The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse-Chapter 256: Ch 255: Welcome to the New World - Part 1

Ethan’s eyes snapped open.

The moment he came to, the burning sensation in his chest ignited like wildfire.

His body surged forward, only to be yanked back by the artefact tightly around his arms and torso.

’Shit! How did I get caught so easily? I need to break it...fuck! Why won’t it break? I am not weak enough to be contained by these small tricks.’

Ethan felt the tug around him before he noticed the artifact’s pull around him, pulling him down.

He thrashed against them, his breath coming out in ragged bursts, and his powers sparked uncontrollably at his fingertips.

"Noah! You better unchain me right now if you know what’s good for you!"

He roared. Betrayal flashed in his words as he spoke and it made Noah look at him.

’How dare this kid try to detain me! Does he think I am easy to deal with? Fuck! I decided to go easy on them since they were Selene’s family, but this is what I get for it?’

Noah flinched.

Even from a distance, he could feel the heat pouring off Ethan’s body like a furnace about to erupt.

"I-I had to! You were losing it—!"

He stammered, eyes darting to Zara for help.

Ethan didn’t care. He knew that it was fundamentally Zara’s idea, but Ethan just needed someone to be an outlet for his anger.

And right now, Noah seemed like a good outlet for him.

His eyes burned with fury, but before he could lash out again, thud—a sharp knock landed squarely on his head.

He blinked in shock and stared up at Zara, who stood over him with her first raised and looking utterly unimpressed.

"Ow! Did you just hit me?"

He muttered, eyes slightly unfocused.

"Yes,"

Zara said flatly.

"And I’ll do it again if you don’t calm down."

The sudden absurdity of the situation snapped something in Ethan. He blinked once more and then sagged against the restraints, his energy fizzing out.

"...You hit me."

He repeated, dazed.

Zara sighed, crouching next to him.

"I had to. We can’t afford to lose both you and Selene right now."

The words hit harder than the staff did. Ethan turned to her slowly, his voice low and filled with accusation.

"So that’s it? You’ve given up on her?"

Zara stiffened.

"That’s not what I meant—"

"Really? Because it sounded like you were ready to leave her behind!"

Everyone fell silent at that.

Zara frowned, looking suddenly exhausted.

"We’ve already pulled her out of the fire more times than we can count, Ethan. If this keeps happening, maybe it’s time we trust her to find her way back on her own."

The air grew cold.

Noah’s jaw clenched. Nora, standing quietly nearby, shot Zara a sharp glare. Even Orion, silent for most of the exchange, looked up with narrowed eyes.

Zara winced. freewebnøvel.com

"That... came out wrong."

"You think?"

Nora said, her voice unusually sharp.

Zara looked around at the group, every face tense. She inhaled shakily and let her shoulders drop.

"I’m sorry. I haven’t slept. I didn’t mean it like that."

"It’s fine. Stress makes people say things they don’t mean."

Nora said after a beat, gentler this time.

Zara nodded and stood.

"Still. I shouldn’t have said it. I just... I don’t want to lose anyone else."

As Nora walked over to help Noah settle down, Zara sat back, rubbing her temples.

The adrenaline was wearing off, leaving only the weight of her words behind. She stared into the distance, lost in thought.

"I don’t think it was just stress talking."

Zara turned sharply. Orion stood a few feet away, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.

"What?"

"You said we should leave her to her fate. You didn’t just say that because you were tired. You meant it. At least a part of you did."

His voice was quiet but carried a weight that made Zara’s gut twist.

"I didn’t—"

She paused, unable to finish the denial. Instead, she looked away, guilt flashing across her face.

"I don’t know. Maybe I did. Maybe I was just scared. It’s not easy watching someone disappear again and again. Eventually, you start thinking... what if we’re the ones who can’t keep up?"

Orion didn’t answer, but he didn’t look away either. And the silence said more than words ever could.

______

Meanwhile, Selene felt like she was drowning in the sky.

The world was spinning, folding in on itself.

Pressure crashed around her, currents of light and darkness pulling at every cell in her body.

Her limbs were locked, her lungs tight. It felt like she was being broken apart and pieced back together at the same time.

Her mind screamed to fight, to push back, but the voice was there—always there.

[Do not resist.]

The words wrapped around her like chains, and Selene’s defiance cracked beneath them.

She gritted her teeth and let her body go limp, the pressure sucking her deeper into the current.

It went on forever—or maybe it was just a few seconds. Time didn’t make sense here.

Then, without warning, the current vanished.

Selene was spat out of the fissure like a discarded stone.

She hit the ground hard, rolling once, twice, before everything stilled.

Silence.

Her breath caught in her throat as she lay there, unmoving. The wind whispered above her, and the smell of earth and grass reached her nose.

She opened her eyes.

Green.

All around her was green—lush fields, tall trees swaying overhead. The sky was too blue. The sun too warm. It was all too... normal.

Her fingers curled into the grass beneath her.

"...Where am I?"

She whispered, voice hoarse.

No answer came.

The voice in her head was silent now. No instructions. No guidance. Just her and this strange, peaceful place that didn’t feel like any dungeon she’d ever been in before.

Her hands trembled as she sat up. Her body ached, but she was alive.

That was something.

But deep inside, Selene knew this wasn’t over. This wasn’t an accident. The dungeon had chosen her. And whatever lay ahead... it was only just beginning.