Apocalypse with my SSS Harem Beauties-Chapter 152: Normal

Kade had managed to find alcohol among the supplies in Michael’s camp. He had not taken it without permission, of course. He asked first.

Selene allowed him to take some, but not too much. Others needed it as well.

He thanked her and walked toward a quieter corner of the camp and lowered himself onto a wooden crate near the outer perimeter and leaned back against a stack of supply boxes.

From there, he could see the campfire from a distance. The flames rose and fell in steady rhythm, sparks drifting upward into the dark sky.

The bottle of beer in his hand was not strong enough to drown his thoughts. But it would have to do.

He could not afford to get too drunk. Not in this world. When monsters roamed beyond the crystal barrier and danger could appear without warning at any time.

Ever since he learned that Ryan had betrayed them and attacked Myles, a weight had settled in his chest.

The superior he once respected when he served under Ryan’s squad had become someone he did not want to see again.

Kade understood that Ryan had been possessed by something. An external entity had seized control and warped his actions. Intellectually, he knew that.

But it had still been Ryan’s body. Ryan’s hands. Ryan’s voice.

And the result had been chaos.

He had felt anger that day. Anger because he was too weak and too slow. He had lost consciousness after the monster’s attack and could do nothing.

He was angry at himself and angry at the thing that took Ryan.

Knowing that he and Ryan had once been colleagues made it worse. He remembered the shared drills, the routine patrols, and the quiet conversations during night watch.

Now all of it felt distant.

Kade tightened his grip around the bottle.

One day, he would grow stronger. Strong enough to find Ryan again and if Ryan was still trapped inside that body... he would end it himself.

He took a long swallow of his beer. Then he heard footsteps approaching.

Kade turned his head and saw Ethan dropping down beside him. The young man carried another bottle of beer identical to his.

"Hey, aren’t you still underage?" Kade asked.

Ethan’s remaining eye met him. The other side of his face that looked scarred and empty remained shadowed by the firelight. He grinned anyway.

"What does that even mean now?" He lifted the bottle and drank openly in front of him.

Kade snorted. He was right. At this point, rules like that had lost all relevance. He raised his own bottle and drank again.

They sat in silence for several minutes, watching the campfire shrink as wood collapsed inward.

A long, clear sigh escaped Ethan.

"I didn’t think my life would end up like this."

"No one did," Kade replied.

Ethan stared into the flames. "I didn’t even get a girlfriend yet, man. Now that everything’s like this... how am I supposed to get one?"

Kade let out a low laugh. "That’s your main concern?"

Ethan laughed too, though it sounded thin. "I just want to hold on to something normal. Even a stupid teenage problem like before. But that life’s already over. Hell, I even lost an eye."

"Yeah," Kade said quietly. "Our old life is over."

"How was yours before all this?" Ethan asked, taking another mouthful.

"I was just a soldier," Kade answered. "There was no real war so we just guarded the border, did patrols, and routine work and training."

"Doesn’t sound bad."

"It wasn’t."

Ethan nodded slowly. "My life wasn’t bad either. School, games with friends, homework, sometimes reading comics or novels. Just... normal."

They fell silent again.

The word lingered between them.

Normal.

Beyond the crystal wall, mist filled with Ether drifted under the night sky. Somewhere in the distance, a monster howled.

Normal no longer carried meaning.

Inside the crystal wall, they still had tents, campfires, grilled meat, laughter, and conversations that almost resembled the past. The orange glow of flames painted familiar shadows across human faces.

But beyond that barrier, monsters roamed. Anomalies tore through landscapes. Fragments of other worlds had fused violently with their own, distorting terrain and logic.

And Ether—once an unknown concept—had become as common as air. It flowed through their bodies, strengthened their attacks, altered their biology, and dictated their survival.

There was no normal anymore. This was their new reality.

And they had no choice but to adapt.

The monster’s distant howl faded into the night.

Ethan rolled the bottle slowly between his palms. "By the way... isn’t this the first time we’ve actually had a chance to relax like this? Just sit and talk?"

Kade considered that.

"Yeah," he said. "We were always outside the barrier before. Always on alert. Even when we slept, we stayed tense. Now that there are walls around us, we can at least lower our guard a little."

The crystal structure shimmered faintly at the edge of his vision. It refracted the campfire’s glow into pale streaks across its surface.

"Yeah." Ethan nodded. "I kinda like this place. Hopefully nothing bad will happen. Heheh..."

Kade immediately turned and stared at him with a flat, exasperated look.

"What?" Ethan asked.

"Don’t say things like that," Kade replied. "You’ll jinx us."

Ethan grimaced. "Sorry. I just said what was on my mind."

Kade sighed and looked forward again. The fire had shrunk into a tighter cluster of red embers now.

"Whatever," he muttered. "If something happens, we just have to fight again and survive again. That’s all."

"Right," Ethan said quietly. "Just like we always do."

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

The wind brushed along the crystal wall, producing a faint humming vibration. It almost sounded alive.

Kade finished his bottle and set it down beside the crate. His body felt slightly warmer, but his thoughts remained sharp.

"Ethan."

"Yeah?"

"You’re going to get stronger."

Ethan blinked. "Out of nowhere?"

"You lost an eye and you’re still here. That already says something." Kade’s tone remained steady. "Don’t waste it."

Ethan stared at the fire. A slow smile formed, smaller this time but more genuine.

"Guess I don’t have a choice except that."

"None of us do."

Another howl echoed in the distance. Closer this time. Both of them instinctively lifted their heads. The barrier shimmered faintly but held firm.

Ethan stood first and stretched his shoulders. "Well. If monsters come, I’ll blame you for telling me not to jinx it."

Kade snorted and rose to his feet as well. "Get some rest. I got a feeling that we will have to move again soon."

Ethan nodded and walked back toward the tents.

Kade remained for a few seconds longer, scanning the mist beyond the wall.

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