Celestial Guardians: Uniting Dimensions (Celestial Guardians Series, #1)

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Jamaica's POV

The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the silence. It wasn't the comforting kind that cradled you back to sleep; it was heavy, almost oppressive as if the world had taken a breath and forgotten how to exhale.

I rolled out of bed and trudged to the bathroom, my feet dragging against the cold floor. My eighteenth birthday had come and gone a week ago, but the weight of that milestone still clung to me like a shadow. People said you'd feel free, grown-up even, when you turned eighteen. For me, it was the opposite.

I felt... watched.

Every time I caught my reflection in the mirror, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. It was still me—same dark eyes, same cascade of black hair—but something was lurking beneath the surface, something I couldn't put into words.

Today was no different.

I leaned over the sink, staring into the glass. "Get a grip, Jamaica," I whispered to myself. But even as I said it, I could feel that hum under my skin, like electricity trying to break free.

Then it happened.

The lightbulb above me flickered once, twice, and then shattered, raining tiny shards into the sink. I stumbled back, my heart hammering in my chest.

"What the—"

Before I could finish, the shards in the sink began to vibrate, skittering across the porcelain-like they were alive. My breath hitched as they rose, spinning in a slow, deliberate circle.

"No. No, no, no," I muttered, backing away.

The moment I panicked, the shards clattered back into the sink, lifeless once more.

I stood there for what felt like an eternity, my pulse racing. This wasn't the first time something like this had happened, but it was the first time it had felt so... deliberate. It was as if the universe was trying to tell me something, but I had no idea how to listen.

A sharp knock on the door snapped me out of my daze.

"Jamaica! Are you okay in there?" It was Mom, her voice muffled but tinged with concern.

"I'm fine!" I lied, turning on the faucet to wash away the evidence. "Just dropped something."

"Alright," she said, but I could hear the hesitation in her tone.

I stared at my reflection again, my hands gripping the edges of the sink. The humming under my skin hadn't stopped. If anything, it was growing stronger.

By the time I got to school, my nerves were shot. I kept my head down, hoping no one would notice the tension radiating off me. But, of course, the universe had other plans.

"Hey, freak!"

I froze, the familiar voice sending a chill down my spine: Lara and her minions.

I turned slowly, forcing myself to meet her smirk. "What do you want, Lara?"

She sauntered over, flipping her perfectly curled hair. "Oh, nothing. Just wanted to remind you that some of us belong here."

Her friends laughed, and I clenched my fists, willing to stay calm. The last thing I needed was another incident.

But then she stepped closer, her voice dropping to a mock whisper. "You know, I've been thinking. Maybe you should transfer again. Spare us all the trouble of dealing with whatever weird thing you'll do next."