Nyx (Complete✅)

Chapter 68

Beth had been waiting for what felt like an eternity.

Sure, she'd spent days trying to get back. Each failure had felt like another year had passed, but now that she was back, with Liam somewhere out there, not miles away from herself... she didn't know if she could take the thought of waiting for even a second longer.

It was only when the pure golden light outside was beginning to fade that the captain finally returned. His expression was unreadable, neither joy nor sadness finding a way onto his face.

She didn't know what to expect as he made his way across the room to sit, once more, behind his desk.

A fearful, cautious sense of hope slowly filled her chest.

He'd said that Liam had taken her disappearance badly, but this was Liam. He would be nothing but overjoyed to see her, right?

The sense of hope only swelled when the Captain first opened his mouth, and she was unable to stop it.

She knew in the back of her mind that the hope might be crushed as soon as the words finally came out, but she couldn't help it. She would be reunited with Liam, no matter what happened. She'd been striving and struggling to get to this moment for days...

"He'll be ready to see you soon. I've asked Kelbar to come to get you as soon as he is, but in the meantime, maybe you should get yourself ready." There was a kind laugh in his voice, and she realized when he spoke that she was still filthy.

She'd been wearing the same clothes for so long, and that didn't even take into consideration the fact that she was fighting and running around in them. She probably smelled awful.

"I guess you're right... but where do I go? Everything is so different now. Do I even have a place to stay anymore?" the questions left her mouth as soon as they popped into her head, spurred on by an urgent desire to get herself presentable.

She would be with Liam again, and she refused to settle for looking like a swamp witch when she finally was. It was true that he would be happy with her, stench-permeated or not, but that didn't mean she was.

The captain chuckled. "Yes, Beth, I would say that you certainly do have a place to stay."

A knowing glint danced in his eyes, but she stopped herself from asking what he meant.

"So where do I go to clean up?" she asked, a hint of her desperation leaking into her voice. The captain had said himself that Liam was almost ready to see her, which meant she had to be just as ready, the moment Kelbar showed up to summon her.

The thought of seeing Kelbar again almost brought tears to her eyes once more... Of course, she wasn't as close to him as she was to Liam, but they were still friends. Any familiar face from the colony would be welcome.

"There are public showers at the hospital, and there should be a change of clothes there, as well." He smiled.

"Okay." She jumped to her feet and had taken three whole steps before she paused and turned back to the desk again. "It's still in the same place, right?"

The captain inclined his head, and as soon as she had the information she needed, she was rushing out again.

The time passed in a blur as she made her way down the paths that had once been so familiar. The bricks felt foreign against her feet, and even the hospital had changed beyond recognition. The foundations for everything were still there, but everything above that was completely different. How had so much happened in such a short time?