Apocalypse Rebirth: My Ex-Wife Begs for Mercy

THE LAST SERUM

"What does it matter how many are left?" Selene asked impatiently, the irritation in her voice becoming increasingly obvious. "The decision has already been made, and standing here arguing about it won't change anything."

She paused for a moment before letting out an exasperated sigh.

"But if it will satisfy you, then fine. Tell me, how many are left?"

"Three," Xavier said, his voice so calm that it was almost frightening.

"There were only three bottles of the Bluehallow Grade-5 Viral Neutralization Serum left in the entire Eastern District. One was destroyed during transport, and another disappeared when the Central Research Laboratory fell."

His gaze slowly shifted to the empty syringe resting on the coffee table. A bitter smile tugged at the corner of his lips as disappointment and despair filled his eyes.

"As for the last one..." he said quietly, "...you used it to treat a flu.”

Selene folded her arms across her chest and looked at him as if she genuinely couldn't understand why he was making such a fuss.

"You're an Evolver, Xavier. You've survived situations far worse than this before. Stop acting as though you're some helpless victim."

Her gaze briefly flickered toward the bite mark on his shoulder before returning to his face.

"You'll figure something out. You always do. Why are you acting as if it's the end of the world over something like this?”

George hesitated before speaking softly from behind her.

"Brother Xavier, Sister Selene is right. You're much stronger than ordinary people. If anyone can survive this, it's you."

Selene nodded in agreement.

"Exactly. Geo would've died if his condition had worsened, but your chances of survival are far higher than his. I simply made the most reasonable choice."

Xavier looked at the two of them standing side by side.

One had taken away his only chance of survival…. The other had chosen that person over him without a second thought.

For the first time, he truly understood something he had refused to admit for a very long time.

In Selene's heart, he had already lost long ago.

Xavier looked at Selene for a long moment before a faint smile slowly appeared on his face.

It wasn't a smile of relief…. It was the smile of a man who had finally accepted a cruel reality.

"So..." he mumbled quietly, "that's how little my life is worth to you."

Selene's brows furrowed immediately as if she was offended by his words. "Don't twist my words, Xavier. I only made the most reasonable decision under the circumstances."

A hollow laugh escaped Xavier's lips as he slowly shook his head.

"The most reasonable decision?" he repeated quietly, the disappointment in his voice far more frightening than anger.

He took a slow step toward George, his bloodshot eyes never leaving the younger man.

"I fought my way through fifteen zombies just to make it back here alive. I was bitten out there, and the only reason I kept going was because I believed the serum was still waiting for me."

"I thought that as long as I could make it home, I still had a chance to survive.” Another step followed as the grip around his machete tightened. "And now you expect me to stand here and accept that my only chance of survival was wasted on a flu?"

George's face instantly lost all color.

"Brother Xavier..." he stammered, instinctively retreating behind Selene. "I-I really didn't know. If I had known how important it was, I would've never agreed to use it.”

Xavier didn't stop.

His vision had begun to blur as the virus spread relentlessly through his body. Dark veins bulged beneath the skin of his neck and arms, pulsing violently with every heartbeat, while an unbearable burning sensation coursed through his bloodstream. 

His fingers trembled around the handle of the machete as occasional muscle spasms shot through his arm, and even his breathing had become uneven and ragged.

The whites of his eyes slowly filled with thin crimson and black veins, making his bloodshot gaze appear increasingly terrifying. Every instinct inside him screamed at him to survive and find a way to stop the infection, but the only thing driving him forward now was the burning rage in his chest.

George instinctively grabbed Selene's arm, his body trembling slightly.

"Sister Selene..." he said weakly, fear evident in his eyes as he looked at Xavier. "Brother Xavier has already been infected. What if he isn't in control of himself anymore? Please... don't let him get any closer.”

Seeing Xavier continue forward with bloodshot eyes and a blood-covered machete in his hand, Selene's expression changed.

She stepped in front of George without hesitation and pulled a pistol from the drawer beside the sofa.

"Stop right there, Xavier."

He didn't.

Whether it was the infection clouding his mind or the betrayal that had shattered his sanity, even Xavier himself no longer knew.

All he knew was that the man hiding behind Selene had taken away his only chance of survival.

Bang!

The gunshot echoed through the apartment.

A searing pain exploded in Xavier's chest, forcing a choked gasp from his lips as he staggered backward. He lowered his head in disbelief and saw bright red blood rapidly spreading across his shirt, staining the already blood-soaked fabric an even darker shade.

His eyes slowly lifted to Selene.

For a brief, foolish moment, he thought he might see regret on her face.

There was none.

"I already warned you not to come any closer," Selene said coldly, her finger still resting on the trigger. "I can't risk Geo's life because of you... or whatever that virus is doing to your body."

At that moment, Xavier finally understood, the answer had never been him.

Before Xavier could even react, another gunshot rang out.

The second bullet tore into him with merciless precision, sending a fresh wave of agony through his body.

"I don't have another choice," Selene continued, her voice frighteningly calm. "If you lose control and turn into one of those monsters, he'll be the first person you'll attack."

Xavier stared at her, his bloodshot eyes slowly filling with tears.

This was the woman he had loved for years.

Even now, a part of him still couldn't understand how the woman he loved had become the one pointing a gun at him.

He had built a company with her from nothing, he had protected her through the apocalypse with his life. 

He had risked his life countless times to bring home food, medicine, and supplies.

Yet when she was forced to choose between him and another man… She hadn't even hesitated to choose someone else.

His fingers slowly loosened around the handle of the machete, with a loud clang, it slipped from his grasp and crashed onto the floor.

The strength drained from his legs moments later, and he collapsed heavily onto the cold floor beneath him, his blood spreading silently across the floor as the last of the warmth in his heart disappeared along with it.

George cautiously peeked out from behind Selene, his face still pale with fear as his eyes remained fixed on Xavier's motionless body.

"Is... is he still alive?" he asked hesitantly.

Selene lowered the pistol, her expression returning to its usual calm indifference.

"It doesn't matter," she replied coldly. "If anyone asks, tell them Xavier turned into a zombie and I had no choice but to put him down."

Xavier stared at the woman he had chosen over everything for years, the woman he had fought for, bled for, and nearly died for more times than he could remember.

In the end, she hadn't even hesitated to pull the trigger.

Darkness slowly swallowed his vision as the warmth drained from his body. His consciousness faded little by little, taking with it the last trace of affection he still held for Selene.

As his eyes slowly closed, only one question remained in his mind.

Was any of it ever worth it?