The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse-Chapter 238: Ch : No longer human - Part 2

Selene watched Ethan disappear through the doorway, his worried expression lingering in her mind.

She kept a faint smile on her face until she was sure he was gone. As soon as the door closed, her mask crumbled.

A sharp gasp escaped her lips as her body seized up.

Her throat tightened, and her chest felt like it was being crushed.

She gritted her teeth, trying to steady her breathing, but the pressure inside her refused to go away.

"Not now..."

She whispered, her voice barely audible.

Her hands trembled as she pushed the covers aside. Her heart pounded in her ears as she looked down at herself.

Dark, jagged marks stretched across her skin.

Thin, vein-like lines pulsed with an eerie glow, spreading out from her core and branching along her arms and legs.

The sight made her stomach turn. Her breath caught in her throat as she clenched her fists, trying to will the marks away.

"System, what the hell is this?

She muttered, her voice laced with desperation.

[Congratulations, User]

The system’s voice echoed in her mind, as calm and emotionless as ever.

[You have successfully Awakened. You are no longer classified as human.]

Selene’s blood ran cold.

[As a result of absorbing a core beyond normal classification, your class has evolved to ’???’. Your potential has exceeded all expectations.]

Her fingers dug into the blanket, her knuckles turning white.

"’???’ What the hell does that mean?"

She hissed under her breath.

[Further evolution is imminent. Your next trial will arrive soon. Embrace your new self, Selene. Only through this path can you lead humanity to a new era.]

The words echoed ominously in her mind. They didn’t feel like a promise. They felt like a warning.

Her pulse quickened, her breathing becoming shallow again.

She felt suffocated, as if the weight of this unknown power was crushing her.

Her vision blurred as dizziness swept over her. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the system’s words.

"Not now... I can’t deal with this..."

Selene forced her breathing to slow, taking steady breaths until the panic eased. Her body still felt heavy, but she couldn’t let anyone see her like this.

She had to keep it together.

For now.

She forced herself to lie down, pulling the covers back up. Exhaustion hit her like a wave, and despite her racing thoughts, her body gave in.

Sleep came quickly.

______

The next morning, Selene woke up feeling more like herself.

The strange pressure was gone, and the system’s messages had stopped flashing.

For now. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

She took a deep breath and pushed herself out of bed.

Her body felt sore, but at least it was responding normally.

She didn’t want anyone to worry, so she plastered a calm expression on her face and stepped out of the room.

The smell of breakfast hit her first.

The comforting aroma of eggs, toast, and coffee filled the air. She followed the sound of quiet voices to the small dining area where everyone had gathered.

Nora and Noah sat at the table with Ethan, Zara, and Orion.

They were quietly discussing something, but the moment Selene stepped into the room, all eyes turned toward her.

"Selene! Are you okay?"

Ethan was the first to move. He shot up from his chair and rushed to her side, his eyes scanning her face.

Nora’s eyes narrowed in concern, and Noah looked like he was ready to jump out of his seat.

Even Zara and Orion, who usually kept their cool, looked on edge.

Selene forced a smile and nodded.

"I’m fine! I’m past whatever that was."

She said softly.

For a moment, no one spoke. Then, almost in unison, they all let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank god."

Noah muttered, leaning back in his chair.

"You scared us.:

Nora added, her voice softer than usual.

"Sit down. You need to eat something."

Ethan murmured, guiding her gently toward the table.

Selene didn’t argue. She was starving.

The atmosphere lightened as everyone focused on their food.

Conversation picked up again, though it was mostly small talk. Selene quietly ate, her mind drifting back to the system’s words from the night before.

"You’re not human anymore."

She pushed those thoughts aside. Not now.

Once breakfast was over, Selene pulled out her tablet to check the news. She needed to stay informed.

The first headline made her stomach drop.

"Mysterious Dungeon Explosion Shakes the City. Authorities Suspect High-Rank Interference."

Selene’s expression remained neutral, but her grip on the tablet tightened.

The second headline wasn’t much better.

"Vale Twins Missing in Action: Connection to Dungeon Explosion Suspected."

Selene’s jaw clenched.

As expected, people were drawing their own conclusions.

The connection between the explosion and Noah and Nora’s disappearance was too easy to make. It was exactly what they had planned, but...

Something felt wrong.

Selene’s instincts had always been sharp, and right now, they screamed that this was just the beginning.

______

Meanwhile, across the city, deep within her hidden sanctuary, Madam Varta sat surrounded by flickering candles and ancient relics.

Her expression was grim.

Her usually sharp foresight was clouded, blurred by a strange interference that she couldn’t quite identify. It was like trying to see through a thick fog.

"Damn it."

Varta muttered under her breath.

She rubbed her temples, frustration etched across her face.

"The Vale family is getting too impatient. They barely gave me time to prepare... and now this."

She murmured.

Beside her, Isabelle Thorne stood with her arms crossed, watching Varta with cool indifference.

"You didn’t have to agree, Varta. No one forced your hand.""

Isabelle said softly.

Varta’s lips pressed into a thin line.

"You don’t understand. If I didn’t comply, the consequences would have been worse. The Vales don’t take kindly to disobedience."

She muttered, her eyes narrowing as she focused on the shifting visions in her mind.

Isabelle raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Varta’s fingers traced the edge of an ancient artifact as she tried again to push through the fog clouding her vision. But the future remained stubbornly unclear.

And that...

That was what terrified her.

"Something is coming."

she thought, h

er eyes narrowing as the blurry images danced before her.

"And even I can’t see how it ends."