The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse-Chapter 292: Ch 291: Your Mission - Part 1

Selene stood with her arms crossed, trying to maintain her composure as the twins stared her down.

The weight of their suspicion made her shift uncomfortably, but she forced a casual tone into her voice.

"I heard the rumor. About father. But I doubt he’d just go missing. He’s not that type of man."

She said.

Noah’s eyes narrowed slightly. Nora didn’t even try to hide her doubt.

"You’re sure about that? Confident enough to act like you know the truth? Did you meet him, Selene?"

Nora asked.

Selene’s breath caught for a second. She hesitated—long enough for them to notice.

Nora stepped forward.

"You did, didn’t you?"

Selene looked away.

"I saw him. But that’s all I’ll say."

She finally admitted.

The air in the room turned tense. The twins’ expressions twisted into something bitter.

Noah clenched his fists, but it was Nora who moved first, reaching out like she wanted to grab Selene by the arm.

Before her hand made contact, the system activated. Both Noah and Nora froze mid-motion, a sterile voice echoing in the air:

[Access denied. Authority level insufficient.]

The golden glow of a system lock shimmered around their limbs, holding them in place.

"What—? What is this? Why can’t I move?"

Nora struggled against the invisible force, eyes wide.

Even Selene blinked in surprise.

"I... didn’t do that."

The door opened, and Zara limped in with Orion trailing behind her. She groaned, rolling her shoulders.

"Ugh, I swear I’ve never felt this sore before. Is this what dying feels like—"

She stopped mid-sentence, eyes narrowing as she looked at Selene. Her expression hardened.

"...Wait. What’s wrong with her aura?"

Selene flinched under her gaze.

She could feel it too—something shifting under her skin.

The power that had been quiet until now was bubbling up again, clawing its way to the surface. Her breath caught, chest tight with pressure.

"You all need to step back. Now. I don’t know how long I can hold this in."

Selene said, her voice cracking.

Everyone moved without argument. Even the twins, though still bound by the system, leaned as far away as possible.

Orion activated his shield on instinct, positioning himself between Zara and Selene.

And then the voice returned.

[You’re wasting time. Finish your awakening. Go after the remaining cores. Or you will lose yourself. And everyone around you will suffer.]

It whispered, honey-slick and heavy with promise.

"No. No—shut up."

Selene whispered.

But the voice didn’t stop.

[You’re already slipping. You can feel it, can’t you? The power you swallowed isn’t dormant. It’s alive. And if you don’t feed it, it’ll tear you apart.]

Selene clutched her head, her knees buckling slightly. Her fingers twitched, claws flickering into view.

Her vision blurred as the pressure built inside her skull, and her own voice warred with the one in her mind.

"Get out of my head."

She growled.

Zara, sensing Selene’s struggle, took a cautious step forward.

"Selene... Are you alright?"

"Don’t come closer. I said—!"

Selene warned, eyes wide.

But it was too late. As Zara reached out to check on her, Selene lashed out.

Pain and anger exploded at once, and her hand, now clawed and crackling with dark energy, slammed into Zara’s chest.

Zara flew backward, crashing into the wall with a thud that echoed through the room.

"Zara!"

Orion shouted, activating his shield fully.

Selene stood frozen, staring at her own hand like it wasn’t hers. Her breathing was ragged, eyes wide with horror.

"No... I didn’t mean to—"

She turned, instinct taking over as she tried to run—but Orion moved faster. A dome of golden energy shimmered up in front of the door, sealing her inside.

"You’re not going anywhere. I think it would be better if we had a small talk about it."

Orion said tightly.

Selene’s legs shook.

"Please. I didn’t want this to happen. I didn’t want to hurt her."

Noah and Nora finally regained control of their limbs as the system bindings released, but neither of them moved toward Selene.

They were watching her with a mixture of disbelief and fear.

The voice echoed again in her mind, amused.

[Look what you’ve done. This is only the beginning. You’re changing, Selene. You can’t outrun what you’ve become.]

Selene dropped to her knees, eyes squeezed shut.

For the first time since this power awoke inside her, she wasn’t sure she could keep it contained.

Selene staggered backward, shaking from the aftermath of what she’d done.

Her clawed hand still glowed faintly, her breath shallow and uneven.

Zara lay slumped against the wall, bruised but conscious, and everyone else stood frozen—watching her, unsure whether to help or run.

"I didn’t mean to hurt her. I lost control. I’ll fix this—I’ll take responsibility."

Selene said quietly, her voice rough.

She took a slow step toward Noah and Nora, raising her hands.

"Let me explain. Please."

But the air shifted.

A low hum filled the room, vibrating through the floor.

Light fractured behind her, and the space behind Selene twisted unnaturally. Without warning, a dark portal cracked open, pulsing like a dungeon gate.

"What the hell—"

Orion started, raising his shield again.

Selene spun around—but it was already too late.

The dungeon door yawned open behind her like a hungry mouth and swallowed her whole.

"No—!"

Selene reached out, but there was nothing to grab onto. In an instant, her body was pulled through the rift and the world around her vanished into darkness.

[It’s time the end begins now. I’ve waited long enough.]

The voice echoed in her head again, calm and final.

"No. This isn’t supposed to happen yet. I still had time. Three years—at least!"

Selene whispered into the void.

The darkness gave no reply. Only silence. Then, light—cold and formless—swept across her vision.

Selene landed hard in a space that defied understanding. There were no walls, no ceiling, no ground.

Just a blank, floating expanse with shifting shadows and flickers of distant stars. It felt like standing in the middle of nothing.

And then it appeared.

A sphere hovered before her.

It pulsed with swirling black energy, faint glimmers of red threading through its form. Though it had no eyes, Selene knew it was watching her.

"You! You’re the voice. The one in my head."

She said.

[Correct. I am the one you’ve been carrying. The fragment left behind to guide your evolution]

The entity replied. Its voice echoed directly into her thoughts.

Selene took a shaky breath.

"Why now? Why drag me here?"

The sphere pulsed, glowing brighter.

[You’ve returned to the past, yes. But you have achieved nothing. The timeline has shifted, but the result remains unchanged. The apocalypse has not paused. The system has fed on this world for five years. Its hunger is reaching its peak. Now, it will evolve.]

Selene’s heart sank.

"What happens when it evolves?"

[The Earth dies.]

She took a step back, dizzy.

"No... There has to be a way to stop this. I didn’t come back just to watch everything fall apart again. There has to be something I can do."

For a moment, the sphere was silent.

Then, it spoke.

[There is always a path. Even destruction can be bargained with.]

Selene’s breath caught.

"What do you want?"

[A trial. A test of worth. In the next few months, you will hunt down the dungeons. All of them. From each, you will harvest monster cores—one thousand in total.]

It said.

Selene blinked.

"A thousand? That’s—"

[If you succeed, I will leave. The system will withdraw. This planet will be spared.]

The entity interrupted,

Her mouth went dry.

"And if I fail?"

The darkness around her seemed to pulse and hum with one answer:

Extinction.

Selene stared at the glowing sphere, fear twisting in her gut. It was an impossible task. But she didn’t have the luxury of choice.

"...Fine. I’ll do it."

She said.

The sphere drifted closer. A dark tendril reached out and brushed her left arm.

Pain flared, and a black symbol etched itself into her skin—an intricate sigil of a shattered crown wrapped in fire.

[This is your mark. The seal of our pact. You now belong to me, Selene Vale. As my hunter, you will bring me what I desire. And in return, your world may live.]

The entity said.

Selene clutched her arm, jaw tight.

"I’ll find your cores. But I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing it for everyone else."

She muttered.

[Believe what you wish. Just don’t disappoint me.]

The entity said with amusement.

The space cracked. Light exploded outward. Selene was swallowed again by the void.

______

Elsewhere, far from the cities and chaos, in a hidden place guarded by runes and shadow, Madam Verta gasped awake in her chamber.

Sweat clung to her skin as her breath came in rapid bursts.

She had seen it.

The sky shattering. Cities crumbling. Fire raining from above.

And at the center—Selene Vale, wreathed in a storm of black and gold, her eyes glowing like a god of ruin.

Verta placed a trembling hand over her heart.

"The end...It’s already begun."

She whispered.