The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse-Chapter 276: Ch 275: We’re Out - Part 1

The ground cracked beneath their feet. The walls groaned like a dying beast. Then, without warning, the dungeon began to collapse.

Zara cursed under her breath, her heart lurching in panic.

"We need to move! Now!"

She barked.

Noah and Nora didn’t hesitate.

The twins immediately sprang into action, leading the way with practiced coordination.

Fire and ice danced between them as they cleared falling debris and carved a path through the crumbling hallway.

Zara turned to Orion—only to see him struggling to stay upright. He was pale, covered in dust and blood, and barely managing to keep his footing.

"I... I can’t. My legs... they’re not—cooperating. I need a minute—"

Orion gasped. frёeωebɳovel.com

"We don’t have a minute! You rest when we’re not buried alive, got it?"

Zara snapped, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and slinging his arm over her shoulder.

He didn’t respond, but she could feel the way his weight leaned on her. He was trying, but he had nothing left.

Zara opened her system, quickly trying to reach Ethan.

"Come on... come on, answer me, damn it."

She muttered, tapping the system screen again and again.

No response.

Her jaw clenched, frustration bubbling just under the surface.

"Of course that idiot isn’t picking up. Figures he’d vanish when we need him most."

She spat.

Noah turned back slightly.

"Did he find Selene?"

"Hell if I know! He’s not answering, so unless he’s dead or stupid, he better be waiting where I pinged him last."

Zara snapped, adjusting her grip on Orion.

The four of them pressed forward, following the coordinates Zara had marked earlier.

The dungeon around them was falling apart fast—walls shattered, staircases broke into pieces, and magic surged out of control in the air.

But just as the exit was coming into view, shadow monsters began to rise from the ground like smoke.

"Shit! Of course."

Zara hissed.

The creatures lunged without hesitation, claws outstretched. The crumbling dungeon hadn’t just turned chaotic—it had turned hostile.

Noah fired a volley of ice shards, freezing the limbs of an approaching monster. Nora followed up with a burst of flame, setting it ablaze before it could get close.

"Keep moving! We’ll hold them off!"

Nora shouted.

Zara hesitated for a split second, eyes flicking between the twins and the chaos ahead.

She didn’t like this—leaving kids to fight her battles—but there wasn’t any time to argue. The whole dungeon was seconds from collapsing in on itself.

"Don’t get cocky. If you get hurt, I’ll kick your asses myself."

Zara growled.

Noah grinned.

"You’ll have to catch us first."

With that, the twins moved in sync, covering both sides of the narrow path.

Their powers, honed through training and desperation, burst through the shadows like fireworks.

Nora’s flames tore through the misty monsters, and Noah’s precision strikes kept them frozen in place.

Zara forced herself to keep moving, carrying Orion through the chaos as best she could.

Every step felt heavier, every breath harder. Her legs screamed in protest, but she couldn’t stop. Not now.

Still, a bitter thought clung to the back of her mind.

’This is wrong. They’re just kids. I should be the one protecting them.’

Another shadow creature jumped at her.

She didn’t see it coming.

But before it could reach her, fire slammed into it from the side, turning it to ash mid-air. Nora skidded into view, panting heavily.

"Don’t stop! We’ve got this! Go!"

She yelled.

Zara bit down on her frustration and nodded once.

"Don’t die."

She said through gritted teeth.

"We don’t plan to."

Nora replied, already turning to unleash another attack.

Zara took off again, pulling Orion along, eyes locked on the distant location marker on her system.

’Ethan better be there, or I swear, I’m dragging him out by the ears.’

She thought.

Behind her, the dungeon groaned louder.

Time was almost up.

Zara stumbled out of the collapsing dungeon, the world outside jarringly bright compared to the storm of shadows behind her.

She gasped for breath, lowering Orion carefully to the ground, his weight finally off her shoulders.

Her legs shook with exhaustion, but she straightened up quickly, eyes darting toward the still-open gate.

The portal pulsed violently—cracks running through its frame as the dungeon devoured itself from the inside. The roar of destruction echoed from within.

Zara clenched her fists. She couldn’t leave them behind.

She was about to run back in when, suddenly, two figures burst through the gate in a flash of fire and frost.

"Nora! Noah!"

The twins skidded across the dirt, panting heavily.

Noah raised a shaky hand just in time, a wall of ice forming behind him.

The gate behind them warped as several shadowy figures tried to follow—but slammed into the frozen wall.

The portal let out one final, low groan before it shattered, sealing shut and locking the monsters inside for good.

Zara stared, wide-eyed, then dropped to her knees, relief hitting her like a punch to the chest.

Noah slumped onto the ground beside Orion, his chest heaving.

"We made it."

Nora whispered, collapsing next to her brother.

For a long second, none of them moved. Only the sound of their breathing filled the clearing.

Then Zara’s gaze caught on someone sitting off to the side.

Ethan.

He was hunched beside Selene’s unconscious body, his eyes shadowed and his hand gently brushing hair out of her face.

He didn’t seem to notice the others had arrived. Didn’t even look up.

Zara’s relief twisted into rage.

Without a word, she marched over, grabbed Ethan by the collar, and yanked him to his feet.

"What the hell is your problem?! You just ditched us in the middle of that hellhole? Do you have any idea what we went through trying to survive in there?!"

She shouted, shaking him.

Ethan didn’t flinch. He didn’t even blink. His expression stayed blank, distant.

That only fueled Zara’s anger more.

"Say something, damn it! You left children in there!"

Her fist clenched. She was about to swing when Ethan’s hand shot up and caught her wrist mid-air.

"Let go. I won’t be merciful if you push me."

He said, his voice low, calm—dangerous.

Zara froze.