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

Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Jamaica's POV

The wind whispered through the cracked windows of the philosophy classroom, carrying with it an eerie stillness that set me on edge. I sat at my desk, pretending to focus on the notes I was scribbling, but my eyes darted to Kevin. He was seated by the window, the sunlight reflecting off the faint shimmer of his wings—a reminder that he had his powers back.

Or most of them.

There was a tension in the air, one I couldn't shake. It had been days since Sofia vanished, and despite the Destroyer's threats looming over us, everything had been oddly... quiet. Too quiet.

Nel leaned closer, his voice low enough that only I could hear. "Something's wrong. You feel it, don't you?"

I nodded, tapping my pen against my notebook in a rhythmic pattern that betrayed my nerves. "I just don't know where it's going to hit."

Kevin didn't look at us, but I could tell he was listening. His jaw tightened, his fingers gripping the edge of the desk a little too hard.

That's when I saw it.

There was a faint glimmer at the edge of the classroom. At first, I thought it was just the sunlight playing tricks on me, but the shimmer grew stronger, coalescing into a swirling light.

"Jamaica," Nel said sharply, already on his feet.

"I see it," I replied, rising slowly. Kevin followed suit, his expression hardening as he stepped toward the forming light.

The shimmer twisted and turned until it shaped itself into something—or someone. My stomach dropped as a figure emerged from the light.

Sofia.

Except it wasn't the same Sofia we'd faced before. Her presence was colder, her eyes sharper. She looked... different. Her once flawless skin now bore faint cracks, as though her body struggled to contain whatever dark energy pulsed within her.

"Well, isn't this cozy," she drawled, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she surveyed the room. "I hope I'm not interrupting your... philosophical musings."

"What do you want, Sofia?" Kevin demanded, stepping in front of Nel and me. His wings flared slightly, a protective gesture that only made her smirk.

"What I've always wanted," she said, her gaze locking onto Kevin. "Power. And you, dear Kevin, have graciously provided me with the means to get it."

"You're lying," I said, my voice steady despite the pounding in my chest. "You don't need Kevin anymore. The artifact is gone."

"True," she admitted. "But there's more to him than just the artifact. You don't know what you're dealing with, do you?"

Her words sent a chill down my spine, but I refused to let it show. "Whatever you're planning, it won't work. We'll stop you."

Sofia's laughter was like nails on a chalkboard. "Oh, Jamaica. Still playing the righteous hero. But tell me, how do you plan to stop me when you don't even know the game?"

Before I could respond, a blast of dark energy shot from her hand, shattering the window behind us. Glass rained down, and I threw up a protective barrier just in time to shield us.

"Enough!" Kevin shouted, his wings glowing as he stepped forward. "You want a fight? You'll get one."

Sofia's smile widened. "Oh, I don't want a fight, Kevin. I want war."

With that, she vanished, leaving only the shattered remnants of the window and a deafening silence.

"She's planning something," I said, trembling slightly. "Something bigger than we realized."