Nyx (Complete✅)

Chapter 61

The afternoon was pleasant. Filled with friendly chatter and cheerful laughter. Beth tried to enjoy herself as best as she could, but she couldn't shake Aaron's unreadable eerie glare. He didn't utter a single word and his soup went untouched for the entire meal. Beth suspected that he was deep in thought, and not knowing what he was thinking made her uncomfortable, despite all her promises to Liam that she was fine. This was the man who'd been responsible for her kidnapping. Who knew what sinister things lurked beneath the surface of his mind. He had yet to apologize for what he put her through, and she had not yet forgiven him.

Finally, his silence was broken. "How is the colony going?" He asked staring directly at Beth.

Beth made eye contact and was surprised to see genuine concern in his eyes. His question had also caught her off guard, so when she opened her mouth nothing came out.

Thankfully Liam noticed and came to her rescue. "It's going extremely well. It looks to be the beginning of a very prosperous future."

Beth noticed Aaron visibly relax.

"I'm glad to hear that," Aaron said, finally breaking his gaze away from Beth to look at Liam.

Liam was equally surprised at Aaron's genuineness. Was this the same man who'd kidnapped Beth? Had he had a change of heart? Questions flooded Liam's mind.

An uncomfortable silence fell. Most of the people around the fire had trickled away to tend to other things.

Aaron suddenly spoke. "I bet you're wondering why I'm here"

"Jakam said you were found on the lakeshore," Liam said.

"That is true. They rescued me. I was delirious, starved, and half-dead. I'm glad to have made a full recovery... In mind and body. I've had a lot of time to think." He glanced at Beth then his eyes fell to the ground in shame. "I've made terrible mistakes and done very wrongful things, thinking they were right for the sake of humanity."

This was undeniably a different man that sat before her. This man was no longer a villain. His words were truly repentant. The emotion was far from fake.

He continued. "I don't know how you could ever find it in your heart to forgive me. I admit that what I did to you was inexcusable wrong." He looked back up to her eyes. "I'm sorry."

Beth's insides did a somersault. Aaron's eyes were wet with tears, pleading for forgiveness.

Liam whispered into her ear, "You don't have to forgive him."

But she did. There was freedom in forgiveness. She had learned very early on how painful and heavy the weight of unforgiveness was. A lesson she learned from her own abusive father. Whom she'd loved despite his flaws.

She stared straight back into his eyes as tears began forming in her own, "I forgive you"

Aaron blinked in disbelief, wiping away his tears and sitting up a little straighter, a tad of embarrassment coloring his cheeks. "Thank you."

__________

They all worked together to break down camp. With Beth's prompting, Jakam had decided they would leave that day. Beth would transport them all directly to their mountainside village.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Jakam asked Beth. "Certainly it's too much to ask. After all you've done for us."

"I'm happy to," Beth replied. "I assure you it's no problem at all. It would save you so much time if I transported you back to your village."

"We are eternally grateful Beth. Thank you." Jakam replied.

The work had gone by quickly and they were soon ready to leave. Beth instructed everyone to clasp each other's hands and checked to make sure everyone was secure before closing her eyes. She visualized the village in her mind and imagined herself being there. The familiar buzzing radiated through her body.

When the buzzing subsided, she opened her eyes, but the village wasn't there. In her vision, a bright light zoomed towards her. She gasped as something impacted her body, like a punch to the gut. The air was knocked out of her body and she fell backward.

Panic settled when she realized the absence of Liam's hand around hers. The only thing she could see was light. Her body felt like it was being rushed backward, an unseen force pushing against her. The light was blinding. She closed her eyes. Her mouth opened and she tried to scream for help. No sound escaped her lips. A lump of terror settled in her throat.

She couldn't focus. Fear and adrenaline pulsed through her veins. She eventually fainted from exertion; or fear.

__________

When she opened her eyes she was lying face up in a field of grass. A three-foot diameter of the grass around her body had been flattened. Probably from the force of her landing.

Beth shakily got to her feet. She looked around and found herself to be alone.

"Hello!?" She called out, trying to remain calm.

No one answered.

"Liam!?" She screamed.

"Liam!" She screamed again, desperation piercing the air.

After about a dozen times of yelling his name, she gave up. She was hyperventilating and needed to calm herself down.

After closing her eyes and taking a few deep breaths, she looked around again. She was still on Nyx, so that was good. All she needed to do was teleport back to the village.

She closed her eyes, once again concentrating on the Viscordian's mountainside village.

Nothing happened, not even a slight buzz.

She tried again, harder this time. A piercing headache exploded in her head. She collapsed to the ground.

When the pain subsided, she returned to her feet. If she couldn't teleport, then she'd have to walk. Her surroundings were unfamiliar, so she chose a direction and started walking.

Miles later, she saw buildings in the distance. She neared them and saw people milling about. She gasped when she realized that the buildings were definitely not man-made, and the people were certainly not human. It was impossible. There were no other Viscordian villages.

Beth nearly fell over with shock when she began to recognize her surroundings. She was in the field where she had first met Kelbar and encountered The Slayer. She fell to her knees and gaped in disbelief at the village in the distance, Kelbar's village, new and teeming with life.