Chapter 36-A rare treasure

Chapter 36: 36-A rare treasure

Aymara looked back at him. Her eyes softened into a more gentle form. She had missed such moments between them and it felt nice to experience it again.

Nathaniel swallowed. "I hate that you were right."

She smiled. "No, you don’t," she called out his clear lie. "You have never hated it when I am right. And you said so earlier, you don’t hate me so..."

"I hate that I doubted you," he cut in. That part was true.

"You had your reasons. Reasons that I brought on with my past actions."

Nathaniel leaned back and relaxed. "I had pride, that’s all the reason there is to it."

She didn’t contradict him. That silence struck harder than an argument.

Nathaniel looked away first. The smooth conversation between them felt too nice to be true. Despite knowing it was the truth, their reality, he still pinched himself to ensure that he wasn’t daydreaming.

Aymara’s voice softened. "You don’t have to forgive me for keeping secrets today. But all my secrets will be known to you with time."

Nathaniel looked up and locked eyes with her. The second his eyes held hers, all the emotions he kept buried underneath the surface came rushing out.

He blinked, pushed it all back down and acted cold. "Good... because I don’t forgive you."

"But you do have to trust me enough to stay alive for me," she said. "Because I’ll do everything in my power to keep you safe."

He looked at her again. The request was unfair. It was also the only thing she had ever asked of him without pretending it was a choice.

Despite himself, Nathaniel almost laughed. Because once upon a time, he was the one begging her to stay and trust him that Dylan wasn’t right for her. Now, the tables had turned.

Boom!

Another distant explosion echoed through the ship. Aymara turned toward the window, and her smile disappeared.

The world was drowning and this was only the beginning. The storm would let up anytime soon and those who weren’t prepared would disappear with the world they used to know.

---

Far away, Noel and Ambrose were experiencing the apocalypse aboard their own ship.

Nathaniel’s warning had reached them days earlier. He had told them the world would not survive the coming disaster and had given them everything he could spare: navigation data, emergency frequencies, weather projections, fuel calculations, medical supplies, and detailed instructions for surviving at sea.

Their vessel had once been an ordinary cargo ship when Noel bought it, but with a few modifications, he had transformed it piece by piece.

The hull had been reinforced with layered steel and composite plating. The engines had been rebuilt and fitted with redundant systems, while the bridge had been sealed against flooding.

Water purification units had been installed beside fuel reserves, battery banks, and emergency generators. Storage rooms were filled with preserved food, tools, medicine, spare parts, and enough seeds to begin growing crops if they ever found stable ground.

It did not compare to Aymara’s fortress. Nothing did. Her ship was a floating stronghold, equipped with technology and resources beyond anything Noel and Ambrose could have imagined.

But Noel’s vessel was better than most. It had been built to survive the apocalypse, and that was more than enough to give them a chance as doomsday was upon them.

Noel stood at the helm as the ship climbed another monstrous wave, his hands tightening around the controls.

"Hold together," he whispered, he didn’t know if he was talking about the ship or himself.

The vessel groaned beneath him, but the reinforced hull endured.

Ambrose rushed down the stairs from the engine room. "The starboard generator is still running. Everything is fine!"

"How long will it last?" Noel asked for the report.

"Long enough if we don’t wasting power and the backups are all ready so we are good to go."

Noel glanced at the dark screens. The main communications network had already failed. Their satellite connection flickered in and out, while the emergency radio produced nothing but static.

Outside, the ocean rose and fell like a living creature. Ambrose braced himself against the wall as another wave struck.

BOOM!

The ship lurched violently, and loose equipment slammed against its restraints. For a moment, the lights went out. Then the backup system activated, filling the corridor with dim red emergency lights.

Ambrose exhaled shakily. "That was close, bro. I can’t believe how scary the ocean is."

Noel looked toward the sealed windows. "Close isn’t the same as over."

A wall of rain swept across the deck. The wind screamed through the rigging, and their ship was thrown sideways before righting itself as the stabilizers engaged.

Nathaniel had warned them about this. He had warned them that the first waves would not be the worst part. He had warned them to stay away from coastlines, conserve fuel, secure every object, and never trust a calm sea after a seismic event.

Most of all, he had warned them that survival would depend on preparation rather than courage.

Ambrose looked at the navigation display. "Where are we heading?"

Noel looked uncertain about their destination. He was tempted to contact Nathaniel and ask him but he feared Aymara picking up again.

"We’ll head deeper into the waters for now," he said, he was sure that Nathaniel will reach out sooner or later and guide him.

"There’s no guarantee it’s safer, Noel," Ambrose spoke as he approached him.

"There isn’t anywhere safe," Noel shook his head. The world as they knew it was drowned under the water.

The future was unknown and frankly, the uncertainty troubled him too and that’s why he was even more thankful for Nathaniel. It was only because of his friend that he stood there, safe and sound with his brother.

Noel adjusted the course. "But Nathaniel said open water gives us the best chance."

Ambrose was silent as they both knew what that meant. Their families and friends were gone. Their home was gone and the world they had known was gone.

All they had left was the ship, the supplies, and each other.

Another wave rose ahead of them. Noel stared at it as the vessel climbed. The reinforced bow cut through the water, and for several seconds, they seemed to hang above the ocean. Then the ship descended into the trough with a bone-rattling impact.

The hull held together against the water and the engines continued running.

Ambrose let out a breath. "Still alive."

Noel nodded. "Still alive."

They moved through the ship, checking every compartment. The food stores remained sealed, the water tanks were intact, the medical supplies had not shifted, and the battery banks were functioning. The small hydroponic room had suffered damage, but the growing trays could be repaired.

Nathaniel had thought of everything he could. He had even included manuals for repairing the engines, purifiers, and electrical systems if the automated controls failed.

Noel ran his hand over the reinforced wall. "It isn’t a fortress."

Ambrose looked at him. "No, it’s not. But it’s our new home and our safety net against the ruined world."

"But it’s ours," Noel nodded. "I just wish I knew if Nathaniel was safe on his end."

Ambrose gave a tired smile. "Hey, he knew this was coming and so I am sure that he prepared well on his end and us absolutely safe."

"I’d believe that after I’ve spoken to him," he didn’t trust Aymara not to hurt him.

The girl had spent six years like Nathaniel didn’t exist, why would she be concerned about him so suddenly. And if he was with her, what about Dylan, the reason she hurt him to begin with.

Will they bully Nathaniel together? Does Nathaniel have the strength to fend Dylan and Aymara off?

His worry grew more and more as time passed. He stood at the control center and watched as he was surrounded by water on all sides.

"But I must admit, Nate had some brains on him. He even foresaw something as scary as this by doing maths and observing the environment," he gave a compliment to his friend, the corner of his mouth lifting as he felt immense pride for having known someone as brilliant as Nathaniel Stormbourne. "He is a rare treasure. Truly, one of a kind."