Ch 5: If you don't pay attention, you will die- Part 1

"Take a deep breath. Good! You're doing great, Selene! Don't think about that traitor—just keep walking. Empty your mind."

Selene forced herself forward, willing herself not to think about the person who had once driven her into depression when they were younger.

Her mind was clouded with useless worries, and she wasn't paying attention to where she was going. That was how she ended up walking straight into Noah's back, nearly toppling over.

Luckily, years of dungeon experience and countless missions had gifted her with a flexibility that would make a cat jealous. She managed to catch herself just in time.

When she opened her eyes, she noticed Noah's hand had been outstretched toward her, likely to grab her arm and steady her. But the moment he realized she would be fine, he quickly pulled his hand back.

"Tsk, watch where you're going! How much trouble are you planning to cause for us all?"

Noah's voice was loud enough to be heard across the camp.

Selene's face flushed with embarrassment, but she was far too used to his outbursts to react. She didn't even bother defending herself, which only made Noah scowl and look away.

The more she ignored him, the angrier he became.

And the angrier he got, the colder it became.

The air around them chilled rapidly, visible breaths forming in the sudden drop of temperature. People nearby shivered, their movements stiff as frost gathered in the air. It was all because of Noah's inability to control his temper.

Ordinarily, Selene would have stepped in by now to calm her younger brother down. But this time, she remained frozen in shock.

That left Nora to intervene.

With a casual flick of her wrist, flames sparked at her fingertips, sending a wave of warmth through the space. She placed a hand on Noah's shoulder, her voice firm yet teasing.

"Noah, calm down. How many times do I have to tell you? Just ignore her already. You always get worked up and cause a scene. Think about what Father would say if he found out—"

The moment the word "Father" left Nora's mouth, it was over.

Noah's rage fizzled out instantly. His jaw tightened, and he shut his mouth, the tension in his shoulders easing.

The cold vanished in an instant, and warmth returned to the camp.

With a frustrated sigh, Noah slapped his twin's hand away and shot Selene a glare. He parted his lips as if to say something, but no words came out.

Instead, he turned to Nora.

"I get it. Fuck! I understand—I'll calm down. This isn't worth igniting Father's wrath over."

A tense silence blanketed the camp.

No one moved. No one spoke.

There was only one reason for it—fear.

As the only two S-class hunters present, Noah and Nora were the only ones capable of stopping each other if one lost control. Everyone else's priority was to keep them satisfied and pacified.

But Selene was the only one who knew the truth.

Her gaze flickered toward the L-ranked hunter lurking among the low-leveled staff.

Ethan.

Her sharp eyes caught the subtle movement of his fingers flexing, almost as if he were preparing to strike.

A slow, burning anger settled in her chest.

The fact that he was even considering hurting the twins—her siblings—right in front of her made her blood boil.

Then, as if sensing her stare, Ethan met her gaze.

Selene wasn't sure if he recognized her from that distance, but she did know one thing—she needed to be careful.

She needed to stay far away from him.

Because whatever Ethan Park was planning… she wanted no part of it.

______

"Alright everyone, it is time for us to enter the dungeon. Have you all steeled yourself before heading inside? This will be your last chance to back out."

Nora asked in a pleasant voice. She stood at the forefront of the dungeon gate, and her presence acted as a unifying factor for everyone.

No one said anything to her, making it clear that they all knew it was time. And with that, the chosen team was finally ready to enter the dungeon.

A total of ten people had been selected for this expedition..

Selene barely registered the names as they were called out. Her focus was locked on Ethan Park, who had seamlessly integrated himself into the team.

And yet… no one else seemed to notice him.

How?

How could no one recognize him?

Her hands curled into fists. It didn't make sense. Ethan Park wasn't just some nameless hunter—he was an L-rank anomaly, someone far too dangerous to be overlooked.

And yet, her siblings, the other hunters, the staff—none of them reacted. It almost felt scripted and Selene felt sick thinking about it.

Her stomach twisted uneasily. Had the twins truly not recognized him? Or were they ignoring his presence on purpose?

She wanted to ask.

She needed to ask.

Before she could, a sharp voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Pay attention, you useless idiot! Do you want to get us all killed because of your uselessness?"

Selene barely had time to react before Noah was in front of her, his eyes blazing with anger. She wanted to say that she read worry in there as well, but she was not sure if she had enough courage to try and look for it.

"Do you even realize what's happening right now? This isn't some casual stroll! Get your head out of the clouds and focus!" 

He snapped, causing Selene to flinch in shocked worry.

Selene opened her mouth to respond, but before she could even form a single word, Noah cut her off.

"Tch—never mind. If you get yourself killed, I won't save you. God knows you need to learn a lesson about situational awareness."

There was a brief, stunned silence. Everyone knew about the sour note between the siblings, but no one expected such cruel words to come out of someone's mouth.

Selene shouldn't have been surprised by his words.

She should have been used to them by now.

But for some reason, this time, they cut deeper than usual.

______

Can I ask for a PS from you all?