The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse-Chapter 168: Ch : Exploding Tension- Part 2

The tension had finally eased, but Selene couldn’t shake the lingering unease gnawing at her mind.

The fear of Ethan had succeeded in binding the awakeners and non-awakeners together, but she knew better than to think this fragile peace would last.

It felt like a temporary patch on a deep wound, something that would eventually rip apart again.

"You are all free to leave now. But make sure I do not catch you slacking. You won’t like the end result."

Ethan’s words were quickly followed by people trying to run away to not be caught by him. There was real fear in their eyes.

Once there seemed to be no one around, Selene decided to approach Ethan and talk to him.

She turned to Ethan, her voice quiet yet firm.

"This won’t hold forever, Ethan."

Ethan leaned back against the wall, arms crossed loosely, an almost lazy smirk playing at his lips, but Selene knew him well enough to see past that.

There was always something deeper lurking beneath his expressions.

"Nothing lasts forever, Selene. But nothing unites people better than a common enemy."

His golden eyes gleamed in the dim light, unreadable as always.

Selene frowned.

"You made yourself the enemy."

He chuckled lowly, the sound almost amused, yet there was something resigned in it.

"And? That’s exactly what they needed."

She hated how casually he said it, like it didn’t bother him in the slightest.

"They’re scared of you. And they’re using that fear to unite. But what happens when their resentment boils over?"

She said softly.

Ethan shrugged, rolling his shoulders like it didn’t matter.

"Then they’ll hate me. They’ll curse my name. But at least they won’t be tearing each other apart."

Selene clenched her jaw. This wasn’t fair. He had always been stubborn, always willing to take the fall for others.

But this time, he was bearing too much. She could see it—the weight on his shoulders, the heavy burden he was shouldering just so others didn’t have to.

"I’m sorry."

She whispered.

Ethan raised an eyebrow, tilting his head slightly.

"For what?"

"For putting you in this position. If there’s anything I can do to make it up to you, just tell me."

She admitted, looking away.

For a brief second, Ethan’s eyes darkened, a flicker of something intense flashing across his face. It was a look she couldn’t quite place—something possessive, something dangerous.

Selene felt a chill run down her spine, but just as quickly, Ethan let it go, exhaling slowly.

He smirked, but this time, it was softer. "

Take care of yourself. And survive.""

He said simply.

Selene felt her chest tighten. That was it? After everything? She nodded, her voice soft yet resolute.

"I was planning to do that anyway."

Selene muttered as she walked away. She almost did not hear Ethan’s whisper of ’it’s better if they hate me and not you.’

Those words made Selene’s heart skip a beat and she tried to suppress the shiver that went down her spine.

’Ethan is seriously not good for my heart. I feel like my heart is beating a mile per minute. I need to calm it down somehow.’

Unfortunately, Selene was not able to find a way to calm down in the end.

______

The next morning, Selene went undercover for one last time.

She walked through the base, observing the people around her, and to her surprise, everyone was getting along.

The awakeners and non-awakeners were working side by side, speaking to each other normally. The usual tension had faded, and in its place was something she hadn’t expected—cooperation.

For a moment, it almost felt too good to be true. But then—Selene heard the whispers.

She discreetly joined a few conversations, listening to the hushed discussions around her. And every single one of them—was about Ethan.

"He’s terrifying."

One worker muttered under their breath.

"I can’t believe we actually let him take charge. If we step out of line, he’ll probably kill us."

Another whispered.

A nervous chuckle followed.

"I mean, at least now we don’t have to worry about fighting each other. We’re all too busy making sure we don’t piss him off."

someone else said.

Selene felt her stomach drop.

So this was it.

Ethan had been right.

Their fear of him had bound them together, given them a common enemy to unite against.

Selene wanted to be relieved—after all, this was better than bloodshed—but all she felt was guilt.

Ethan had willingly thrown himself into the fire just to keep the peace, and now, the very people he had helped despised him for it.

She clenched her fists, swallowing the bitterness rising in her throat.

But at least... at least they weren’t fighting anymore. At least this worked.

That thought gave her some comfort, and she allowed herself to relax, if only a little.

She even smiled slightly as she moved through the halls, watching everyone work together without hostility.

But then—

Something caught her attention.

A shadow flickered near the inner corridors, moving unnaturally, deliberately avoiding attention.

Selene’s instincts immediately flared.

The person was heading toward the forbidden area, the section of the base where only authorized personnel were allowed.

No workers, no volunteers, no one was supposed to go there.

Selene narrowed her eyes, her body shifting into a careful, silent pursuit.

She followed at a distance, keeping to the edges of the hallway, her steps light and calculated.

She didn’t know who they were or what they wanted, but she wasn’t about to let them move unchecked.

The figure moved quickly, slipping past groups of people unnoticed. It was practiced, precise—like they had done this before.

Selene felt her heartbeat pick up. Something was off.

Was this an infiltrator? A spy? Or something even worse?

She didn’t let herself dwell on it too long. Instead, she adjusted her grip on the knife hidden beneath her sleeve and continued her pursuit, her every sense sharpened, ready for whatever came next.

Ignoring a bad feeling only led to disaster, and Selene wasn’t about to let that happen.