His motionless figure caught the man’s attention. He glanced back at him, clicked his tongue in boredom, and spat out words that were utterly revolting.

"Hey, what are you waiting for? Waiting for a beauty like me?"

He scratched his head and joked with regret.

Silas stood in the pouring acid rain, one half of his face illuminated scarlet by the dim light, the other buried deep in the darkness. The taste of blood began to permeate his mouth.

The person in front of him continued to blather without restraint, perhaps never having encountered someone who would listen to his confessions for so long, and thus grew even more spirited.

"You have no idea how satisfying it was, the sound of the little tart struggling..."

Silas could no longer hear the words clearly. In his mind, he saw the painful face of Selene Rivers, tormented day and night. He only felt a heat in his head and his entire body flooded with strength. He lunged forward suddenly, slamming a fist into the man's face.

The man’s reflexes were not slow; he swung back with a punch into Silas’s abdomen, making him retch.

"Are you an idiot? Why are you suddenly hitting someone?"

Silas lifted his frigid gaze. Ignoring everything, he rushed up to pummel his eyes, kick his stomach, and even stomp on his crotch with such force that the man began to shriek.

Silas did not stop for a second, continuing to beat him, eventually grabbing a brick from the side and smashing it into the man's head until blood streamed down his face, leaving him howling in agony.

"Sorry, I'm sorry, please don't hit me anymore..."

Tears and ruthless intent flowed along with the acid rain down his cheeks. Silas’s neck veins bulged as he pinned the man down and roared.

"Do you think I’ll stop just because you beg? When she begged you back then, why didn't you let her go?!!!"

The man finally realized why he was being beaten. A flicker of bloodlust flashed in his eyes as he feigned weakness: "Sorry, I was truly wrong..."

He thought his feigned weakness would make the man stop, but he didn't expect him to beat him even more viciously, with a smile on his lips as he kept muttering something.

"...Avenging you... Wife, I will beat him to death..."

The man finally panicked. It was obvious the neurotic man before him was not in his right mind. While battered and bloody, he stealthily took out a folding knife and, catching Silas off guard, plunged it into his abdomen several times.

Silas paused. Looking at the man’s smug smile, he laughed even louder.

Pulling the knife out of his body, he stabbed the man before the horrified look in his eyes—once, twice, countless times...

The man went from screaming to begging for mercy, then to growing weak. He watched in agony as the demon before him placed the knife on his crotch and, amidst his unbearable screams, watched his own parts being sliced off.

Silas laughed with savage delight, stabbing him relentlessly with the small blade.

His movements grew slower and slower. The man beneath him had long since stopped moving or breathing. Silas’s own lips had turned purple, and he felt freezing cold, yet he did not stop at all.

Until he had no strength left, Silas collapsed to the ground, his handsome face pressed against a puddle of sewage, his eyes hollow and devoid of color.

The deep alley returned to peace, as if nothing had ever happened.

Until the acid rain faded the next day.

The rainbow on the horizon was breathtaking, and the endless dark night finally ushered in the dawn.

Accompanied by the screams of passersby, the alley was surrounded by the law enforcement team.

Two white sheets were laid over their bodies.

Chapter 24

Early spring began, and clouds drifted by.

The biting cold was gone; a ray of gentle sunshine spilled across Selene Rivers’ face from outside the window.

Her complexion was unnaturally pale. She looked down at her arms, seemingly feeling as if something was missing.

She felt as if she had forgotten something very important. She stood up, the chair making a massive "screech," and the younger colleagues beside her looked at her with some confusion.

"...Senior Sister Selene?"

She looked around at her surroundings and the people beside her, engulfed by a feeling of familiarity mixed with strangeness.

After being dazed for a long time, a pencil tapped on her head. The sudden pain brought her back to her senses.

A clear, lazy voice came from the other side: "What are you daydreaming about? You don't accept the critique that your hand gestures for the ability are problematic?"

Selene looked up, but upon seeing the man’s face, she froze.

In the sunlight, the man’s face was shockingly familiar.

"Senior Brother Julian?"

The man before her frowned slightly. "Why are you calling me? Even if you call me, you still have to fix it."

Selene looked at the familiar person before her, her eyes slightly red.

Memories of her past life surged like a tide, nearly drowning her.

Julian Vance—her senior brother from her past life, the person she thought she would never see again—was now standing alive before her, frowning, his tone carrying that familiar blend of teasing and strictness.

Her fingers trembled slightly. The cold touch of the urn still lingered on her fingertips, yet everything before her was so real.

Sunlight filtered through the window onto the wooden floor of the purification practice room. The air was filled with the moist scent of early spring, and even the faint, refreshing smell of purification energy on Julian was clearly audible.

She opened her mouth, her throat feeling as if blocked by something; only after a long moment did she struggle to utter a sound: "I... I’m just..."

"Just what?"

Julian raised an eyebrow, and the pencil in his hand tapped her head again gently.

"Your gestures for the purification ability are too stiff; the mental soothing effect on the ability user will be greatly diminished. Haven't you always pursued perfection? How are you so distracted today?"

Selene lowered her head, her fingertips stroking the purification theory book. The coolness from the pages helped her calm down slightly.

She took a deep breath, suppressing the turbulence in her heart, and said softly: "I understand. I will change it."

Julian glanced at her, his tone softening: "What’s wrong? Not feeling well? Or was your ability overdrawn?"

She shook her head, forcing a smile: "No, maybe I didn't sleep well last night."

"Then hurry up and finish the corrections so you can go back and rest."

Julian handed her his training notes and turned to walk toward the window, hands in his pockets, his gaze landing on the flower petals drifting outside.

Selene watched his back, her heart filled with complex emotions.

In her past life, Julian had lost his life in a zombie tide to save her; that accident had become her eternal nightmare.

Countless times in her dreams, she had watched him be swallowed by the horde, powerless to intervene.

And now, he was standing before her unscathed, just as lazy, just as strict, as if nothing had ever happened.

She lowered her head, her fingertips gliding gently over the purification theory book.

After senior brother saved her, she seemed to have fallen ill, or perhaps met someone else.

She tried hard to recall what happened in the years after senior brother died, but her head only ached more.

For some reason, she felt empty inside; she felt as if she had forgotten something very important.

Selene sighed. Never mind, since she had been reborn and heaven had given her a chance to start over, she must save her senior brother and never let history repeat itself.

"Senior Brother," she suddenly said, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible, "you must... be careful during the out-of-base clearance missions in the future."

Julian turned back, looking at her with some confusion: "Why are you suddenly saying this?"

She looked up, her gaze firm and serious: "I just... don't want to lose anyone important again."

Julian was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter, reaching out to ruffle her hair: "You silly girl, why are you acting so strange today? Don't worry, I’m a veteran ability user; I’ll be fine."

Selene said nothing more, just watched him silently, silently swearing to herself: She would definitely protect her senior brother well; she would absolutely not let that tragedy repeat itself.

Stepping out of the practice room, the early spring sunlight fell gently on her, and the air was filled with a hint of warmth.

Her senior brother had already gone to the parking lot to get the armored vehicle, saying he would take her to the base cafeteria for a meal.

Selene was idly scrolling through her communicator, her fingers sliding aimlessly across the screen.

Suddenly, she felt a scorching gaze from behind, as if piercing her spine.