Apocalypse with my SSS Harem Beauties

Lilian did not move even after Myles turned his back and began to walk away. Her eyes stayed on him as his figure grew more distant, each step he took creating a quiet gap that felt heavier than it should have in his heart.

But it was not the distance that held her attention. It was the look he had given her just moments ago. That cold gaze filled with disappointment lingered clearly in her mind, sharper and far more unsettling than any anger he had shown before.

She had faced hostility countless times. Anger, killing intent, even hatred. But none of those things had ever shaken her.

But this felt different that she did not expect it. There was no hostility in that look, not in the way she was used to. It carried something deeper that pressed against her heart and refused to fade.

"That look…"

The thought lingered as a quiet weight settled inside her. She had never seen him look at her like that before, and she had never imagined it would affect her this much.

It was not just disappointment. It felt like something had been lost. Something that had existed between them without her fully realizing it until now.

And that was when it became clear.

What she had with Myles was no longer just an exchange of power or benefit. At some point, it had already crossed that line, and she had only realized it now in the worst possible moment.

Because of that, the disappointment in his eyes felt far heavier than it should have. It had reached deeper than she wanted to admit.

Her fingers tightened slowly in front of her chest as if she was trying to hold onto that feeling or suppress it before it could surface any further. Her expression turned solemn as she lowered her gaze slightly, forcing herself to regain control before anything showed on her face.

Behind her, a low groan broke the silence.

Seraphina shifted on the ground and pushed herself upright with visible strain.

The moment she sat up, her hand moved to her neck and she pressed her fingers against the spot where Myles had grabbed her.

The pain had not faded. It lingered deep beneath the surface, heavy and suffocating, as if the pressure from before still remained.

"What… was that…" she muttered, her voice rough and unsteady as she tried to draw a proper breath. Each inhale came unevenly as her chest rose and fell with effort. "How does he even have that kind of strength…?"

Her eyes lifted slowly onto Myles' retreating back. The memory of his eyes surfaced again. Her body reacted without her control. She swallowed hard, her throat tightening in pain as a faint shudder ran through her.

"That was stronger than my own power in this world."

The realization settled heavily as she remained still for a moment before turning her head toward Lilian.

"Thanks," she said, quieter this time. "If you didn't step in… I'd already be dead."

Lilian gave a small nod, her expression already composed again, though the weight behind her eyes had not fully disappeared.

"I shouldn't have listened to you," she replied coldly.

Seraphina's brows drew together immediately, a flicker of irritation crossing her face. "What? Are you blaming me right now?"

Lilian did not answer. She simply looked at her in silence.

That silence stretched long enough to make the tension clear before Seraphina let out a long and audible sigh, her shoulders dropping slightly. She did not push the conversation any further but the discomfort between them remained.

At the same time, Myles continued to walk across the battlefield without slowing down.

The survivors from both sides reacted before he even reached them. Those from Red's camp and Michael's camp moved instinctively to step aside and create a clear path without exchanging a single word. No one dared to block his way or even tried to approach him. The pressure surrounding him made that decision for them.

The black and faintly colorful Ether still clung to his body, drifting like living ink that refused to settle. It moved slowly but carried a presence that made it impossible to ignore.

Myles did not look at any of them as he passed.

His steps carried him toward the group gathered at the edge of the battlefield, where George, Ethan, Kade, Samantha, and Victor stood together.

They had been watching him approach, their attention fixed entirely on him, but none of them spoke as he came closer.

He stopped in front of them.

For a moment there was only silence between them, full of heavy and uncertain feelings.

Then Myles finally spoke.

"I'm sorry."

The apology did not ease anything. It settled between them like a weight that pressed down harder instead of lifting, forcing each of them to face what had already been lost without any way to step back from it.

For a moment, no one spoke again. The silence stretched again in a thick and uncomfortable manner, as if even words had become difficult to form.

Victor moved, though the movement looked strained rather than natural. His shoulders tightened and his gaze dropped briefly before he forced himself to look back at Myles.

The others stood in a similar state. Ethan sighed slowly through his nose, his jaw clenched as if he was holding something back.

Samantha's grip around her bow loosened because the strength in her hands no longer held the same firmness.

George and Kade stood still, their faces empty and felt distant, as if part of them had already withdrawn from everything around them.

"It's alright," Victor said at last, but the words came out too quickly, too shallow.

He paused almost immediately after saying it. His expression shifted as if the answer itself felt wrong the moment it left his mouth. He shook his head slowly as if to correct himself while the weight in his chest pressed harder.

"No… it's not alright, Myles," he continued, his voice tightening as he forced each word out with more honesty. "This fight… it took more from us than we thought."

Myles held his gaze, and in that moment, he saw it clearly. The sadness sitting behind Victor's eyes. The heaviness that refused to fade. Then his attention moved across the others, taking them in one by one without missing anything.

Ethan avoided his gaze for a second before meeting it again, but there was no fire left there. Samantha looked the same, her expression strained as if she was trying to stay composed while something inside her had already begun to collapse. George and Kade did not react at all. They looked present, but at the same time, they didn't feel like they were truly there anymore.

That was enough.

Myles understood without needing anything said out loud. They had reached their limit, not in body, but in something deeper. The will that had pushed them forward until now had already worn down.

"You rest," Myles said, his voice steady as he looked at each of them in turn. "I'll take care of everything."

Victor nodded slowly as if even that simple motion was heavy. Ethan and Samantha followed, but their responses lacked the certainty they once had. George and Kade once again did not react at all. They simply stood there unmoving, their silence saying more than any words could.

Myles did not push them further.

His eyes hardened again as his thoughts moved away from them and locked onto something else entirely.

Rafe.

The name settled firmly in his mind, carrying with it a clear and unshakable purpose. The one responsible. The one who needed to answer for everything that had happened to them.

Without another word, Myles turned his gaze forward and stepped away, his intent sharpening.

—

Rafe moved quickly through the broken remains of the battlefield, his steps light and urgent as he slipped past shattered stone and collapsed structures.

He kept his presence low and controlled, doing everything he could to avoid drawing attention while he pushed toward the outer edge.

His eyes flicked constantly from one direction to another, scanning for any sign that he had already been noticed.

He had seen it. He had seen everything.

The moment Myles overwhelmed Red, the way that power had devoured Red who had become something far beyond what should have existed in this world, and then that laughter that followed. It echoed in his mind even now, sharp and unsettling. And it was enough to send a quiet sense of dread crawling through him.

"What the hell did he become?!"

Rafe clenched his teeth as he moved faster, frustration mixing with the unease building in his chest.

"How is he that strong…? What kind of power is that…?"

He did not want to find out right now, when that same presence could turn at him at any moment.

He slipped through the remains of a collapsed building, stepping over broken debris as the open path ahead came into view. Just a little more. Just a few more steps and he would be out.

Then a sudden chill hit him and spread through his chest, cold and sharp as if something had reached directly into his heart.

His body froze.

That feeling… It was not fear. It was something worse. It felt like death had just noticed him.

—