The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse-Chapter 250: Ch 249: The Confrontation - Part 1

Ethan hesitated before speaking.

"Are you sure you want to hear this?" His voice was low, uncertain.

Selene met his gaze, unwavering.

"I told you before—I’ll accept you no matter what kind of person you are."

Ethan’s lips curled into a bitter smile.

"That’s what I’m afraid of. Selene... I’m not from this world."

He murmured before exhaling deeply. He ran a hand through his hair, as if trying to steady himself.

Selene arched an eyebrow.

"I already know that. You told me before, remember?"

Ethan let out a small chuckle, shaking his head.

"I did, didn’t I? But I didn’t tell you everything."

He sighed.

Selene waited patiently as Ethan’s expression darkened.

"I come from a place called Alteair. A reality... different from Earth. But just like here, it was filled with people, cities, and a history of its own. I held an important position there, one I can barely remember now."

He said, then paused, his jaw tightening.

"Then, one day, the system came. It offered us something that sounded too good to be true—eternal peace."

Selene frowned.

"Eternal peace?"

Ethan nodded.

"Unlike Earth, there was no apocalypse. No sudden destruction. Just... power. A quiet, almost soothing surge of energy. But that was the problem."

His eyes darkened.

"It changed people. They became dependent on it, obsessed with it. They started losing themselves. Until one day, they weren’t people anymore. They were just puppets of the system."

A cold shiver ran down Selene’s spine.

"That..."

Ethan continued, his voice heavy.

"That’s why I left. Because I saw it happening, and I refused to become one of them. And now... I see the same thing happening here."

He clenched his fists.

Selene swallowed. She couldn’t deny that the system had changed Earth—dungeons, awakeners, an entirely new way of life. It had shaped the world into what it was now.

But she also knew this wasn’t the same.

"...You think people here will end up like that?"

She asked cautiously.

Ethan shook his head.

"Not everyone. But some already are. People relying too much on the system, letting it dictate their actions. They don’t question it."

His voice dropped lower.

"And... I’m worried about you, Selene."

Selene’s eyes widened slightly.

"Me?"

Ethan nodded, his expression grim.

"You’re different from the others. Your symptoms—your changes—remind me of what happened to the people in my world. And that’s what scares me the most."

His hands twitched at his sides.

Selene stayed silent for a long moment, absorbing his words.

Then, Ethan sighed and muttered.

"Even the real Ethan is worried."

Selene blinked, confused.

"The... real Ethan?"

Ethan gave her a lopsided smirk.

"Yeah. The real one. The one inside me."

Selene frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Ethan shrugged.

"I told you before, didn’t I? The Ethan you see now... isn’t exactly the same as the one you knew before. There are two of us. I’m the one who took over, but the real Ethan—the one who should’ve been here all along—he’s still inside me."

Selene’s heart clenched at the way Ethan said that.

"Then... can I talk to him?"

Ethan chuckled.

"He’s a coward. Keeps running away when it comes to you."

Selene huffed.

"Tell him to stop being a coward."

Ethan smiled, but then, something shifted in his expression. His features relaxed, his brows lost their tension, and his entire demeanor softened.

Selene recognized the change immediately.

"...Ethan?"

She called, hesitant.

The man in front of her blinked, then gave a small, almost unsure smile. His gaze met hers, no longer sharp but familiar—achingly familiar.

"...Selene,"

He murmured, his voice quieter.

A lump formed in Selene’s throat.

"It’s you."

Ethan’s expression wavered, and then, suddenly, he looked away.

"I’m sorry."

Selene frowned.

"For what?"

"For abandoning you. For leaving you alone all these years. For not realizing what I had until it was too late."

Ethan whispered. His hands curled into fists.

Selene felt her breath hitch. The pain in his voice was raw, like a wound that had never healed.

She swallowed, then shook her head.

"You don’t have to apologize."

Ethan looked at her, his eyes filled with guilt.

"But I—"

"I don’t blame you. Not anymore."

She interrupted firmly.

Ethan exhaled sharply, his shoulders trembling slightly.

"...I blame myself."

Silence stretched between them.

Selene hesitated before stepping closer.

"Then... stop running."

Ethan’s eyes widened.

Selene stared at him, unwavering.

"You’re here now. That’s what matters."

Ethan let out a shaky breath. For a long moment, he simply stood there, his gaze locked onto hers.

Then, he smiled—small, broken, but real.

"...You’re too kind, Selene."

Selene scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"I wouldn’t say that."

Ethan let out a short chuckle before his expression turned serious again.

"Still... I don’t want you to go through what I did."

Selene nodded.

"I won’t."

Ethan studied her, as if trying to believe her words. Then, he let out a slow breath and nodded.

"...Alright."

Selene gave him a small, teasing smirk.

"So, does this mean you’re done running away?"

Ethan sighed. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

"I don’t know. But I’ll try."

He glanced at her, lips twitching.

Selene crossed her arms. "Good enough, I guess."

Selene turned to walk away, but she barely took a step before Ethan grabbed her wrist. She glanced back, startled.

Then, without hesitation, he pulled her closer and pressed his lips against hers.

Selene’s breath caught in her throat.

The kiss was brief, but the warmth lingered, sending a shock through her system.

When he pulled away, his gaze was steady—gentle, yet filled with emotions he had kept buried for too long.

"I’ve always loved yoU."

Ethan murmured.

Selene’s heart pounded. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.

Ethan just smiled, bittersweet.

"We’ll talk later."

And then, just like that, his expression changed. His eyes sharpened, the softness disappearing. The real Ethan was gone, and the other had taken over again.

Selene stared at him, still reeling from what had just happened.

But Ethan only turned away, acting as if nothing had changed.