The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse-Chapter 56: Ch : The unexpected meeting - Part 2

Selene and Orion stepped cautiously into the last room of the dungeon.

It was... empty.

A vast, open stretch of space stretched out before them, illuminated by the faint glow of the dungeon walls. There were no enemies, no obstacles—just a single throne sitting at the far end.

Orion immediately tensed.

"This feels like a trap. It’s too easy."

He muttered, gripping his fists.

Selene didn’t disagree. Everything about this felt off.

She activated Insight, scanning the area for any hidden dangers.

But—nothing.

No spikes, no pressure plates, no monsters lurking in the shadows.

"It’s safe. There are no traps here"

Selene announced, though even she was surprised by the confirmation.

Orion wasn’t convinced.

"What if it’s something we can’t see? What if stepping inside triggers something?"

Selene hesitated. That was a fair concern. But the longer they stood here questioning themselves, the more time they were wasting.

And that’s when it hit her—

That was the final test.

The dungeon was designed to make people doubt themselves. There was no actual danger, but the fear of a trap would force adventurers to hesitate, to overthink, and ultimately waste precious time.

Her stomach dropped when she realized the full implications of that.

This dungeon was a time-based challenge—which meant—

Selene turned sharply, eyes wide. They were out of time.

Before Selene could warn Orion, a new presence filled the room.

A gust of cold air swept over them, sending a chill down her spine.

A voice, sharp and full of irritation, barked from the entrance.

"Who the hell got here before us?!"

Selene whipped around to see Noah Vale, Nora Vale, and Damian Ross standing at the doorway.

And they did not look happy.

Damian’s eye twitched as he scanned the room, his hands balling into fists.

"Which idiot decided it was a good idea to mess with the Vales? Looks like someone wants to no longer live"

Noah took a confident step forward, cracking his neck.

"Doesn’t matter. I’ll take care of it. You can leave everything up to me!"

Selene’s blood ran cold.

They were cornered.

The dungeon hadn’t closed yet—they had to reach the throne and claim it before the others could interfere.

Without hesitation, Selene grabbed Orion’s wrist and sprinted forward.

"Hold on!"

Orion yelped.

"Just run!"

Selene ordered.

They reached the center of the room, the throne just within their grasp—

But Noah was faster.

In a flash of movement, he closed the distance between them, his ice-coated hand raised to strike.

Selene barely had time to react.

A blast of ice came surging towards them, powerful and deadly—

Then, a barrier erupted between them.

BOOM!

The ice attack slammed against the shield, sending shards of frozen energy scattering in all directions.

Selene turned to see Orion, his hands glowing, his face stunned yet exhilarated.

"I—I blocked it?!"

He breathed in disbelief.

A bright notification appeared in front of him.

[Congratulations! Your Level Has Increased! Efficiency of Title- Protector has increased]

[Rank C Achieved!]

[Infinity Barrier Leveled Up]

Orion’s eyes widened with joy.

"Selene! I leveled up!"

Selene didn’t have time to celebrate.

Noah was staring at her.

Not in anger.

Not in irritation.

But in shock.

His lips parted slightly, and his brows furrowed.

His voice came out as a soft whisper, barely audible—

"...Selene?"

Selene froze.

No one else seemed to hear him, but in that moment, their eyes locked.

Noah recognized her.

Selene’s heart slammed against her ribs.

He knows.

’Well, fuck!’

Her mind went into overdrive. If Noah knew who she was, it would only be a matter of time before Nora and Damian figured it out too.

She had to leave.

Now.

Before Noah could say anything else, Selene threw a smoke bomb onto the ground.

BOOM!

A thick cloud of gray smoke erupted, filling the room instantly.

Noah let out a startled cough.

"What—?!"

Damian cursed loudly.

"Damn it! Don’t let them get away!"

The smoke was dense, disorienting everyone in the room.

Selene didn’t waste a second.

She grabbed Orion and ran.

Orion stumbled but followed without question.

"What’s going on?!"

"Just move!"

Selene hissed.

Through the smoke, she navigated expertly using Insight, weaving between obstacles and heading straight for the exit.

By the time the smoke cleared, they were gone.

Noah stood motionless, his eyes still locked on the spot where Selene had disappeared.

His mind was racing.

It had been a second. Just one second.

But he was sure of what he saw.

That face.

That name.

"...Selene."

He whispered again, almost in disbelief.

Nora glanced at him, raising an eyebrow.

"What’s wrong with you?"

Noah didn’t answer.

Instead, he clenched his fists, his heartbeat pounding in his ears.

She was alive.

The sister they had abandoned—

The one their parents had discarded without hesitation—

The one Noah had convinced himself was dead.

She was alive.

And she was right in front of him.

"...Noah?"

Nora asked, nudging his arm.

Noah took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm.

"Nothing! Just surprised someone actually got here before us."

He lied.

But inside, his thoughts were a storm of emotions.

Selene... Where have you been all this time?

______

Far away from the dungeon, Selene and Orion finally stopped running.

They stood in the shadows of an abandoned building, catching their breath.

Orion, still panting, turned to Selene.

"Okay—WHAT was that?!"

Selene leaned against the wall, wiping sweat from her forehead.

"...That was my past catching up to me."

She muttered.

Orion blinked.

"What?"

Selene shook her head.

"Don’t worry about it."

Orion wasn’t convinced but didn’t push further.

Instead, he grinned.

"Well... at least I leveled up! I think I can finally make my barrier bigger now!"

He said cheerfully.

Selene smiled faintly despite the anxiety curling in her chest.

"That’s great."

She murmured.

But deep down—

She couldn’t shake off the dread crawling up her spine.

Noah had recognized her.

It was only a matter of time before he and Nora came looking for answers.

And when they did...

Would she be ready to face them?