Chapter 30-The person I want to protect

Chapter 30: 30-The person I want to protect

Nathaniel remained silent. His hands had gone still on top of the blanket, but his fingers were clenched so tightly that his knuckles had begun to pale.

He wanted to ask what she had seen, how he had died, and why she seemed so certain that the same fate awaited him. Yet some instinct warned him that he might not be ready for the answers.

Aymara picked up another spoonful of porridge. "So I bought this ship and made it into a fortress to ensure yours and my survival."

She gestured around them. "It’s stocked with food, water, medicine, fuel, clothing, equipment, and everything else I could think of."

Nathaniel looked toward the window. The ocean beyond it was calm, almost unnaturally so, stretching in every direction beneath a pale sky. But the dark clouds on the horizon had thickened, spreading like ink across the distance.

A low vibration passed through the ship, subtle enough to be mistaken for an engine shift, yet it made the glass tremble faintly in its frame.

"Where are we?"

"Far from the mainland."

"You already left?" He was stunned by how quick her reaction response was.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because the first tsunami is coming tomorrow."

Nathaniel’s eyes widened slightly. A chill moved down his spine despite the warmth of the room. "Tomorrow?"

He was puzzled by how she had the specifics down without doing any math. Even he had had problems determining when the exact date was.

Aymara nodded. "By then, the coast will be gone."

He looked at her for several seconds. His disbelief was still there, but it had begun to fracture beneath the weight of her certainty, the ship’s preparations, and the endless ocean outside.

She had gone too far to be playing a simple prank, and there was no obvious reason for her to invent something so elaborate as a dream that never happen.

But a dream was far too unreal to explain how specific the warning was. Still he moved on to the next question. "And you brought me here because..."

"Because you’re the person I want to protect most."

Nathaniel’s expression froze. The words struck him with unexpected force, leaving him unable to respond.

Aymara realized how that sounded and quickly looked away. "I mean..." She cleared her throat. "You’re sick. You won’t survive out there."

Nathaniel said nothing. His chest felt tight, and he couldn’t decide whether he was more disturbed by her claim or by how much he wanted to believe the concern behind it.

He had spent years convincing himself that whatever bond they had once shared was gone. Now she was sitting beside him, feeding him porridge and claiming she had crossed an ocean to save his life.

Aymara offered him another spoonful. "Eat," she choose that to switch the attention from her earlier shyness.

He stared at the spoon, then at her. "You always do this."

"Do what?"

"Change the subject whenever you’re uncomfortable."

Aymara’s hand froze. For a moment, the calm expression she had been maintaining slipped, revealing the exhaustion and fear beneath it.

She smiled awkwardly. "Eat your porridge, Nate."

Nathaniel sighed. But this time, he opened his mouth without arguing. Aymara continued feeding him until the bowl was empty, pausing whenever he needed more time to swallow and watching his face for any sign that the food was making him feel worse.

She then handed him the warm milk. "Drink it slowly."

Nathaniel drank a few sips. His hands trembled faintly around the cup, and he lowered it before she could notice. Aymara noticed anyway, but she pretended not to, allowing him to keep the small amount of dignity he had left.

Afterward, she gave him his medicine and waited until he swallowed it. Only then did she finally relax, her shoulders lowering as though she had been holding her breath throughout the entire meal.

"There. That’s much better."

Nathaniel leaned back against the pillows. His gaze remained fixed on her, and the questions in his mind had only multiplied.

"You really believe the world is ending tomorrow."

"I don’t believe it," he too, lied. He didn’t believe it because he saw it coming.

Aymara met his eyes. "I know it is," she held back on calling him out, her conversation with Noel had told him that he knew and right now, he was acting dumb.

"And you expect me to simply stay here?" He asked, looking around.

"Yes. And that is not up for negotiations."

"What if you’re wrong?" He questioned her. "What if the world never ends?"

"Then you can hate me for kidnapping you."

Nathaniel stared at her. The answer should have reassured him, but instead it made the danger feel more real. She had considered the possibility of being hated and still gone through with everything. She had been willing to destroy whatever remained of their relationship if it meant keeping him alive.

"And if you’re right?"

Aymara’s expression softened. "Then you’ll be alive and living well."

The room fell silent. Outside the enormous window, the ocean stretched endlessly toward the horizon, its surface glittering beneath the fading light.

For the first time since waking up, Nathaniel looked beyond Aymara and truly noticed how far they had traveled. There was no coastline, no city, and no ships in sight. Only endless water surrounded them, making the room feel less like a cabin and more like a sealed refuge cut off from the rest of the world.

His expression slowly became solemn. The last of his easy disbelief drained away, leaving behind a quiet, reluctant concern. He still didn’t know whether he believed her about the dream, but he could no longer dismiss her for being an idiot.

Aymara watched him carefully. "Rest for now."

She reached for the empty tray. "I’ll explain everything else once you’re stronger."

Nathaniel’s gaze followed her. He watched as she gathered the bowl, cup, and medicine container, moving with the same careful attention she had shown from the moment he woke.

"Aymara," he called out a name he hadn’t been able to say for six years. It sounded strange on his tongue.

She stopped. It was the first time he had said her name since waking up. She turned around. "Yes?"

His expression was unreadable. "If what you’re saying is true..." He glanced toward the ocean, his voice growing quieter. "How...how much time do we have?"

Aymara’s fingers tightened around the tray. "Less than a day."

Outside, thunder rumbled in the distance. The sound rolled across the water, low and ominous, while dark clouds gathered beyond the horizon.

The ship shuddered once beneath them, and somewhere far out at sea, a deep, unnatural roar rose beneath the thunder.

"So which room is your boyfriend staying at in this yatch? I’d like to avoid running into him if possible."

Aymara froze up. "H-huh?"

Never in a million years did she expect Nathaniel to ask about Dylan. Her ex-boyfriend was the last topic she wanted to discuss with Nathaniel.

However, she realized it would be strange not to ask about him, until a week ago, they had been dating and happily in love at that. Then she got reborn and broke up with him, that information wasn’t public.

Nathaniel blinked. He didn’t understand her shock. ’Was it because I brought him up?’

"You know... Dylan..." He paused, feeling like gagging to get rid of the taste that awful name left on his lips. "Your boyfriend of five years... Who hates me... him... Where is he staying at?"