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

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Kevin's POV

The night hung heavy with an eerie stillness as we crept back into the dorms. My mind churned with questions, each spiraling back to that glowing crystal in Sofia's hands. What was it? And why did it feel so...wrong?

I tossed my bag onto the desk and collapsed onto the chair, running a hand through my hair. The room was dimly lit, the small lamp casting flickering shadows on the wall. Nel and Jamaica were silent, both lost in their thoughts. For once, the ever-present tension between them had dissolved, replaced by a mutual unease.

"We can't just sit here," I said finally, breaking the silence. My voice sounded too loud in the quiet room, but I didn't care. "That thing she had—it wasn't normal. We need to figure out what it is."

"And how do you propose we do that, Kevin?" Nel snapped, his tone sharp. "It's not like there's a library section labeled 'Mysterious Evil Artifacts'."

Jamaica shot him a glare. "He's right, though. We can't ignore this. That crystal...it felt alive. Like it was watching us."

A shiver ran down my spine at her words. She wasn't wrong. The moment I saw it, something inside me screamed to stay away, as if every instinct I had recognized it for what it was: dangerous.

"I'm going to the library," I said, standing up abruptly.

Nel raised an eyebrow. "At this hour? Good luck sneaking past the prefects."

I smirked. "Who said anything about sneaking?"

The library at night was a different beast altogether. By day, it was bustling with students poring over textbooks and scribbling notes. But now, under the dim glow of the moonlight streaming through the high windows, it felt alive. The shelves loomed like silent sentinels, and the air was thick with the scent of aged parchment.

I slipped inside, the soft creak of the door echoing like a gunshot. My heart raced as I went to the restricted section, where the oldest and most obscure books were kept. If there were anything about that crystal, it would be here.

A sudden chill crept over me as I sifted through the dusty tomes. I froze, every muscle in my body tensing. Someone—or something—was watching me.

"Who's there?" I called out, my voice barely above a whisper.

The shadows didn't answer. But then, from the corner of my eye, I saw a flicker of movement, a shadow darker than the rest.

"Kevin," a voice whispered, soft and sibilant.

I spun around, my heart pounding. The shadows coalesced into a figure, its form shifting and flickering like smoke. I thought it was Sofia, but then I saw its eyes—glowing red, like embers in the dark.

"You're meddling in things you don't understand," it hissed, its voice echoing in the stillness.

"Who are you?" I demanded, my voice shaking despite my efforts to stay calm.

The figure laughed, a low, chilling sound that sent shivers down my spine. "A messenger," it said. "A warning. Leave the crystal alone, or face the consequences."

Before I could respond, the figure dissolved into smoke, leaving me alone in the silent library. My hands trembled as I clutched the book I had been holding, the old leather binding cool against my skin.

When I returned to the dorm, Jamaica and Nel awaited me.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," Jamaica said, her brow furrowed with concern.