Ch 2: The Circumstances- Part 2

Selene moved methodically, her hands steady as she packed her things. The dim candlelight flickered across her room, casting long shadows on the walls.

Her space was modest compared to the lavish chambers of her siblings—small, practical, barely touched by luxury. But it was enough for her to be able to not feel suffocated.

"This is better for me. It's not like I need a larger space for anything."

Selene muttered to herself in an attempt to make herself feel better. It helped some, but not enough to offset the feeling of doom in her chest.

The only thing that set her place apart was its tidiness, as if she were merely a guest rather than a resident of the Vale household.

She pulled out a storage artifact from her drawer—a small, polished black stone embedded in a simple bracelet. 

It was a low-tier artifact, meant for carrying basic necessities.

Unlike those with a system who could summon their inventory with a thought, Selene had to rely on these limited external tools.

But this was the best she had and she needed to use it. It had been a gift she would rather not have used, but her choices were limited.

One by one, she packed the essentials:

Dried food and water purification tablets—enough to last a few weeks if rationed carefully.

Medical supplies—bandages, antiseptics, and painkillers.

Extra clothes—light but durable.

Selene barely packed much, but the bag still felt heavy as she tried to carry it out. Her shoulder was going to ache at this rate.

She ignored the weapons rack in the corner of her room. 

A sword, a dagger, even a reinforced baton—useless in her hands. She had never been trained to fight. Never been meant to.

Those were all low-tier weapons that she had found in chests during her missions, but none of them could be brought with her.

Her fingers hovered over the last item before hesitantly picking it up. A sleek, silver handgun—a dungeon-grade weapon that only worked against monsters. It had been designed for beginners, using specialized rounds that could be fired without requiring an awakened core.

It was another gift given to Selene by someone whom she no longer wanted to remember. As far as she knew, her ex-best friend died a long time ago and the one who wore his skin was another person she did not know.

'Forget about it. There is no point in remembering Ethan Park now. That man is gone and the sooner I recognize this fact, the better it will be for me.'

Selene used to have a friend who would stand with her at all times. But then that friend got possessed and decided to abandon her.

And Selene no longer could do anything about it.

"Let's snap out of it now. I need to prepare for the mission or father will have my head.'

She traced the cold metal of the grip before tucking it into the artifact storage. She hoped she'd never have to use it.

Just as she finished sealing the bracelet, her door swung open without warning.

Selene didn't flinch. She knew who it was before she even turned around.

Noah Vale.

One of the golden twins, favored heir of the Vale family, stood at the doorway with an easy smirk. His crisp uniform was pristine, tailored to perfection, his golden hair unruffled. 

Eighteen Years old, cruel, untouchable.

He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. 

"So, you're actually going?"

Selene returned to her packing, placing the storage bracelet securely on her wrist. 

"Father gave me a direct order."

Noah scoffed. 

"And since when have you ever done anything right?"

She didn't reply, merely fastening the straps of her boots.

Taking her silence as an invitation to continue, Noah strolled into the room, eyeing the sparse furnishings with mild disinterest. 

"You should just stay behind. You'll be useless out there, and I don't feel like babysitting a deadweight."

Selene finally looked up at him, her expression calm.

"You're right."

That caught him off guard. His smirk faltered for a fraction of a second. 

"What?"

"I'll just drag you down and I know that as well. I would rather not go if I have a choice." 

She said simply. 

For the first time in a long while, Noah looked flustered. 

His mouth opened slightly as if to say something, but no words came out. Instead, he quickly scowled and turned his back to her. 

"At least you understand your place. Now, if only you would apply it to yourself and keep out of the way" 

He muttered. It was impossible to be able to tell if he spoke these words because he cared or if he was simply letting out his frustration.

Selene watched as he made his way toward the door, but right before he left, he threw one last parting shot over his shoulder. 

"Try not to embarrass us too much out there, servant."

And then he was gone.

Selene let out a small breath, staring at the empty space where he had stood.

For a brief moment, she remembered when Noah's visits had been different. 

When he had been younger—bright-eyed and cheerful, always running to her with an excited grin, babbling about something he had learned that day.

"Big Sister! Look! I drew you!"

"You have to braid my hair! Noah always makes it messy!"

"Promise me we'll always be together."

Her lips pressed together, and she shut her eyes for a second.

That time was long gone, but it still made her wonder…what if-

Snapping herself out of it, she finished her final checks, adjusting the straps of her coat and securing the artifact bracelet.

Tomorrow, she would leave for her mission.

And this time, she wouldn't expect to come back. 

'I hope nothing goes wrong. I don't know why I am having this feeling, but I need to snap out of it. Let's make this mission a huge success for myself.'

Selene treated everyday as her last, but this time, she had a feeling that it would actually end up being her last.