Ch 6: If you don't pay attention, you will die- Part 2

A stunned silence followed Noah's words and everyone looked shocked when they finally comprehend the meaning of Noah's words.

But no one was more shocked than Noah himself. He opened his mouth, almost as if to speak, but then closed his mouth.

Noah seemed to have decided that he was in the right, but he could not bring himself to convince himself about it.

Even if Noah knew he was in the wrong, his complex and upbringing did not allow him to admit that he was wrong. 

And Selene was too used to it to point that out. It was just easier to convince herself that nothing was said.

Her chest tightened, but before Noah could continue his tantrum, Nora stepped in.

Nora sighed, running a hand through her sleek dark hair before clapping her hands together to gather all the attention on herself.

"Enough, Noah. You're wasting time. We are ten minutes behind schedule. So everyone, gather your supplies and we shall get going now."

Her voice was sharp, firm—authoritative.

The moment she spoke, Noah bit the inside of his cheek and stepped back, crossing his arms. The threat of their father was too great to counter.

Selene hated to be understanding, even at this time. But she could not help but notice how much their parents influenced the twins. Especially in the past two years. 

It was almost as if the pair had become different people now.

"Hurry up, everyone. We're moving in. Formation, now, and remember what we planned." 

Nora commanded and that signalled the end of everything else.

The team immediately fell into position.

One by one, the hunters stepped into the dungeon's entrance, disappearing into the dark abyss beyond.

Selene tried to move.

Tried to step forward.

But her feet refused to budge.

The cold, creeping sensation of dread clung to her bones, rooting her to the ground.

People walked past her, barely sparing her a glance.

One by one, they all disappeared into the dungeon.

Then—

Ethan was the last to pass her.

As he moved past her, he barely slowed his steps, but the words he murmured under his breath sent a chill racing down her spine.

"Don't worry."

Selene's breath hitched as she heard that soft whisper reach her ear. That voice made her shudder.

"I'll protect you… for now. I still need you, after all. Let's meet again inside the dungeon."

Her entire body tensed and her mind screamed at her to reject his words.

It was clear that Ethan had stayed behind specifically to speak to her but Selene did not want to try and break his words apart.

He also passed her a small grenade and Selene's grip tightened around it. 

"There's no need!" 

She blurted out, her voice sharper than she intended.

But Ethan was already several steps ahead.

Too far away to hear her.

Or so she thought.

Just as she clenched her fists in frustration, she caught the smallest movement.

A subtle tilt of his head.

A barely perceptible shift in his posture.

His unwavering gaze flickered back—just for a fraction of a second. He gestured to her wrist, where Selene held the bomb he gave her and she felt frustrated.

And that's when she realized.

He had heard her.

He had heard her, but pretended he didn't.

Just to frustrate her.

Just to get her attention.

A fresh wave of irritation surged through her.

'How dare he! After all this time…'

She wanted to scream.

She wanted to yank her hair out.

Because even now—even in this moment—Ethan Park was still playing his games.

And worst of all?

He was winning because she was letting him get to her mentally. 

Selene almost threw the grenade away when she realized this, but she decided not to in the end. Anger or not, such precious resources was hard for her to come by. But now that she had it, she needed to make sure it was put to good use.

"I need to shake it off and catch up to the party. I cannot be the one to hold everyone back."

Selene muttered before she quickly ran past the dungeon entrance. She was in luck and the party had not gone much further. She was able to catch up to them just in time for the ground to start shaking.

The first wave of monsters had come to check out the humans that dared to disturb their settlement and it was time to fight.

Selene barely managed to keep her footing before the monsters emerged. 

It was quite a common sight to see in these dungeons, and yet, seeing these monsters made Selene's breath hitch.

They were grotesque, twisted creatures—humanoid in shape but unnatural in every way. Elongated limbs, jagged teeth, and sunken eyes that gleamed with hunger.

A shiver ran down her spine.

They were here to check on the intruders.

To hunt them.

Before she could react, Nora stepped forward, her voice sharp and commanding.

"All non-combatants, get behind me! Everyone, protect the ones who cannot fight. Support, give us all your buffs. Noah, you cover the other side."

The hunters sprang into action at Nora's words. She was good at taking charge, but bad at situational awareness once she started fighting.

That was why Noah usually covered her other side and made sure Nora had more than enough support at all times.

Weapons were drawn, power surged through the air, and spells began to form at the tips of fingers. The dungeon was instantly transformed into a war zone.

Selene didn't hesitate.

She ran to the other side where it was safe.

She weaved her way through the chaos, ducking low and carefully maneuvering around the monsters. Her only goal was to reach Nora—to get to safety before she was caught in the crossfire.

There was not much distance between her and the safety barrier where the other three non-combat related staff were stationed.

But then—

A mistake. She made a fucking mistake which may cost her the very life she was trying to preserve.