Chapter 129-Time to clean up

Chapter 129: 129-Time to clean up

Soft golden sunlight filtered through the large windows, spilling across the floor and casting warm patches of light over the room.

Outside, the morning sky was a pale shade of blue with a few wisps of clouds drifting lazily across the horizon.

The gentle glow of dawn brought a rare sense of calm to the ship while the faint sound of waves lapping against its hull filled the quiet air. For a brief moment everything felt peaceful as though the world beyond the ocean had not fallen into chaos.

Aymara woke up early. She remained beneath her warm blanket for a few minutes, staring at the ceiling as the events of the previous day replayed in her mind.

The pirates had fled, the metallic birds had moved on, and her ship had survived another disaster. The damage had been repaired sufficiently for the fortress to move again, and the supplies aboard remained untouched.

By all accounts, she should have been satisfied. Yet, as she sat up and pushed her hair away from her face, a familiar uneasiness settled in her chest.

Her mind settled on other people and that was the problem.

In her previous life, she had opened her heart and home to people who had smiled at her while calculating how much they could take from her and she didn’t see it until it was too late.

She had shared her resources, trusted their promises, and believed that protecting others would earn her loyalty in return. Instead, Dylan, Sarah and other survivors had repaid her kindness by stealing her ship and abandoning her to die.

Even now, the memory of the freezing seawater swallowing her whole remained painfully vivid. Sometimes, all it took was a passing thought for her to remember the suffocating cold, the helplessness of sinking beneath the waves, and the betrayal that had sent her into the depths.

Her fingers curled against the blanket as she pushed the memories away. She would never make the same mistake again. Not in this lifetime.

Her fortress had never been intended to shelter a crowd of strangers or become a refuge for every desperate survivor who happened to cross her path. From the very beginning, it had been built for two people: herself and Nathaniel. That was all she had ever wanted, and she had no intention of allowing the world to turn her sanctuary into something else.

Aymara wanted enough food, medicine, clean water, and comfortable space for them to survive whatever horrors the apocalypse threw their way. That was the future she had envisioned.

So why had she allowed other people to enter it?

Aymara let out a slow breath and pushed the lingering thoughts aside. She threw back her blanket and swung her legs over the edge of the bed.

There was no point lying there, dwelling on things she couldn’t change. Whatever decision she had to make, she would have to face it eventually. She wasn’t going to solve anything by sitting in bed and overthinking the problem. It was better to get up, get moving, and deal with matters directly.

After washing up, she spent more time than usual getting ready. She chose a soft blue outfit that complemented her complexion, styled her hair until its curled ends rested neatly against her shoulders, and applied just enough makeup to brighten her face.

She added a touch of color to her lips, checked her reflection, and adjusted her clothes.

The woman looking back at her appeared composed and elegant, with no trace of the helpless heiress who had once trusted the wrong people with her life.

Aymara smiled faintly. "Much better, darling."

She left her room and headed for the kitchen. Breakfast was something she could control, and she intended to make it properly.

She prepared fluffy pancakes, scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, and a generous serving of sliced fruit. She also made tea for herself and Nathaniel, ensuring his portion was prepared according to his usual preferences.

The aroma soon filled the dining area, creating an atmosphere so peaceful that it almost felt as though the apocalypse had become nothing more than a distant nightmare.

Once everything was ready, Aymara checked the time and sent messages to Nathaniel and Celyn, inviting them to join her for breakfast.

There was something they needed to discuss. More specifically, they needed to decide what would happen to Celyn.

"It’s time to clean up the cruise," She smiled.

Aymara had not forgotten the circumstances under which the other woman had come aboard. She knew that being rescued did not automatically make someone a threat, but neither did it make them trustworthy.

In a world where food and medicine were becoming more valuable than gold, every additional person represented another mouth to feed, another person who might learn the fortress’s secrets, and another potential weakness.

She wasn’t going to pretend those concerns didn’t exist simply because she had the means to provide for them.

Before the discussion could begin, however, there was another matter to settle. Marcus and Daniel were leaving her ship, that was not up for debate.

Aymara had already made her decision the previous night. She had no intention of keeping them aboard indefinitely, and with the pirate fleet gone, there was no reason to delay their departure.

She took a final look at the breakfast table before leaving the dining area. Nathaniel and Celyn had both received her invitation, but she wanted to see the two men off first.

When she reached the deck, Marcus and Daniel were already waiting.

They looked considerably less confident than they had before. The aftermath of the pirate attack had made one thing painfully clear: the ocean was no place for careless people, and Aymara’s fortress was not somewhere they could demand shelter simply because they wanted it.

Marcus glanced at her as she approached. "You’re really sending us away?" There was some panic in his voice. "Aren’t you hesistant to send us to our deaths?"

"Do you see me preparing a farewell party?" Aymara asked.

His mouth tightened. "You can’t just do that... There are monsters out there."

Daniel shifted uneasily beside him. Neither man appeared particularly eager to leave but Aymara had no interest in entertaining their reluctance.

"And the two of you are the monsters in here. So... forgive me if I don’t want to wait to be stabbed in the back."

She gestured toward the nearby boat. It was one of the vessels left behind after Captain Rourke’s fleet fled. The pirates had abandoned several boats during their desperate escape, and Aymara had no reason to let a perfectly usable one go to waste.

"Get in."

Marcus looked from the boat to her face. "Where are we supposed to go?"

"That’s your problem. Why are asking me?" Aymara sounded, offended by their nerve to actually dare to question her. "Do I look like your moms or your guardian? Why would I care where you go..."

"At least give us some supplies," Daniel interrupted. "You can’t just throw us out into the ocean and expect us to survive."

Aymara regarded him coldly. "Can’t I?"