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

Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Jamaica's POV

The emptiness of the search gnawed at us. Every lead turned cold, and every trace of the Destroyer evaporated like mist in the morning sun. It was as if he had never existed on Earth or, more likely, had slipped beyond its boundaries.

We sat in the library's quiet recess, the air heavy with the scent of old books and hopelessness. Nel was pacing again, his face etched with frustration, while Damien thumbed through a dusty tome, searching for answers we both knew weren't there.

"They're not here," I finally said, breaking the silence. My voice sounded hollow, even to myself. "Not on this Earth, not in this dimension."

Nel stopped mid-step, his eyes narrowing. "What are you saying, Jamaica?"

"I'm saying," I replied, facing him, "we have to follow them. Wherever they've gone, we need to go, too."

"Do you even know where that is?" Damien asked, his tone skeptical but not unkind.

I closed my eyes, focusing on the faint energy pulse tugging at me since Kevin disappeared. It was faint like a whisper carried on the wind, but it was there.

"I can feel it," I said, my voice firm. "A thread connecting us to him. I can trace it, but...we'll need to create a portal."

Creating a portal isn't like waving a magic wand and wishing it so. It's raw energy, dangerous and volatile, and it requires precision. One mistake, one wrong move, and we'd end up lost in the void between worlds.

I knelt in the library's center, clearing a space on the floor while Nel and Damien stood guard. Closing my eyes, I summoned the power within me, feeling it coil and surge like a river ready to burst its banks.

"Are you sure about this?" Nel asked his voice tight with worry.

"I don't have a choice," I replied, not opening my eyes. "Kevin's life depends on it."

The air around us began to hum, a low vibration that grew louder as I concentrated. A circle of light appeared on the floor, growing brighter with each passing second. It flickered briefly, then stabilized, revealing a swirling vortex of colors and shadows.

"Let's go," I said, standing and looking at them both. "Stay close to me. If we get separated—"

"We won't," Nel interrupted, his voice steady.

I nodded, and without another word, we stepped into the portal.

The world on the other side was unlike anything I'd ever seen. The sky was a deep shade of crimson, streaked with black clouds that moved unnaturally fast. The ground beneath our feet was cracked and barren, dotted with jagged rocks and twisted trees that seemed to writhe in agony.

And there, in the distance, was the Destroyer's fortress—a towering structure of dark stone that seemed to pulsate with malevolent energy.

"Is this hell?" Damien asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"No," Nel said grimly. "But it's close enough."

We moved quickly, sticking to the shadows as we approached the fortress. The air grew colder the closer we got, and a sense of dread settled over me like a heavy cloak.

When we reached the gates, I froze. Standing there, flanked by the Destroyer's men, was Sofia.

She looked different, her beauty twisted into something cruel and unrecognizable. She wore a black gown that shimmered like oil, and her eyes glowed with an unnatural light.