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

Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Jamaica's POV

The unsettling feeling I had earlier lingered in my mind. Kevin's words replayed in my head all evening: "It was nothing." But deep down, I understood otherwise. It wasn't just nothing—it was something—something dark, something amiss.

As midnight approached, I felt a strong urge I could not ignore. I had to find out.

I stood in my room, with the moonlight coming through my window. The house was quiet, and my parents were sleeping down the hall. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and allowed the change.

My wings emerged, shimmering with an ethereal glow, followed by my celestial armor wrapping around me. I felt stronger and lighter. Ready.

Opening my window, I launched into the cool night air. The wind rushed against my face as I flew, the town below quiet and still. It didn't take long to reach the school, its familiar silhouette casting long shadows under the moonlight.

I hovered above the campus, scanning the grounds for anything out of place. At first, everything seemed normal—too normal. But then I saw it.

A faint light.

It was barely noticeable, a tiny glimmer coming from the back of the school. Narrowing my eyes, I descended, landing softly on the grass. The light flickered again, this time more pronounced.

I followed it, my heart pounding in my chest. The light led me to a small metal grate near the edge of the school's perimeter. It looked like nothing more than a maintenance hatch, but when I knelt to inspect it, I noticed fresh scratches around the edges, as if someone had forced it open recently.

My instincts screamed at me to turn back, but I couldn't. Not when something was so wrong.

With a quick tug, I lifted the grate and peered inside. A ladder extended into darkness, the faint light I'd seen earlier emanating from somewhere far below.

Summoning my courage, I climbed down. The air grew colder with every step, and the faint hum of machinery filled my ears. When I reached the bottom, I was in a dimly lit corridor. The walls were made of stone, damp and ancient, and the air was thick with a metallic tang.

I moved cautiously, my footsteps echoing softly as I walked. The corridor opened into a vast underground chamber, and what I saw there made my blood cold.

There were cages. Dozens of them lined the walls and filled the room. Inside were students—some I recognized from school, others I didn't. They looked gaunt, their eyes hollow and terrified.

But that wasn't the worst part of it.

The students weren't just trapped in some cages—they'd been... experimented.

A boy, no more than sixteen, paced his cage with frantic energy, moving so fast he blurred. Nearby, a girl stood silently, her glowing green eyes commanding skeletons to rise from the ground around her.

There were others, each with abilities that shouldn't have been possible. Fire danced along one boy's fingertips while another hovered a few feet off the ground, his body wreathed in shadow.

My stomach churned. This wasn't natural. This wasn't right.

"What is this place?" I whispered, my voice barely audible over the hum of machinery.

As if in answer, a door at the far end of the chamber slid open with a hiss, and I darted behind a column, my heart racing.

Two figures entered, their voices low but urgent.

"We need more test subjects," one of them said. "The Destroyer demands results. If we don't deliver soon—"

"He'll punish us," the other finished, his tone grim. "I know. But we're running out of time. The artifact is already in his possession. If he discovers we've been... repurposing his plans..."

Their voices faded as they moved deeper into the chamber, but their words lingered in my mind.

The artifact. Kevin. This was all connected.

I clenched my fists, anger, and determination surging through me. I had to do anything to help these students, but I couldn't do it alone.

With one last glance at the cages, I turned and climbed back up the ladder, my wings unfurling as I emerged into the cool night air.

I flew straight to Kevin's house, landing softly outside his window. I tapped on the glass, and a moment later, he appeared, his eyes widening when he saw me.

"What's going on?" he asked, sliding the window open.

"Get Nel," I said, my voice trembling with urgency. "We have a problem."

Kevin didn't waste a second. He nodded, his face serious, and disappeared from the window. Moments later, he returned, fully dressed, with Nel at his side.

"What happened?" Nel asked, his voice laced with concern.

I hesitated momentarily, still trying to process everything I'd seen. "The school," I finally said. "There's an underground facility—cages, experiments, students... transformed."

Nel's eyes narrowed, and Kevin's jaw clenched.

"Transformed how?" Kevin asked, his tone sharp.

"Abilities," I said, my voice trembling. "They're being forced to develop powers. I saw a boy who could move faster than the eye could follow, a girl summoning the dead. It's not natural. It's—it's horrifying."

Kevin exchanged a glance with Nel, then turned back to me. "Did you see who's behind it?"

"Not clearly," I admitted. "But I heard them talking. They mentioned the Destroyer—and the artifact."

When the artifact was mentioned, Kevin instinctively moved his hand to his chest, where it used to reside. His expression darkened.

"We need to go back," Nel said firmly. "Now."

"No," I said quickly, shaking my head. "There are too many of them, and the place is heavily guarded. We can't just charge in."

"Then what do you suggest?" Kevin asked, his tone frustrated but not dismissive.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing thoughts. "First, we must figure out how to free the students without alerting the guards. Second, we need to find out what they're planning. This isn't just about the artifact. It's bigger than that."

Kevin and Nel both nodded, their expressions grim.

"We should start by gathering more information," Nel said. "If we can figure out their schedule or patterns, we'll have a better chance of getting in and out without being detected."

"I can go back tonight," I offered. "I'll watch and see if I can learn more."

"No," Kevin said firmly. "You're not going back alone. If they catch you—"

"They won't," I interrupted. "I know how to stay out of sight. And I'll be careful, I promise."

Kevin hesitated, clearly torn, but eventually, he nodded. "Fine. But the moment it gets too dangerous, you get out of there. Understood?"

"Understood," I said, though I wasn't entirely sure I believed myself.

As we sat in Kevin's room, mapping out our next steps, I couldn't shake the image of the cages from my mind. I could see the fear in those students' eyes, the way they clung to the bars, desperate for help.

This wasn't just a mission anymore. It was personal.

No matter what it took, I was determined to ensure they wouldn't have to endure another day in that underground nightmare.

End of Chapter Thirty-Eight