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

Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Jamaica's POV

I traced my fingers along the spines of the philosophy section, the leather-bound volumes cool and smooth beneath my touch. I wanted to feel normal again, to lose myself in the mundane rhythm of a student's life. But no matter how much I tried, the shadows of my other reality clung to me like a second skin.

"Searching for something specific?" a voice asked, soft but clear.

I turned to find Damien standing a few feet away, his dark eyes studying me with an intensity that made me self-conscious. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, trying to ignore the warmth rising to my cheeks.

"Just browsing," I said, holding a random book to prove my point. It was something about existentialism—not exactly light reading.

He smiled faintly, the corners of his lips lifting just enough to be noticeable. "Heavy subject for a casual browse."

I shrugged. "Guess I'm in the mood for big questions."

Damien stepped closer, his presence both calming and unsettling. He looked at you like he could see past the surface into the parts of yourself you weren't ready to share.

"You know," he said, leaning against the bookshelf, "sometimes it's not about finding the answers. It's about living the questions."

His words lingered in the air, and for a moment, I forgot about the chaos swirling outside the walls of this library.

But the moment shattered when a faint vibration buzzed in my pocket. I pulled out my phone and saw Kevin's text: "We need you. Now."

I looked up at Damien, my heart sinking. "I have to go."

"Of course," he said, his expression unreadable. "Take care of yourself, Jamaica."

I nodded, clutching the book like a shield as I left the library.

When I reached the campus courtyard, Nel and Kevin were waiting for me, their faces etched with tension.

"What's going on?" I asked, trying to steady my breathing.

Kevin stepped forward, his voice low. "We found something. Or rather, something found us."

Nel held out a small silver medallion engraved with intricate symbols. It shimmered faintly as if alive with energy.

"Where did you get that?" I asked, a chill running down my spine.

"It was left outside my dorm room," Nel said, his tone grim. "No note, no explanation. Just this."

I reached out to touch it, but Kevin pulled it back. "Careful," he warned. "It's not just an object. It's a message."

"What kind of message?"

Nel exchanged a glance with Kevin before answering. "A warning. The Destroyer is testing us to see how far we'll go to protect what's ours."

The weight of his words settled heavily on my chest. "So what do we do?"

Kevin's jaw tightened. "We don't run. If he's watching, we make it clear we're not afraid. But we need to be ready for whatever comes next."

Later that night, as I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, my mind replayed the day's events. The medallion, Damien's cryptic words, the look in Kevin's eyes—it all felt like pieces of a puzzle I couldn't quite put together.

I reached for the necklace the Celestial Mother had given me around my neck. It pulsed faintly against my skin, a reminder of the power I carried and the responsibility that came with it.