The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse-Chapter 185: Ch : A den of Drug-Addicts- Part 2

Selene didn’t believe a word Ethan said.

He was acting too strange—his hesitation, his tension, the way his grip had almost tightened around her earlier. Something was wrong.

And she didn’t feel safe bringing him into the heart of a drug-ridden den when he wasn’t at his best.

’Maybe I am being a little too greedy. I should take things slow. I still have time to execute more of my plans.’

She was just about to call off the mission when—

A blur of motion met the corner of her vision.

Her instincts flared to life, and she yanked Ethan out of the way.

A man barreled past them at full speed, missing them by inches before crashing straight into a crumbling concrete wall.

The sickening crack of impact echoed through the alley. The man slumped forward, unconscious.

Selene immediately crouched down to assess him.

His skin was damp with sweat, his pupils blown wide. Was he on the awakening drug, or just a regular addict? It was difficult to tell.

Ethan, who had regained his usual sharpness, stood over her shoulder.

"What happened? Are you hurt? Did that man try and touch you?"

Selene looked up at him and noted that his previous unease had vanished.

He was back to his normal self—or at least, he was forcing himself to be. It was enough for her to move forward with the plan.

Without another word, they ventured deeper into the territory of the drug den.

As they walked, Selene couldn’t shake an odd sense of wrongness.

The deeper they went, the stronger the feeling became.

With Ethan back to his original self, she could focus more on her surroundings and her instincts, which were yelling at her and telling her that she was in danger.

The air was thick with an acrid, chemical stench.

The streets were quieter than she expected, but every now and then, they’d see figures hunched over in darkened alleys, twitching and shuddering, lost in their own world.

Some murmured to themselves, others simply stared ahead, eyes vacant and dull.

Selene kept moving.

She reached a large, decrepit building—the supposed ’home’ of these addicts.

The structure was barely standing, its walls covered in grime, the windows either shattered or boarded up.

Ethan reached out, grabbing her wrist before she could step inside.

"Wait."

Selene turned to him, surprised by the rare edge of hesitation in his voice.

"I have a bad feeling about this."

Selene hesitated.

And then she saw him.

A man emerged from the building’s entrance, flanked by two guards. He was older, wearing a clean lab coat that didn’t match the filth around him. A briefcase was clutched tightly in his hand.

Selene’s breath caught in her throat.

Dr. Aldric.

One of the Vale family’s lead scientists.

She hadn’t seen him in years, but there was no mistaking him. The man who had been heavily involved in human augmentation research.

And now... he was here.

Selene’s mind raced. What the hell is he doing in a drug den? And that briefcase—was it filled with awakening drugs? Or something worse?

Ethan, having caught onto her reaction, followed her gaze.

"Should we follow him?"

Selene assessed the security around Dr. Aldric.

The two men flanking him looked well-trained, not just ordinary thugs. And as her eyes darted toward the alley where a black car was parked, she noticed more guards stationed around it.

They couldn’t follow without being noticed.

Selene made a snap decision.

"No. Not yet."

Ethan frowned.

"Why not?"

"We can track him later. For now, let’s stick to the plan."

She said quietly, forcing herself to turn away.

Ethan didn’t look pleased, but he didn’t argue.

Still, as they approached the entrance of the shelter, Selene couldn’t shake the sense of dread settling deep in her stomach.

She had just stumbled onto something she was never meant to see.

As soon as Dr. Aldric disappeared from sight, Selene and Ethan stepped inside the base.

The air was thick with smoke, the heavy scent of chemicals burning their nostrils.

The place was nothing more than a crumbling warehouse, dimly lit with flickering bulbs.

People lounged around in different states of intoxication—some laughing uncontrollably, others slumped against the walls, lost in their own world.

Selene’s sharp eyes scanned the crowd.

Despite the unsettling environment, no one seemed particularly alarmed by their presence. They were just two more newcomers to this world of vice.

One of the men closest to them, a greasy-haired figure with a lopsided grin, noticed them first. He stumbled toward them, eyes bleary but brimming with amusement.

"Hey, you two new here? You looking for the good stuff?"

He asked, tilting his head.

Selene immediately adapted, slipping into character. She smiled easily.

"Yeah, we are."

The man grinned wider, revealing stained teeth.

"Well, you’re late. All the best stuff’s already gone. A pity, really. But..."

He let out a dramatic sigh. His eyes flicked over Selene’s figure, lingering in a way that made Ethan tense.

"I still got something nice for you if you wanna step out with me. I’ll make sure you get a little ’fun.’"

Ethan’s stance shifted instantly, his muscles coiled like a predator ready to strike. His eyes darkened with a cold, warning glare.

The man, oblivious or uncaring, chuckled.

"Relax, pal. Don’t be so uptight. Let the girl have some fun, yeah?"

Selene exhaled slowly, keeping her calm. She could feel Ethan’s anger radiating beside her, but she subtly pressed her fingers against his wrist—a silent message.

Stand down.

Though he didn’t relax, Ethan didn’t move either.

Selene turned back to the man, her expression carefully neutral.

"Fine. Lead the way."

The man’s smirk widened as he gestured for her to follow.

"Now that’s more like it."

As she took her first step away, she felt Ethan’s gaze on her back. She didn’t need to look to know that if this went sideways, Ethan would burn this entire place down.

For now, though, she was willing to take the risk.