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

Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Kevin's POV

The morning sunlight spilled through the classroom windows, dappling the desks in uneven patches. The warmth might have felt comforting on any other day—a reminder that life could still hold some semblance of normalcy. But today, it felt like a cruel joke.

I couldn't stop thinking about what happened in the hallway last night about her.

Sofia—or whatever she's become—wasn't just dangerous. She was calculated, powerful, and worse, she knew how to shake us. Jamaica hadn't said much after returning to the dorms, but her silence spoke volumes. And Nel... he'd always been the most vocal of us, but even subdued, his usual quips replaced with a stony resolve.

My hand absently grazed my chest, the faint pulse of the artifact within me a constant reminder of how fragile my existence had become. If she gets this... if the Destroyer receives this...

"Kevin?" Jamaica's voice jolted me back to the present.

I looked up to see her standing at the edge of my desk, her brow furrowed with concern. Nel trailed behind her, his hands shoved deep into his pockets.

"Earth to Kevin," Nel said, attempting a half-smile. "You with us?"

I nodded, sitting up straighter. "Yeah. Just... thinking."

"Join the club," Jamaica said, sliding into the seat beside me. Her voice was calm, but I caught the tension in her eyes.

Before we could say more, the classroom door creaked open, and every muscle in my body tensed.

It wasn't her—just our philosophy professor, shuffling in with a stack of books. I exhaled a breath I didn't realize I was holding, but the unease in my chest didn't fade.

"Can we talk after class?" Jamaica whispered.

I nodded again. Whatever this was, it couldn't wait.

When the bell rang, I was ready to bolt from my seat. But as the last student filed out of the room, it became clear that we weren't alone.

"Not here," Jamaica said, her voice barely audible. She glanced around, her eyes darting to the room's corners like she expected Sofia to materialize from the shadows.

We moved to the courtyard, and the open air felt less stifling. The sunlight still felt wrong, but at least out here, I could breathe.

"So," I said, leaning against the stone bench. "What's the plan?"

Jamaica exchanged a look with Nel before answering. "She's not going to stop. You know that, right? Whatever she's after, it's tied to you."

"No kidding," I said, my voice harsher than intended. "The artifact is practically a beacon. It's only a matter of time before she or the Destroyer tries again."

"That's why we need to move first," Nel said, uncharacteristically serious. "We can't just sit around waiting for them to make the next move. We need to figure out what Sofia's planning."

"And how do you propose we do that?" I asked, crossing my arms. "Walk up to her and ask nicely?"

Jamaica sighed, running a hand through her hair. "We've got to find her weakness. Everyone has one, even Sofia. We have to figure out what it is."

"And if she doesn't have one?" I asked.

"She does," Jamaica said firmly. "No one is invincible. Not even her."

I wanted to believe her, but doubt gnawed at the edges of my mind. Sofia wasn't just any enemy. She was one of us—someone we'd trusted. And now, she was something else entirely.