Into the Apocalypse: Saving My Favorite Villain-Chapter 120: Confrontation

Rosalia — POV

Through the cracked window of the car, I saw Cassel standing alone in the middle of the ruined road, his tall silhouette cutting sharply against the gray wasteland.

He faced the group of strangers who had forced us to stop—people who had appeared out of nowhere, as if the broken world itself had spat them out directly in our path.

Joe and Sebastian stood beside him, slightly behind, like shadows that had learned how to breathe. Silent. Watchful. Ready.

Somehow—without me even fully remembering when or how—it had ended with Joe and Sebastian riding in our car after we departed from the last rest stop.

They had... appeared. Slid into the back seats as naturally as if they had always belonged there.

It was unsettling.

Throughout the entire journey, neither of them had uttered a single word. Not when the road twisted into something barely recognizable.

Not when danger crept so close I could taste metal in the air. Not even when the rocket screamed toward us and the car nearly flipped, metal shrieking as we lost control for those terrifying seconds.

They hadn’t shouted. Hadn’t cursed. Hadn’t even reacted.

They had just followed Cassel out of the vehicle in complete silence, calm as executioners walking to the gallows.

They had zero presence—and that somehow made them even more frightening.

If Henry had been here, he would’ve filled the air with endless chatter, trying to mask fear with noise.

Robin would’ve already been arguing with Frederick, puffing out his chest and boasting about his strength like always.

But Joe and Sebastian?

Nothing.

The absence of sound pressed down on me like a weight. The light seemed to dim inside my eyes, and unease coiled in my stomach, slow and cold.

Where were the others now?

Where were Henry, Robin, Frederick...?

They had been right in front of us just moments ago. Too close to lose sight of. And yet, they had vanished from the road as if the earth had swallowed them whole. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

It was unnatural.

As if they had been pulled into thin air.

As if teleportation—something I’d only read about in half-broken novels—had suddenly become real.

Who were these people?

And more importantly... what did they want from us?

They looked ordinary.

Painfully ordinary.

No scars carved proudly across their faces. No twisted smiles or obvious madness in their eyes. They didn’t even resemble villains—not like Barney and his gang, who wore their cruelty openly, like armor.

These people looked like passersby. Like survivors you might meet on the road and exchange supplies with.

I didn’t recognize any of them. I didn’t remember reading about them in any records or rumors passed between settlements.

And yet—

If it weren’t for the rocket they had fired.

If it weren’t for the way our car had nearly overturned, death snapping its jaws inches from us—

I might’ve believed they were harmless.

For hell’s sake, who the hell gets their hands on rockets?

Even if it was a small launcher, even if it was crude and worn, that didn’t change the truth: weapons like that shouldn’t have been accessible to anyone.

The world had ended not that long ago.

Heavy weapons were supposed to be locked away, guarded, hidden far from the reach of ordinary survivors.

So how?

My thoughts were cut off by Cassel’s voice—deep, heavy, unmistakably his.

"What do you think you’re doing?"

His tone was calm. Too calm. Like a blade resting against skin without pressing in yet.

"Yooo, hey there, man."

The reply came lazily, almost cheerfully, and it made my skin crawl.

I leaned closer to the shattered window, ignoring the jagged cracks spiderwebbing across the glass, trying to get a better look at the people who had stopped us. I searched their faces desperately, hoping—irrationally—that I might recognize someone.

Then—

Warmth brushed against my cheek.

I froze.

The heat came from a hand.

Touching my face.

"Damn it."

Unease surged through me violently, and I jerked backward, pulling away as if burned. My heart slammed against my ribs, breath catching painfully in my throat.

When I turned my head, I found Matthew looking at me, his expression calm, unbothered—almost gentle.

"There’s broken glass everywhere," he said quietly. "Be careful. You might cut yourself."

Only then did I truly notice the window. Sharp shards glittered dangerously along the edges, waiting to slice into skin at the slightest mistake.

Embarrassment crept up my neck.

My reaction had been excessive. Unreasonable.

And yet...

I hadn’t felt comfortable when someone other than Cassel touched me.

That realization unsettled me even more.

I wasn’t someone who rejected touch. I wasn’t fragile or broken. Normally, I didn’t react like that—not even when Henry or Robin had grabbed my arm or pulled me out of danger before.

So why—

No.

Stop it.

He was helping you.

Rosalia, you idiot.

"Um... thank you, Matthew," I murmured. "Sorry. I was lost in thought."

"It’s fine," he replied with a faint smile. "Just don’t hurt yourself."

I returned the smile, though it felt stiff and hollow, and turned my attention back outside.

Back to Cassel.

Nothing else mattered right now.

Outside, Cassel was already questioning them, just as he had promised me.

"Why did you attack us?"

Short. Direct. Deadly.

"Ohhh, man," one of them replied, stretching the words lazily. "Does there really have to be a reason? And why should I tell you anyway?"

The speaker looked young—early twenties at most.

Clean-faced.

Neat.

If I saw him before the end of the world, I would’ve thought he was a gentle classroom teacher, the kind all the girls secretly admired.

A polite smile curved his lips.

But his words were rotten.

I watched Cassel closely.

His eyes were locked onto the group, unblinking. Joe and Sebastian stood a step behind him, patient and still, like wolves waiting for their alpha’s signal.

Cassel let out a low chuckle.

It was quiet.

Dangerous.

"Because," he said, voice smooth as ice, "depending on your answer, I may—or may not—let you keep your miserable lives."

Ah.

And here I was thinking that man was the contradiction.

I’d forgotten that Cassel himself was the greatest contradiction of all.

Handsome.

Striking.

Almost unreal.

Before the world ended, people must’ve stared at him openly on the streets. Admired him. Maybe even fallen for him at first sight.

Appearances lie.

And no one knew that better than me.

Cassel was not kind.

Not gentle.

Not merciful.

... And I loved him for exactly that.

My gaze burned as I stared at him—my officially acknowledged lover.

Maybe I sighed, because Cassel suddenly turned his head toward me.

Our eyes met.

I smiled widely, unable to stop myself.

For just a second, he smiled back.

Then—

A gunshot cracked through the air.

"Oh my God."

Time slowed.

Weapons were raised—several of them—all aimed at Cassel.

Even the rocket launcher.

The moment Cassel turned his attention away, those scum attacked him from behind.

"Cass... el."

Panic shattered every thought in my mind.

I forgot his strength.

Forgot his powers.

Forgot that he was more dangerous than all of them combined.

All I could think about—

Was the possibility of Cassel getting hurt?

All I could think about—

Was my dear villain in danger?

And my body moved before my mind could catch up.