Ch 26: Preparing for the future- Part 1

Selene sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the ceiling as she tried to organize her thoughts. She knew that she did not have much time left before the end of the world, but she still wanted to get her thoughts in order.

Two months.

That was all the time she had before everything fell apart and Selene would be thrown into the wild to defend herself.

She needed a plan before that to ensure that nothing would happen.

Her only skill, Amplify, wasn't something she could use to protect herself. It was a support skill, meant for boosting others. That meant if she wanted to survive, she needed someone strong to rely on.

Her mind quickly sifted through names—people she remembered from the apocalypse in her past life. A-class fighters, individuals powerful enough to carve their way through the chaos.

She did not want to go for an S-class because that could cause a clash of interests later. But an A-class was much more manageable for her.

If she could find one of them now, form a contract, and secure her safety before everything started…then won't she be at a huge advantage.

She could raise someone to be her partner and reap the benefits later….

But that was easier said than done.

Even though she knew their names, she had no idea where they were now. Some of them weren't even awakened yet.

Also, many awakened people had changed their names and identities to cut off their past self once the apocalypse hit. There was no way for Selene to tell if she even had the right person, even if she were to look.

How was she supposed to track them down under these conditions? It would be better to not try.

Selene sighed and rubbed her temples.

No use stressing over something she couldn't control, but that did not mean she could relax and do nothing.

For now, she needed to focus on herself. There was one thing she could try before the world's fall.

She had heard stories about awakened individuals unlocking new abilities when put under extreme conditions. If that was true, then maybe—just maybe—she could force herself to develop a defensive skill.

The problem was how did you do that? In the future, there would be specific agencies that would aid people into developing these skills safely. 

But doing it right now was too much of a gamble. Throwing herself into danger was reckless. She needed a way to push her limits safely.

But how?

Selene leaned back against the pillows, feeling frustration creep in.

Just as she was about to give up on brainstorming for the night, her phone buzzed.

A message.

[Ethan: Meet me tomorrow. I have a way to help you get stronger.]

Selene blinked.

Her grip on the phone tightened as her mind raced.

Did Ethan know what she was trying to do? Or was this just a coincidence?

Either way, she couldn't ignore it.

If there was even a chance he could help, she had to take it.

______

Before meeting Ethan, Selene made a quick stop at an electronics store. She had one more thing left to do before starting her new and improved life.

That step to cutting ties was getting rid of anything that could track her. In this case, it was her phone and Selene quickly decided to get a new one.

She picked out a simple phone—nothing flashy, just functional. Along with it, she bought a new SIM card, paying in cash to avoid leaving any traces.

Once it was secured, she stepped out of the store and discarded her old phone in a nearby trash bin. She was hesitant to throw her old phone away, but it had to be done. 

Luckily, she had transferred all the data to her new phone anyway, so her old one no longer mattered. She expanded her hand and-

There.

A clean break.

Now, it was time to move on to more important things.

Selene arrived at the café Ethan had told her to meet him at. The place was small, cozy, and had a warm aroma of freshly brewed coffee lingering in the air.

She spotted them immediately, mainly because it was so easy for her to spot the striking pair because of Ethan's tall height.

Ethan and Zara were sitting by the window, engaged in quiet conversation. They did make a lovely pair, but as Zara had said- there was no chemistry between them on a closer look.

They looked more like siblings than a dating pair.

The moment she stepped inside, Ethan looked up and stood, making his way toward her without hesitation. She could almost see a skin in his steps as he walked over to her.

Zara, on the other hand, stayed seated, pulling out some cash to pay for their coffee.

Selene barely had time to greet Ethan before she asked.

"So? What exactly are we doing here? You never specified it."

Ethan's lips curled into a smirk. 

"I intend to make you useful before the apocalypse arrives."

His tone was casual, but the words rubbed Selene the wrong way.

Make her useful?

Did that mean he saw her as useless right now?

Those words made Selene's heart sizzle with annoyance, but she forced herself to calm down. It was fine…she did not need to get triggered by those words. 

But still, she felt irritation bubble up inside her, ready to snap back at him, but before she could say anything, a hand appeared in front of her, holding a cup of coffee.

Zara.

"Here." 

She said, giving Selene a small smile.

Selene hesitated before taking it, feeling her annoyance settle just a little. She sighed and muttered.

"You're wasted on him."

Zara let out a short laugh. 

"Believe me, I'd love to leave Ethan behind. But I do enjoy living, so here we are."

Ethan crossed his arms, looking utterly unimpressed. 

"This is unfair. I don't appreciate this sudden alliance forming against me." 

He said, raising an eyebrow. 

Selene took a sip of her coffee, smirking.

"Too bad. You'll live."

The coffee tasted sweet, just like the taste of getting the last word in an argument.