The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse-Chapter 166: Ch : Shift in Current - Part 3

Morning arrived with an unexpected calm.

Selene had prepared herself for an eruption of chaos, but to her surprise, the tension that had been suffocating the air the previous day seemed to have settled into an uneasy silence.

She made her way through her usual tasks, keeping her ears open and her eyes sharp. She could feel it—a storm brewing beneath the surface.

But for now, everything held steady.

Until lunchtime.

As Selene approached the cafeteria, she heard raised voices—a heated argument that made her slow her steps.

A crowd had gathered near the entrance, their attention locked onto something in the center.

Selene’s curiosity sharpened, and before she could ask, one of her fellow non-awakeners leaned in, whispering to her.

"One of the awakeners pushed someone, and they dropped their food."

Selene blinked.

"That’s it? If that why there is so much disturbance in the cafeteria?"

The woman next to her nodded.

"Yeah. But look at them. They don’t even look sorry for what happened!"

Selene shifted her gaze to the center of the commotion.

A young awakener, small and not well-built, stood with his hands raised in panic. His expression was full of regret, and his apologies spilled from his lips so quickly they tripped over each other.

Opposite him stood a rough-looking non-awakener, shoulders squared, face dark with fury.

Selene frowned.

’This feels... off. This man does look sorry for what happened.’

The awakener was clearly terrified, and yet, no one—not even his fellow awakeners—stepped in to help him.

She turned to the group next to her.

"Why is this such a big deal? It’s just spilled food. That’s hardly a reason to push someone into a full-blown panic attack."

The woman beside her scoffed.

"It’s not about the food."

Another man chimed in, voice low but firm.

"It’s about respect. For days, we’ve been the ones treated like dirt, stepped on and pushed aside. But now? Now they know what it’s like."

Selene frowned.

She could understand their resentment. She knew how long the non-awakeners had suffered under the oppression of the awakeners.

But something about this shift felt too drastic, too unnatural.

’Why is there a fight already? Should I stop it now?’

The fight escalated—the non-awakener’s voice growing louder, his stance becoming more threatening—until suddenly, the crowd began to disperse.

Someone had noticed Ethan and Zara approaching.

Selene watched as people quickly stepped back, cutting off the argument before it could get any worse.

Even the other awakeners, who would have once stood by their own, had done nothing to defend their fellow awakener.

She turned to the group beside her.

"Why didn’t they help him?"

One of them shrugged.

"Something must’ve changed. Ever since yesterday, our complaints are actually being taken seriously. Now, when an awakener messes up, they’re being held accountable."

Another woman chimed in, smiling slightly.

"It’s about time. We deserve this."

Selene didn’t respond.

She wasn’t sure what to think.

The awakeners had ruled over them for so long—abusing their power, treating non-awakeners like they were less than human.

So why did it feel wrong to see the tables turned?

She kept her thoughts to herself but made a note to keep watching.

Something about this still didn’t sit right with her.

That evening, the air still felt heavy.

Selene had spent the rest of the day observing, noting the small yet noticeable shifts in behavior between the two groups.

The awakeners were cautious, hesitant, as if they were afraid to step out of line.

The non-awakeners, however—

They were growing bolder.

Too bold.

Selene thought grimly as she stumbled across a disturbing sight during dinner.

Near the back of the construction area, an awakener stood rigid, his face twisted in frustration.

Across from him, a non-awakener smirked.

"You’re going to do my work for me. Or I’m going to report you."

The non-awakener sneered.

The awakener’s jaw tightened.

"That’s not right. You need to do your own work."

He said firmly.

The non-awakener snorted, crossing his arms.

"You sound just like the awakeners from before. When they were in power, they made us do their work for them. So tell me—why should we be any different?"

Selene’s stomach twisted.

This wasn’t justice.

This wasn’t fairness.

This was revenge.

The awakener and non-awakener both noticed her presence.

The non-awakener grinned, looking delighted to see her.

"Hey! Perfect timing! You should dump your workload on him too. It’s about time they started learning how it feels to be at the bottom."

He motioned toward the awakener with a chuckle.

Selene stared at him.

A heavy, suffocating silence stretched between them.

And in that moment, Selene realized—

The power shift wasn’t just about justice.

It was about control.

About switching places.

The non-awakeners weren’t trying to balance the scales.

They wanted to tip them entirely in their favor.

Selene’s fingers curled into fists at her sides.

She had spent so much time fighting against oppression, struggling to create a fairer system—

And now, the very people she had wanted to protect were becoming the oppressors themselves.

She took a slow breath and forced her voice to remain even.

"You’re not going to report him."

The non-awakener’s smirk faltered.

"What?"

Selene stepped forward, her gaze unwavering.

"He didn’t do anything wrong. And you’re not going to report him just because you can."

The non-awakener’s expression twisted.

"So you’re taking their side now?"

Selene’s voice remained calm, but firm.

"I’m taking the side of what’s right."

Silence. freewёbnoνel.com

The awakener looked at her with wide, startled eyes.

The non-awakener’s jaw clenched, but he said nothing.

Finally, he let out a sharp breath and turned away, muttering something under his breath as he stalked off.

Selene exhaled slowly.

The awakener hesitated before giving her a grateful nod.

"Thanks."

Selene didn’t answer.

She was too busy thinking.

Too busy realizing something she hadn’t wanted to acknowledge before.

The balance of power had shifted too fast.

Someone was pulling the strings behind the scenes.

And if she didn’t find out who—

Things were only going to get worse.