The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse-Chapter 172: Ch : Be Careful in there- Part 2

Rize Spencer arrived at the volunteer site the next morning, feeling calm and composed.

She had spent the night going over her plan, fixing her mistakes, and making sure that she wouldn’t fail this time.

Yesterday had been a mess.

She had let herself get distracted, had gotten caught in a riot, and worst of all—she had run into Selene’s people.

That was too close for comfort.

But today would be different.

Rize straightened her back, putting on her usual confident expression as she walked into the base, ready to blend in.

However, before she could even start working, a voice called out to her.

"Excuse me."

A smooth, commanding voice said.

Rize turned around and was immediately struck by the sight of the woman standing before her.

She had vibrant red hair, almost glowing under the lights, and her golden eyes held a sharp but amused glint.

Rize felt a strange sense of familiarity, but before she could think too deeply about it, the woman introduced herself.

"My name is Selene. And I have to say, I’m impressed by your style."

She said, tilting her head slightly.

Rize blinked in surprise.

She had expected a lot of things today, but a compliment?

That wasn’t one of them.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she felt an unexpected warmth rise to her face.

For as long as she could remember, style had been one of her biggest insecurities.

People often dismissed her fashion choices, telling her she looked too flashy or that her outfits were too much.

But here was this powerful-looking woman—with an aura that made even some of the awakeners hesitate—telling her she liked her style?

For some reason, that made Rize feel really happy.

"R-Really? You think so?"

She stammered, feeling uncharacteristically shy.

Selene nodded, a small smirk playing on her lips.

"Yes. It’s bold, but refined. Unique. I like it."

Rize felt her heart swell with pride.

She had never received such genuine praise for her sense of fashion before.

And now, she wanted to talk more to this woman.

"Thanks, I, uh, put a lot of effort into it."

Rize said, trying to keep her voice casual.

Selene’s smirk widened.

"I can tell. Actually, I’d love to talk to you more about it. In private."

She said, lowering her voice slightly.

Rize froze for a second.

Was this... was this a chance to befriend someone who would appreciate her as well?

Or—dare she say—a chance to impress someone actually cool?

Getting compliments from guys was nice but it was a totally different feeling when a girl complimented you.

Her brain short-circuited for a moment, and before she knew it, she was nodding.

"Sure!"

She said, a little too eagerly.

Selene gestured for her to follow, and Rize did—happily, without a second thought.

She was so distracted by the excitement, so caught up in the idea of finally being appreciated, that she didn’t even notice the trap she was walking into.

It wasn’t until cold steel wrapped around her wrists that she realized something was wrong.

Rize snapped back to reality just in time to feel her body jerk backward, bound suddenly by thick, heavy chains.

Her heart pounded violently as her mind raced to figure out what had just happened.

’What the hell?!’

She struggled, but the chains didn’t budge.

A low, amused chuckle reached her ears, and she whipped her head up, only to stiffen in fear.

Looming over her, smiling in a way that was anything but kind, was Zara.

"Good morning, sweetheart."

Zara purred, her violet eyes glowing with amusement.

Rize shivered involuntarily.

This was bad.

Very, very bad.

"W-What the hell is going on?"

Rize demanded, trying to keep her voice steady.

She pulled at the chains, but the more she struggled, the tighter they seemed to become.

"Don’t bother,"

Another voice said, calm and sharp.

Rize looked over, and her stomach dropped when she saw the red-haired girl from before standing beside Zara—completely unbothered, as if she had planned this from the very beginning.

"You won’t be able to break out of those."

Selene said smoothly.

Rize gritted her teeth, feeling frustration mix with her fear.

"You tricked me!"

She snapped.

Selene raised an eyebrow.

"Did I?"

Rize glared, but before she could say anything else, Zara leaned in, her expression still cheerful—but there was a dangerous edge to it now.

"You and I need to have a little chat."

Zara said, her voice sickeningly sweet.

Rize felt her stomach twist.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about."

She lied smoothly, schooling her expression into one of innocence.

Zara’s grin widened.

"Sure you don’t."

She said, mocking her.

Then, her voice dropped into something more serious.

"Why were you in the restricted section yesterday?"

Rize forced her face to stay neutral, though inside, she was screaming.

She had been careful.

She hadn’t left any traces behind.

So how the hell did they know?

"I think you’ve got the wrong person."

Rize said, keeping her voice even.

Zara clicked her tongue, shaking her head.

"That’s adorable. But unfortunately for you, we don’t have time for games."

She said.

Rize’s hands clenched into fists, but before she could say anything, Selene turned to Ethan.

"Should we stay?" she asked.

Zara tilted her head, her grin never fading.

"You could stay, but I work better alone."

She said.

Something about her tone sent a chill down Rize’s spine.

Selene hesitated, looking like she was about to argue—which honestly made Rize even more scared—but Ethan stepped forward before she could.

"It’s better if we let Zara handle this."

Ethan said firmly, grabbing Selene by the arm.

Selene looked frustrated, but Ethan didn’t give her a chance to argue.

He dragged her out of the room, leaving Rize alone with Zara.

As the door clicked shut, Rize felt her blood run cold.

The moment they were alone, Zara took a slow, deliberate step forward, her smile widening.

"Now, where were we?"

She said, her voice dripping with amusement.

Rize swallowed hard, knowing—without a doubt—she was completely screwed.