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

Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Jamaica's POV

The forest seemed to close in on us, its once-familiar branches twisted and gnarled like claws poised to strike. I gripped my air arrow tightly, its faint hum a small comfort against the oppressive darkness pressing around us. Beside me, Kevin stumbled, his hand clutching his chest as if trying to hold himself together.

"Kevin, stay with us!" I called, but my voice sounded thin, swallowed by the shadows.

"I'm... trying," he gasped, sweat beading on his forehead. The glow from his chest—no, from the artifact—shone brighter with each passing second.

That's when he appeared.

The Destroyer stepped from the shadows as he owned them, his presence so immense it made the air feel heavier. I couldn't move. My body tensed, every instinct screaming to run, but I stayed rooted, my arrow steady. Kevin and Nel needed me.

The Destroyer looked at Kevin, his lips curling into a cruel smile. "Do you feel it, boy? The power inside you. It calls to me."

"Stay away from him!" I shouted, stepping in front of Kevin. My arrow flared, light whipping through the air as I pointed it at the Destroyer.

He laughed, a low, menacing sound that echoed in my bones. "You're brave, little guardian. But bravery without power is nothing more than a death wish."

"Jamaica, don't," Nel said, pulling at my arm, but I shrugged him off.

The Destroyer raised his hand, and the ground beneath us shuddered. Tendrils of dark energy surged toward me. I swung my arrow, the air around it slicing through the darkness, but the tendrils reformed as quickly as they were severed.

He wasn't fighting us—he was toying with us.

Kevin cried out behind me, dropping to his knees. The glow from his chest pulsed erratically, flickering like a heartbeat out of rhythm.

"It's waking," the Destroyer said, his eyes gleaming triumphantly. "The artifact knows its true master."

"No!" I launched forward, the air arrow slicing through the tendrils, reaching for Kevin. "You won't touch him!"

The Destroyer's gaze snapped to me, his expression darkening. "You can't protect him, guardian. You can barely protect yourself."

A wave of energy slammed into me, knocking the breath from my lungs. I hit the ground hard, pain shooting through my ribs.

"Jamaica!" Nel's voice cut through the chaos, and he was at my side instantly, his fire arrow blazing. "We can't beat him like this!"

"We have to!" I pushed myself up, my legs trembling but holding. "Kevin's life depends on it!"

But even as I said it, I knew we were losing. The Destroyer was too strong, his power overwhelming. And Kevin—Kevin was fading.

His head hung low, his breathing shallow. "It's pulling... it's pulling me apart..." he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Desperation clawed at my chest. I couldn't let this happen. I wouldn't.

"You can fight it, Kevin!" I yelled. "You're stronger than this!"

The Destroyer smirked. "He's mine, guardian. And soon, so will the artifact."

Something snapped inside me. A surge of determination flooded my veins. I didn't care how powerful the Destroyer was. I didn't care if we were outmatched. I would not let him win.

Gripping my arrow tightly, I stepped forward. The air around me shifted, swirling with energy. "You think you can take him? Over my dead body."

The Destroyer's smile faltered, just for a moment. And in that moment, I knew I had to act.