight of Selene’s gaze crushed her resistance.

"...Fine! I’ll tell you all you need to know."

Uryul whispered.

Her voice was hoarse.

"I’ll talk."

Selene remained quiet, waiting.

Uryul exhaled shakily, clenching her fists.

"...My brother and I...We were approached by someone"

She began, her words slow, reluctant.

She licked her dry lips, her voice wavering.

"They promised to awaken us... if we did one small favor for them."

Selene’s expression darkened.

Uryul lowered her gaze, ashamed.

"...We were desperate so we took the offer."

She admitted.

Uryul’s shoulders trembled as she stared at Selene and Zara, her eyes filled with desperation. Her once-defiant stance had crumbled, replaced by a trembling, vulnerable figure trapped in chains.

"Please! Please don’t hurt me... don’t hurt my brother."

She whispered, her voice hoarse with fear.

She lowered her head, swallowing down the lump in her throat.

"We didn’t mean to do this. We only followed orders because... because we wanted to live. We wanted a good life. We didn’t want to starve anymore."

Her breath hitched as she forced herself to look up again.

"We didn’t have a choice."

She pleaded, her lips quivering.

Zara, who had been watching with narrowed eyes, softened at those words.

She knew what starvation felt like.

She knew what desperation could drive people to do.

A part of her wanted to reach out, to comfort the girl who was little more than a child.

But before she could say anything, Selene’s voice cut through the air like a blade.

"We cannot feel sympathy just because you have a sad backstory."

Uryul flinched, her breath catching in her throat.

Selene’s golden eyes were unwavering, piercing straight through her.

Uryul clenched her fists.

"I swear—I didn’t mean any harm. I just—I just wanted to damage this place a little...and maybe hurt Miss Shadow a little as well, just enough to fulfill my part of the deal—"

Selene’s gaze sharpened.

"Do you think that justifies it?"

Uryul froze.

Selene stepped forward, her voice calm yet heavy with unshaken resolve.

"If you had gone through with it, do you know how many innocent people would have been caught in the destruction?"

Uryul’s lips parted, but she had no answer.

Selene continued, her voice unrelenting.

"Your excuses don’t make your actions justifiable."

The weight of Selene’s words pressed down on Uryul like a boulder.

Her vision blurred with unshed tears.

She hadn’t thought about it that way.

She hadn’t wanted to think about it.

She had only seen survival, not the consequences.

Her knees buckled slightly, and she let out a shaky breath.

Selene sighed softly, as if reading the shift in her emotions.

"...Zara, take her away. I need some air."

She said, her voice suddenly a little quieter.

Zara’s brow furrowed.

"Selene—"

"I’m fine! I just feel a little dizzy."

Selene interrupted, pressing a hand to her temple. Zara gave her a long, knowing look before scoffing.

"You shouldn’t act so tough if you have such a tender heart."

Selene ignored her.

She did not have a tender heart, no matter what Zara said. Selene knew when to make tough decisions.

It was...just not the time for her to be making those decisions.

______

Uryul and Klyde were thrown into the same cell, the cold metal bars closing around them like a cage.

Klyde immediately gritted his teeth, his fists clenched as Ethan stood outside the cell, watching them with crossed arms.

"I don’t care what you do. I won’t tell you anything."

Klyde spat, glaring at him.

Ethan raised a brow, amused by his stubbornness.

But before he could speak, Uryul let out a sigh.

"There’s no point, Klyde."

Klyde snapped his head toward her, stunned.

"What?"

Uryul leaned her head against the bars, looking defeated.

"They have someone who can read minds," she muttered. "Resisting won’t change anything."

Klyde’s eyes widened.

His mouth fell open slightly as he turned back to Ethan, then back to Uryul.

His mind raced.

"Wait—you already told them everything?! You Idiot!"

Uryul shrank back slightly.

"...I didn’t see the point in holding back once I realized they knew everything anyway."

Klyde groaned, dragging a hand down his face.

"This is the worst! Did you get tricked by them?"

He muttered.