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

Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Nel's POV

Rain poured heavily, soaking my jacket as I stood at the edge of the campus courtyard. The storm matched the chaos in my mind—constant, overwhelming, and cold. Each drop felt like a whisper, pushing me to move, act, and face the truth that was just out of reach.

Kevin hadn't returned to class. His seat beside Jamaica had remained empty all day, and it wasn't like him to vanish without a word. Kevin might have been unpredictable at times, but he wasn't careless. Something was wrong.

Jamaica stood a few feet away, staring out at the rain with a frown that deepened her worried lines. "He's not on campus," she said, her voice tight. "I checked everywhere. No one's seen him since last night."

"Did you feel it?" I asked, lowering my voice.

She nodded, her expression hardening. "It's faint, but it's there. The Destroyer's presence. He's closer than we thought."

The words settled heavily between us, their weight undeniable. The Destroyer wasn't just playing games anymore—he was making his move. And Kevin was caught in the crossfire.

I tightened my grip on the fire arrow, its warmth radiating through my hand as if it could sense my growing anger. "We can't wait. If the Destroyer has Kevin..." I trailed off, the thought too painful to complete.

Jamaica turned to face me, her eyes fierce. "We'll find him. But we have to be smart about this. The Destroyer doesn't make mistakes. If he's taken Kevin, it's because he knows his value."

The air around us crackled with tension as her words sank in. Kevin wasn't just one of us—he was the key. The artifact inside him wasn't just a weapon; it was a piece of the Celestial Mother's essence, a power so immense it could tip the balance of the entire multiverse.

"We need a plan," I said, steadying my voice. "If we go in blind—"

"—we'll lose," Jamaica finished for me, her tone sharp. "I know."

Her resolve was unwavering, but I could see the fear in her eyes, the same fear clawing at my chest. We'd faced countless battles, but this felt different. This wasn't just about saving Kevin—it was about stopping the Destroyer before he could unmake everything we'd fought to protect.

"Where do we start?" I asked.

Jamaica glanced up at the stormy sky, her expression thoughtful. "We start with what we know. This dimension doesn't bind the Destroyer. If he's hiding, he's somewhere we can't reach—at least not easily."

I followed her gaze, my mind racing. "Then we find a way to reach him."

She turned to me, a flicker of determination lighting up her face. "I'll create a portal again. It won't be easy, and it won't be safe, but it's our only option. If the Destroyer has Kevin, he won't wait long to extract the artifact."

Kevin was missing again.

The thought sent a chill down my spine. If the artifact were removed, Kevin would die. There was no question about it. The artifact wasn't just a power source—it was his lifeline.

"We don't have much time," I said, gripping the arrow tighter.

Jamaica nodded. "I'll need your help to stabilize the portal. It's going to take everything we've got."

Without another word, she extended her hands, her air arrow glowing faintly in her grasp. The wind around us swelled, picking up speed as she concentrated. The storm seemed to respond to her, the rain bending and twisting as if drawn to her power.

I stepped closer, raising the fire arrow and focusing on its heat. The flames danced along its length, their warmth pushing back the storm's chill. Our energies combined, forming a vortex of light and power that shimmered in the rain-soaked air.

As the portal began to take shape, I felt a surge of hope—a fragile, flickering hope nonetheless. We were fighting for all of us, for everything that mattered.

The light grew brighter, and the portal began to hum with energy, its edges crackling with power. Jamaica's voice broke through the roar of the storm. "Are you ready?"

I met her gaze. "Let's bring him home."

And with that, we stepped into the unknown.

The portal spat us out into a barren wasteland, the air thick with the scent of sulfur and ash. The ground beneath our feet was cracked and jagged, radiating a faint heat that made every step feel precarious. Shadows stretched unnaturally long, bending and twisting as though alive.

"This doesn't feel right," I muttered, gripping the fire arrow tightly. Its warmth wasn't enough to shake the chill crawling up my spine.

Jamaica stood beside me, her eyes scanning the desolate landscape. The glow of her air arrow pulsed faintly, its light a sharp contrast against the oppressive darkness. "He's not here," she said, her voice laced with frustration. "But someone is."

We both turned as a low laugh echoed through the air, soft at first but growing louder, more sinister. From the shadows, Sofia emerged, her expression smug and triumphant. Her usual composed demeanor was gone, replaced by something wild and unhinged.

"Looking for the Destroyer?" she taunted, her voice dripping with mockery. "You're too late. He's already gone."

"Where's Kevin?" Jamaica demanded, stepping forward, her arrow poised and ready.

Sofia smirked, unfazed by the threat. "Oh, he's safe—for now. But I'm afraid your little friend isn't the one you should be worrying about."

The words sent a jolt of panic through me. "What are you talking about?"

She took another step closer, her movements deliberate and calculated. "The artifact," she said, her eyes gleaming. "Do you have any idea what it's capable of? The Destroyer's obsession with it is laughable. He has no idea how to harness its true power. But I do."

My grip on the arrow tightened, the realization hitting me like a blow. "You're trying to take it."

Her smile widened, and I saw the madness swirling beneath the surface. "Why shouldn't I? I've spent my life in the shadow of fools who think they can control me. The Destroyer, the Celestial Mother... even you. But with that artifact, I won't just be the most powerful being in the universe—I'll be unstoppable."

"Over my dead body," Jamaica snapped, her air arrow flaring to life.

Sofia's laugh was sharp and cold. "That can be arranged."

Before I could react, Sofia raised her hands, and the ground beneath us erupted. Dark tendrils of energy shot out, wrapping around us with a vice-like grip. I struggled against them, the heat of the fire arrow burning through some of the strands, but they kept coming, relentless and suffocating.

Jamaica fought beside me, her air arrow slicing through the tendrils precisely, but Sofia was prepared. With a wave of her hand, she sent a shockwave of power rippling through the air, knocking us both to the ground.

"You're wasting your energy," Sofia said, her voice calm but menacing. "Kevin is mine now. And once I have the artifact, no one will be left to stop me."

I forced myself to my feet, my legs trembling from the effort. "You'll never win," I said, meeting her gaze.

Her smile faltered, just for a moment. "We'll see about that."

And then she vanished, the tendrils dissolving into nothingness as the landscape fell eerily silent.

Jamaica pushed herself up, her face pale but determined. "We need to move. If she takes the artifact..."

I nodded.  Kevin's life hung by a thread, and now Sofia had made herself a new threat, one we couldn't afford to underestimate.

The fire arrow pulsed in my hand, its heat steady and reassuring. We wouldn't stop until we brought him home and stopped Sofia's rise to power.

"Let's go," I said, turning toward the horizon.

End of Chapter Thirty-Two