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

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Nel's POV

I was going to the nearby convenience store to grab something quick to eat. The day had been exhausting—Jamaica's transformation, the Celestial Mother's warning, and Kevin's cryptic attitude weighed heavily on my mind.

As I walked, I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. My senses, usually dull after a long day, prickled to life. I glanced over my shoulder casually, trying not to make it obvious, and that's when I saw them.

Three figures, their silhouettes cutting sharp lines against the dim glow of the streetlights, were strolling deliberately, their faces obscured by the shadows.

I quickened my pace, trying to play it cool, but my instincts screamed that these weren't ordinary muggers. My gut churned as their footsteps matched mine, growing louder and more deliberate.

Damn it.

I veered into an alley, heart pounding. The narrow passage reeked of damp cardboard and rotting trash. I pressed myself against the wall, listening as their footsteps stopped at the mouth of the alley.

"Where did he go?" one of them growled, the voice gravelly and unnervingly deep.

"He's here. I can feel his presence," another replied.

I held my breath, my pulse hammering in my ears. Feel my presence? What the hell did that mean?

Suddenly, a glowing red light illuminated the alley, and I froze. From the corner of my eye, I saw the unmistakable gleam of curved blades—long knives glowing with an unnatural crimson hue.

Not from Earth.

My stomach twisted. These weren't just thugs; they were something else entirely.

Before I could think, the first blade came slashing through the air toward me. I ducked, adrenaline surging, and bolted down the alley. Their footsteps thundered behind me as I ran, my lungs burning.

"Don't let him escape!" one of them barked, their voices echoing unnaturally in the confined space.

I rounded a corner, heart racing, and skidded to a stop—a dead end.

"Of course," I muttered under my breath.

The three figures rounded the corner, their faces now visible. Their eyes glowed faintly red, their skin pale and almost translucent under the dim light. They moved with an eerie precision, like predators circling their prey.

One of them stepped forward, a sinister grin twisting his face. "You're one of them, aren't you? A Celestial Guardian."

I swallowed hard, every nerve in my body on high alert. "What's it to you?"

The grin widened. "The Destroyer sends his regards."

Before I could react, the first blade slashed toward me. I sidestepped just in time, the blade slicing through the air inches from my face. My instincts kicked in, and I grabbed a loose piece of pipe from the ground, using it to deflect the next strike. Sparks flew as the glowing blade met the rusted metal.

The fight was chaotic, a blur of glowing weapons and desperate movements. They were fast, unnaturally so, and their strength was far beyond human. But something inside me surged—a deep, instinctual power that I couldn't explain. My movements felt sharper and more precise as if my body remembered something my mind didn't.

I swung the pipe, catching one of them in the side. He staggered, but only momentarily, his glowing eyes narrowing in fury.

"Impressive," he sneered. "But you're out of your league."