The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse-Chapter 266: Ch 265: Reunion - Part 1

Selene kept to the shadows, her steps light and careful as she followed the guards from a distance.

Every snapped twig or crunch beneath her boots made her flinch, but the guards were too distracted to notice.

’At this rate, I might be able to use these guards to my advantage. I just need to keep pushing forward and make sure I am not found out too soon.’

Selene had her own plans regarding these guards. And thankfully, these guards were not letting her down.

One of them muttered.

"Still nothing on the sensors. If she’s out here, she’s hiding real good."

Another grunted in annoyance.

"Let’s head to the city. Maybe she slipped past us."

Selene’s breath caught.

’City? They’re going to the city?’

She clenched her fists.

’If they’re moving in that direction, I can use the chaos to slip away. I just need to be careful.’

Keeping her head low, she wove through the trees and crumbling stone paths until the forest thinned and opened into a wide clearing. She stopped, her heart pounding.

The city stretched before her like a dream from a different lifetime.

Finally, Selene had seen another sigh of civilization in this dungeon she had not seen before and her heart felt a little lighter in that regard.

Towering buildings pulsed with neon lights, sleek skyrails hummed through the air, and holograms blinked and danced above glowing walkways.

The entire place buzzed with technology that far surpassed anything she’d seen—even on Earth.

’Where... what even is this place?’

The guards moved ahead, unaware. Selene let them go, her eyes still locked on the surreal skyline.

"This is insane! This can’t be real. This is a dungeon? How? This looks like it is another civilization, and an advanced one at that"

She whispered to herself.

Swallowing the rising panic, she ducked away and slipped into a side path away from the guards.

Her mind raced.

’Okay. I can’t follow them anymore. It’s too risky. But if I’m here... I can search. I just need to move carefully. Get a feel for this place. And for that, I need to blend in.’

Her gaze flicked down to her outfit—ripped, muddy, and nothing like what she saw the civilians wearing.

’Yeah... first things first. I need new clothes.’

Her eyes finally fell on a few options, but taking them was too risky. She needed to find a way to commit the perfect crime and not be pinned for it.

______

Selene moved through the crowd with her head down and her hood pulled tight.

The cloak she’d taken hung loosely around her, masking the torn and dust-caked clothes underneath.

It wasn’t much, but it helped her blend in, helped her feel less exposed.

She had barely made it out of the store. Her heart had nearly stopped when a loud alarm blared right behind her—someone else had been caught trying to steal.

She hadn’t dared look back. She just kept walking.

’I thought I got spotted by someone back then. I feel a little guilty now, taking these clothes without paying for them first. It wasn’t right, but I didn’t have a choice.’

She told herself.

She found a small, rusted bench tucked beside a park fountain and sank onto it.

Her hands trembled as she placed her face in them, fingers gripping the sides of her head.

The weight of the last few days—no, weeks—pressed down on her like a collapsing building.

’I just want to go home.’

A familiar voice echoed in her mind again, silk-smooth and patient.

[You don’t have to keep fighting like this, you know. One word from you, and this could all end. You were meant for more, Selene.]

She didn’t respond right away. Her thoughts were too heavy, too slow.

’What if it’s right? What if all this running... it’s pointless?’

She wondered.

Her gaze drifted to the people moving in the square—laughing, talking, alive. It all felt so distant.

Like a life she’d never be allowed to live.

"Why me?"

She whispered.

[Because you were chosen. You’re the only one who can finish this.]

The voice replied, quieter now.

Selene didn’t know if that was supposed to be comforting or threatening.

She didn’t even realize how blank her expression had gone until she saw him—

—a figure cutting through the crowd, calm and focused, like a constant in a world spinning too fast.

Something about his presence pulled at her chest. Her heart lurched, and before she could think, her legs moved on their own. She pushed off the bench, stumbling into the crowd.

"Wait—Wait!"

She breathed.

She reached out and grabbed his sleeve.

The man turned, and as the hood of his jacket slipped back, her breath caught.

"Ethan...?"

His eyes widened the moment he saw her.

"Selene?"

She stared at him, her fingers still clutching his sleeve, as disbelief and panic flooded her chest. Her legs nearly gave out.

"Is this real? I—I don’t know if I’m dreaming."

"You’re not dreaming. I found her! I found Selene! We need to move now—get somewhere safe!"

Ethan said quickly. He reached for her wrist, gripping it tightly as he turned back.

Selene barely heard his words. Her pulse roared in her ears, and her knees buckled under the weight of everything.

But she didn’t fall—Ethan steadied her, pulling her into an alleyway.

She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Her throat closed up. She felt like she was underwater, struggling to breathe.

Then two pairs of arms wrapped around her—tight and warm.

"Selene!"

Noah’s voice cracked as he hugged her from one side.

"I knew we’d find you."

Nora whispered from the other, her voice shaky with relief.

Selene’s breath hitched. Her hands clenched in the fabric of their clothes, and for the first time in what felt like forever, she let herself breathe. Deep, real, and unshaken.

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she didn’t cry. She just held on.

She was no longer alone.