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

Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Jamaica's POV

I couldn't shake the chill that ran down my spine as Sofia walked into the classroom as if she belonged there.

She wasn't supposed to be here.

The girl we knew—the one who had betrayed us, the one who the Destroyer himself had killed—was gone. This... this thing standing in front of us? It wasn't her. It couldn't be.

Kevin and Nel sat frozen beside me. The tension in the air was thick enough to suffocate. I could feel Kevin's fists clenching under the desk, the barely contained fury radiating off him in waves. Nel's eyes darted between Sofia and me, silently asking if I saw what he saw.

I did.

Sofia's eyes locked onto mine, and there was something in them—something cold and calculating. Not the girl we once knew. Not the girl who had been desperate enough for power to betray us. This was... something else.

"Hello, everyone," Sofia said, her voice as smooth as silk yet laced with an edge that made my skin crawl. She set her bag down and smiled as if nothing had happened.

She turned her gaze toward us, her smile widening. "Jamaica. Kevin. Nel. It's good to see you all again."

Nel flinched at the sound of her voice. "This isn't possible," he muttered under his breath.

I leaned closer to him. "Stay calm. We can't let her know we're onto her. Not yet."

Kevin, however, wasn't listening. He shot up from his seat, his chair screeching against the floor. "You're dead," he said, his voice low and dangerous.

A few other students turned to look at him, startled by the sudden outburst. But Sofia didn't flinch. She just smiled.

"Am I?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. Her voice was light, almost teasing. "Because I feel very much alive."

Kevin stepped toward her, but I grabbed his arm, pulling him back. "Not here," I hissed. "Not now."

He shook me off, his eyes never leaving Sofia. "Who are you?" he demanded. "What are you?"

Sofia's smile faltered for a second, but it was enough. The mask slipped, and I saw the darkness lurking underneath.

"Kevin, Kevin, Kevin," she said, her tone mocking. "Always so quick to anger. You haven't changed a bit."

The bell rang, and the rest of the class began filing out of the room. But the three of us stayed rooted in place, our eyes locked on the imposter before us.

As the last student left, Sofia's demeanor shifted. The smile faded, and her eyes darkened, becoming cold and lifeless.

"You're right," she said, her voice low and venomous. "I'm not Sofia. Not anymore."

"What do you want?" I asked, stepping forward. My voice was steady, but my hands were trembling at my sides.

Sofia—or whatever this thing was—laughed softly. "What I want?" she echoed. "Oh, Jamaica, it's not about what I want. It's about what I'm meant to do."

The room seemed to grow darker, the air heavier. I felt the weight of something unnatural pressing down on me.

Kevin and Nel moved to stand on either side of me, their bodies tense, ready for a fight.

"I was sent back," Sofia continued, her voice like ice. "To finish what I started. And this time..." She raised her hand, and the shadows around her seemed to ripple and shift. "...you won't be able to stop me."