The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse-Chapter 223: Ch : A Ridiculous Idea- Part 3

The sleek black car rolled to a stop in front of the facility.

The tinted windows reflected the dim glow of streetlights. Inside, Noah’s fingers drummed anxiously against his knee. The quiet hum of the engine cut off, leaving an unsettling silence.

"We’re here."

The driver said, his voice emotionless.

Noah swallowed hard. His stomach felt like it was in knots.

This doesn’t feel right.

His father’s instructions echoed in his mind.

"Take Heera Dew hostage. Make her family kneel. This will ensure the Vale family’s power grows."

Noah clenched his jaw. He didn’t like this. He hated the idea of hurting someone who had done nothing wrong. Especially someone who had turned to Selene for help.

"We shouldn’t be doing this."

He murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

Nora, sitting beside him, heard him clearly.

"We don’t have a choice, Noah. It’s either this... or we leave the family."

She said softly, her gaze fixed ahead.

Her words hung heavily between them.

Noah’s eyes flickered toward her, searching for any hesitation, any sign that she might think differently.

"What if we leave?"

He asked quietly.

Nora finally turned to him, her expression unreadable.

"Let’s start over. Like Selene did. We could ask her for help. She’d take us in. We could disappear and never let Father or the others find us

Noah continued, his voice filled with a fragile hope.

For a moment, Nora’s face softened.

But then, she shook her head.

"It’s not that simple."

"Why not?"

"Because Selene was... different."

Nora’s eyes darkened, her tone laced with bitterness.

"They didn’t care about her. To them, she was a failure. Weak. Useless."

Noah’s jaw tightened. He hated hearing those words, even if they were true.

"But we’re not Selene. Father won’t let us go so easily. If we try to leave... they’ll come for us."

Nora continued.

Noah’s heart sank.

"And they’ll drag us back."

Nora finished, her voice barely above a whisper.

Silence filled the car again.

Noah felt a hollow ache settle in his chest. He already knew what the answer was.

"We don’t have a choice. If we want to survive... we do this"

Nora said, her voice softer now.

Noah’s throat felt dry.

"I hate this."

He murmured.

"I know."

Nora whispered.

They sat in silence for a moment longer, both lost in their thoughts.

Finally, Noah exhaled slowly and squared his shoulders.

"Let’s get this over with."

Nora gave him a brief nod.

They stepped out of the car.

The facility loomed ahead, a stark, secure structure that gave away nothing to outsiders.

Noah’s gaze swept over the building, his instincts on high alert.

"This place..."

Nora murmured softly.

Noah glanced at her.

"Selene poured her heart into this."

She said quietly, her eyes filled with something close to regret.

Noah’s brow furrowed.

"She built this place?"

Nora nodded.

"Her sanctuary. Her safe haven."

Noah’s chest tightened.

"And we’re about to tear it apart."

He murmured.

Nora didn’t respond.

Because they both knew it was true.

"Let’s go."

Noah said, his voice low and grim.

They moved toward the entrance.

Noah slammed his hands together, sending a pulse of ice magic rippling through the air.

A shimmering barrier flared to life, surrounding the facility.

The security system.

"Barrier’s up."

Noah muttered.

"Can you break it?"

Nora asked.

Noah’s lips pressed into a thin line.

"Easily."

He raised his hand, icy mist swirling around his fingers.

The temperature dropped instantly.

Frost spread across the shimmering surface of the barrier, creeping outward like veins of ice.

Noah’s magic latched onto the energy field, freezing it from the inside out.

With a clenched fist, he shattered it effortlessly.

The barrier crumbled like brittle glass.

"No one will notice."

Noah murmured, feeling the faint pulse of power fade.

But he was wrong.

Someone did notice and that person was the creator of this barrier.

Rize’s eyes snapped open.

A sharp pulse of mana echoed through her senses.

Her barrier—

It’s been breached.

Her hand flew to the comms.

[Selene-]

Rize’s voice was urgent, barely above a whisper.

[I know]

Selene’s calm voice came through immediately.

Rize blinked, surprised.

[Stay with Heera. Keep her hidden. I’ll handle this.]

Selene instructed firmly.

[Are you sure?]

Rize asked, her voice filled with concern.

[Positive.]

Selene’s message left no room for argument.

Rize hesitated but nodded, even though Selene couldn’t see her.

[Understood.]

She ended the call, her grip tightening around her weapon.

Her instincts screamed danger.

Who would dare breach Selene’s sanctuary?

Selene ended the call with Rize, her expression cold and focused.

"Time to hunt."

She murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ethan’s eyes lit up, a wicked grin tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Finally!I was starting to think I wouldn’t get any action tonight."

He muttered, stretching his neck as his fingers flexed in anticipation.

Selene gave him a side glance, her own excitement barely contained beneath her calm exterior.

"Don’t get too cocky."

She warned softly, but there was a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Who, me? I’d never."

Ethan’s grin widened.

Selene’s lips twitched, but her focus quickly returned.

"They breached the barrier without setting off the main alarms. That means they know how to avoid detection. Even my system is picking up only half the information."

She said, her eyes narrowing.

"Which means..."

Ethan’s expression darkened, his playful demeanor vanishing.

"Someone with an ability or tech to get past the security."

Selene finished, her voice laced with certainty.

Noah and Nora moved deeper into the facility.

The eerie silence stretched around them, heavy and suffocating.

"Why does this feel... wrong?"

Noah murmured, his unease growing with each step.

Nora’s eyes flicked to the shadows, her senses sharp.

"We’re being watched."

She whispered, her voice barely audible.

Noah felt it too.

A chill ran down his spine, making the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

"We shouldn’t be here."

He murmured.

But they kept moving forward.

Because they had no choice.

Yet, deep down, they both knew—

Something was coming.

And whatever it was...

It wouldn’t let them leave easily.