CHAPTER 52: TWO WORLDS: CASSEL UNVEILS ROSALIA’S BIG SECRET

Cassel — POV

Now everything makes sense.

For the first time since this insane apocalypse began, the chaos inside my mind finally aligned into something painfully, brutally clear.

It was as if a fog that had been clinging to me for days suddenly burned away, leaving every truth exposed beneath an unforgiving sun.

Everything became perfectly clear to me in that moment.

The reason she knew about me—about my past life, every humiliation, every betrayal, every moment I thought no one had witnessed—was likely because she had seen my story somehow.

Or perhaps she had watched my life the way someone would watch a movie.

Maybe she had even seen my death.

My actual ending.

She knew all of it.

And that explained everything.

That was why she had screamed that she would "save her villain."

Her villain.

Me.

It was why she despised Mary and the others with such irrational intensity—because she already knew everything they would do, every attempt, every manipulation. Everything.

How she learned all this... it didn’t matter.

What mattered was one thing.

She knew what I had suffered.

And she knew what I might suffer in the future.

She wanted to change my future because she loved me.

She came to this world because she was thinking of me... because she wanted to help me.

The realization hit me like a blow to the chest.

I stood behind the door, frozen like a stone statue—no, worse, like some ancient relic left behind in a forgotten ruin.

Completely immobile. Completely useless.

My hand hovered inches away from the cold wooden surface, but I couldn’t bring myself to push it open.

I couldn’t do anything except stare blankly at the wooden frame, imagining the fragile, slender girl sitting in the room behind it.

Just one door separated us.

No

...It wasn’t just a door.

It was an entire world.

A world she didn’t originally belong to.

A world I was terrified she could be ripped away from at any moment.

I heard her clearly.

My enhanced senses were not called the strongest for nothing—my physical abilities, my hearing... they far surpassed anything any human or creature possessed.

Even now, her voice still echoes in my mind, each word burning itself into my memory.

Rosalia said she was not from this world.

I had heard it very well.

She wasn’t someone who had been born here.

The body she was in wasn’t even hers.

I wasn’t an otaku obsessed with fantasy novels or reincarnation fanfics, but even I understood what reincarnation and transmigration meant.

Even I knew enough to comprehend what it meant for someone’s soul to enter a body that wasn’t theirs.

I didn’t care about the world she came from.

I didn’t care about the life she had lived before this one.

But—

I shared the same fear she had.

From the way she spoke, from the tremble in her voice she tried so hard to hide, it was painfully obvious she was terrified of being pulled out of this world the same way she had arrived.

Without warning.

Without choice.

That was why she refused my feelings.

Now that I knew she could disappear at any moment...

I couldn’t feel at ease.

I couldn’t relax.

I couldn’t breathe.

How could I?

How could I be at peace when the treasure I had chosen—decided to protect, care for, and keep beside me—was not completely mine?

When some invisible force could take her away from me effortlessly, ruthlessly, at any moment?

What should I do?

What could I possibly do to secure her completely?

To ensure that nothing—not fate, not whatever world she came from, not even death—could take her from me?

What could I do?

...

...

Despite all my ridiculous worries and fears, I was still the Boss here.

And leaders didn’t crumble just because their hearts were shaking.

I had people to protect.

I had responsibilities.

I had to guide the others to safety first—to ensure they survived and lived well.

Staying in a hotel surrounded by zombies was no longer possible.

Danger pressed closer every hour, like the tightening of a noose. We had exhausted our time here.

Now that Rosalia had awakened, one heavy burden had finally lifted from my chest.

As for the rest...

I would deal with it later.

For now, her presence in front of me was more than enough to calm me, even if she had no idea what her existence did to me.

"Is everything ready?"

I asked, my voice steady even though the storm inside me was anything but.

Henry answered immediately.

"Yes, boss. We’re ready. Just give the order to move."

"Good. We’ll depart in exactly five minutes."

My tone was cold, strict, efficient—everything a leader should be. But internally, I could still feel the lingering tremors of the truth I had just uncovered.

While I was standing near the cars filled with people and supplies, three small children approached me.

Their steps were tiny, hesitant, yet determined—as if they believed coming too close to me required a courage they barely possessed.

"Sir"

The tallest boy said, his eyes wide and earnest.

"Thank you again for helping us! We want to repay you, so... can you give us a job?"

"Yes! Yes!" the second boy nodded rapidly, fists clenched with determination.

"We’re competent! We can work just like adults!"

The only girl among them peeked shyly from behind her brother.

Her tiny fingers clutched the hem of his shirt as she whispered, her voice almost too soft to catch:

"I-I’m sorry I couldn’t help the fairy sister last time... I’ll try harder next time."

The triplets we had rescued with Rosalia from the hospital.

Polite.

Capable.

Too mature for their age.

Too quiet for children who should have been laughing and fighting over toys.

They never complained once during our travels.

They helped with whatever tasks they could—cooking, cleaning, gathering small supplies.

They washed vegetables with those tiny hands of theirs and passed them to the cooks.

Everyone had grown fond of them.

Who wouldn’t?

Even the coldest heart would soften at the sight of a child desperately trying to be useful.

Honestly, I hadn’t been particularly interested at first.

I didn’t dislike them...

I didn’t have the emotional space for attachments.

But after learning their names, everything changed.

Amber, Sean, and Han Grover.

In the future, these three would become monsters. Legends.

The strongest trio of supers.

Known as The Death Trio.

With the powers of earth, ice, and healing, they would defeat—and kill—countless enemies.

Their abilities would be useful.

So I didn’t mind keeping them under my wing... as long as they remained obedient.

"It’s fine"

I told them.

"Your power is still too weak right now. Wait until you’re stronger and then you can help. As for you two," I said to the boys, "you’ll start training with Alex. After we settle in the safe base, you’ll join the team to hunt zombies and work."

My tone was cold, serious—maybe even harsh for a child—but the three didn’t flinch.

They nodded their small heads firmly, acceptance shining in their eyes.

Maybe it was because they had suffered before.

Maybe they understood more than any child should.

Maybe they had grown up too early.

"Cassel! Cassel, I’m ready!"

Her voice.

Her steps.

Her presence.

Everything about her hit me instantly, overwhelming my senses before I could brace myself.

She ran toward me, fast—her hair brushing against the wind, her cheeks slightly flushed, her breath uneven.

She only stopped when barely a few centimeters remained between us.

I loved that she approached me on her own.

Loved it so much I hated myself for loving it.

But my expression stayed cold.

I hadn’t forgotten how she practically rejected me moments ago.

She still refused to tell me anything about herself—not even a small truth.

Her secrecy really made me angry.

As if her only mission was to protect me... and once she completed it, she planned to vanish.

If I hadn’t eavesdropped like some desperate rat

If I hadn’t overheard her real identity and her furious words—I would have never known anything.

I was angry—so angry that I couldn’t appreciate the beauty standing before me.

Tight black jeans hug her legs.

A fitted leather jacket shaped her waist.

Simple sneakers.

Dressed entirely in black, she looked like someone who belonged on the streets—reckless, rebellious, dangerous.

Previously, she always wore skirts—maybe because she wanted to match my tastes.

But this time, Liz had chosen her clothes, and Rosalia looked less like the pampered princess she usually resembled... and more like someone who could break a man’s nose with a single kick.

Still...

I found her beautiful in anything she wore.

"Let’s go, then."

I turned away, forcing myself not to look at her again. If I did...

I feared I might pull her into my arms.

I might confess everything—every fear, every desire, every selfish thought tearing through me.

"Ca—Cassel! Cae! Wait! I-I want to talk to you!"

Her voice wavered, almost desperate.

And I hated how much I wanted to respond.

But I didn’t wait.

I didn’t even allow her to ride in the same car with me.

I didn’t know if it was pride, anger, or fear...

Maybe all three tangled together into something ugly and uncontrollable.

But since the distance to our destination was short—only a few minutes—I didn’t think much of it.

So I let her ride in another vehicle.

A decision I regretted almost instantly.

When the convoy began moving and my car drove past the one Rosalia sat in...

I saw it.

I saw him.

Sitting beside her—talking to her happily, comfortably, his face way too close to hers—was a sly old fox.

My jaw clenched so tightly I thought my teeth might crack.

And in that moment...

All I wanted was to rip the fur off every fox in existence.

Because suddenly...

I wanted to wear one.