The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse-Chapter 248: Ch 247: The Collapse - Part 1

Selene’s world was swimming.

Shapes blurred at the edges of her vision, twisting and distorting as if she were caught between waking and dreaming.

’It hurts. But I also feel liberated. Am I awake? Or am I asleep? I can’t even tell anymore.’

It felt like the world was changing and Selene saw it in a new light.

She tried to focus, but everything around her seemed drained of color, the sterile white of the lab reduced to dull shades of gray. Her body swayed, but she did not fall.

Dr. Aldric took a cautious step toward her, his face filled with intrigue rather than concern.

"Fascinating! Let’s check your vitals—"

He murmured.

Selene’s body moved before she could process it.

She sidestepped his outstretched hand effortlessly, a reflex she hadn’t been aware she had.

The doctor’s brow furrowed in mild surprise. Then, his fingers flicked toward a control panel.

The lab whirred to life as mechanical sentries dropped from the ceiling and emerged from hidden compartments in the walls.

Sleek, humanoid machines with glowing red optics locked onto Selene, their weapons priming with sharp clicks.

"Restrict and contain."

Dr. Aldric ordered.

The sentries lunged.

Selene barely twitched.

With a casual flick of her wrist, an unseen force surged from her fingertips.

The machines burst apart mid-air, their metallic limbs shattering as if they were nothing more than fragile glass sculptures.

Dr. Aldric gasped, taking an instinctive step back.

[These insects are not worth your time. Focus on the one who put you in this cage.]

The voice inside Selene purred.

Selene turned toward him.

Aldric’s expression was no longer one of mere fascination—it was pure, unfiltered delight. His hands trembled, not with fear, but with giddy excitement.

"Incredible,"

He breathed. freewёbnoνel.com

"In all my years of research, I have never seen anything like this. Your talent—your very existence—could revolutionize our understanding of awakening. If you cooperate, Selene, you could help shape the future of humanity. You could be the key to strengthening the Vale family and—"

Selene’s body tensed.

The voice inside her, the one that had lurked in the corners of her mind, took control.

Before she realized what she was doing, power exploded from her palm, a concussive force aimed straight at the doctor.

The ground cracked beneath the pressure.

Aldric barely had time to react before the wave of energy hurled him backward. He crashed into the far wall, his breath leaving him in a ragged cough.

"Selene!"

Ethan’s voice cut through the haze, sharp and urgent. He was in front of her in an instant, grabbing her wrist before she could summon another attack.

"Calm down."

Selene turned to face him.

Ethan’s grip tightened.

"What the hell did he do to you?"

His voice was strained, his eyes scanning her face, searching for something—anything—that still resembled the Selene he knew.

Dr. Aldric, despite the pain in his ribs, chuckled darkly.

"I did nothing. This is all Selene’s own potential. She’s simply unlocking what was always inside her."

He wheezed.

Ethan didn’t believe him for a second. But the real problem wasn’t the doctor—it was Selene herself.

She tilted her head at Ethan, her expression unreadable.

"Either let me finish what he started, or perish alongside him.""

She said, her voice carrying an eerie calm,

Ethan went still.

For a moment, he considered arguing. He considered trying to reason with her.

But one look into her eyes told him everything he needed to know—this wasn’t a fight he could win.

Gritting his teeth, he stepped aside.

Dr. Aldric, however, was no fool. He had seen enough.

Even through his pain, he moved quickly, his hands fumbling with a hidden panel on his wrist. A concealed door at the far end of the lab hissed open.

He bolted.

His mind raced as he navigated the narrow hallways.

He knew Selene was too unstable to control, but that didn’t matter.

If he could escape, he could report this to Mr. Vale and secure more resources.

With enough backing, he could recapture Selene—he could study her properly, in a more controlled environment.

He was so focused on his plans that he didn’t notice the presence tailing him.

A skittering sound echoed through the hall.

Aldric’s breath hitched. He glanced over his shoulder.

Something small and fast was following him.

His heart pounded as he caught a glimpse of it—a shadowy creature, its form shifting unnaturally, its glowing red eyes locked onto him.

A dungeon monster.

But how? There were no dungeons here.

Panic set in.

Aldric raised his arm, activating a concealed weapon built into his sleeve. A thin, high-energy projectile fired toward the creature.

It dodged effortlessly.

And then—it grew.

In the blink of an eye, the small creature doubled in size, its frame stretching grotesquely. Its limbs extended, its shadow-like body twisting into something monstrous.

Fear and curiosity clashed inside Aldric’s mind. What in the world...?

The monster lunged.

He barely had time to scream before it consumed him whole.

A deafening alarm blared through the lab, red lights flashing as the emergency system activated. A cold, robotic voice echoed through the halls:

[Warning. Dr. Aldric’s vitals have ceased. No life signs detected. Initiating lockdown protocol.]

The guards stationed throughout the facility froze. The weight of those words sank in.

Dr. Aldric was gone.

For a moment, there was silence—then panic erupted.

"The doctor is dead?"

One of the guards stammered, gripping his weapon tighter.

"That’s impossible! Nothing could’ve—"

Another shouted.

But the security feeds told the truth.

The cameras near the exit showed only an empty hallway where the doctor had fled moments ago. No body. No remains. Just an eerie void where he had once been.

"Forget this. I’m not dying for a dead man."

One of the senior guards yanked off his badge and tossed it aside.

The others hesitated for only a moment before reaching the same conclusion.

"Evacuate! Now!"

In a rush of frantic footsteps, they abandoned their posts, weapons clattering to the floor. The once heavily guarded lab, filled with decades of research, was left defenseless.