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

Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

Jamaica's POV

The campus buzzed with its usual chaotic energy—students darting to and fro, clutching books and coffee cups, their conversations a blend of gossip, homework complaints, and the latest campus drama. To anyone else, it was an ordinary day. It felt like walking through a carefully crafted illusion, a world pretending everything was fine when the cracks beneath the surface were widening.

I sat by the library window, the sunlight slanting through the glass and pooling onto the table before me. A stack of philosophy books sat untouched, their titles blurring together as my mind wandered to less academic matters.

Kevin and Nel had agreed to keep an eye on Sofia, but something about her presence gnawed at me like an itch I couldn't scratch. It wasn't just her cryptic comments or how she seemed to know more than she let on—it was the way her smile lingered a second too long, like she was enjoying some private joke at our expense.

"Hey." Kevin's voice broke through my thoughts as he slid into the chair across from me, his expression a mixture of concern and curiosity.

I raised an eyebrow. "Did you even knock?"

Kevin smirked. "It's a public space, Your Highness." He gestured toward the untouched books. "Studying or pretending to study?"

I rolled my eyes. "More like pretending. There's too much going on to focus."

He leaned forward, lowering his voice. "About that... Nel and I followed Sofia after her little performance yesterday."

I sat up straighter. "And?"

"She went to the art building and stayed there for hours," Kevin said. "No classes, no meetings, just... sat in one of the empty rooms. Didn't speak to anyone, didn't do anything."

"That's odd," I murmured.

"Very," Kevin agreed. "But that's not the weird part."

I frowned. "There's more?"

"Her reflection." Kevin hesitated as if struggling to find the right words. "When she walked past a mirror, it wasn't her reflection staring back."

A chill ran down my spine. "What do you mean?"

"It was her," Kevin said, "but... different. Darker. Like a shadow version of herself."

I couldn't focus for the rest of the day. Kevin's words played repeatedly in my mind, each repetition sending a fresh wave of unease through me. By the time the final bell rang, I had decided.

I needed to see Sofia for myself.

The campus was quieter in the late afternoon, the usual crowds thinning as students retreated to dorms and cafes. I spotted Sofia near the central fountain, her back to me as she scrolled through her phone. I hesitated. Then, steeling myself, I approached her.

"Sofia," I called out.

She turned, her face lighting up with what seemed like genuine surprise. "Jamaica! To what do I owe the pleasure?"

I forced a smile, trying to mask my nerves. "I just wanted to talk. You know, clear the air after yesterday."

Her eyes sparkled with amusement. "Clear the air? About what?"

"About... us," I said, fumbling for an excuse. "I feel like we've been butting heads lately, and I don't want things to be awkward between us."

Sofia studied me for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then she laughed—a light, musical sound that somehow felt wrong. "Oh, Jamaica. You're such a sweetheart. Of course, there's no awkwardness between us."