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

Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Nel's POV

"Goodbye, Sofia!" I said.

"No!"

We attacked her with our celestial arrows, the ancient relic, and Jamaica uttered an ancient language to prevent her from returning to our timeline.

Kevin and I turned to Jamaica as she said those ancient words. We still couldn't believe she knew how to use them. She possessed ancient power. Even Jamaica herself didn't know where she learned them. They came flawlessly whenever she badly needed them.

The air was heavy with silence, broken only by the faint crackle of fading energy. Where Sofia had stood moments before was now just an empty void, as if she'd never been here.

"She's gone," I said, echoing in the hall.

Jamaica let out a shaky breath, her wings folding behind her as she leaned against the wall for support. Kevin stood beside her, his expression unreadable, his fists clenched as though expecting Sofia to reappear at any moment.

But she wouldn't. Not anymore.

The device we'd used to sever her connection to this timeline—an ancient relic gifted to us by the Celestial Mother—had worked. Sofia was sent back to the fragment of time she belonged to, locked away in her dimension, unable to claw her way back into ours.

"Is it over?" Kevin asked, his voice low.

I hesitated before nodding. "For now, yes."

But something in the pit of my stomach twisted. It wasn't just the relief of victory but the lingering unease of everything Sofia had left behind.

Around us, the school began to shift back to its normal state. The students she had experimented on were unconscious but breathing, scattered across the hall like fallen soldiers. The oppressive darkness that had loomed over the building lifted, replaced by the faint glow of dawn filtering through the windows.

I turned to Jamaica. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, though her face was pale. "Just tired," she said. "It took everything to channel that much energy. I—" She paused, glancing at Kevin, who had been unusually quiet.

"What is it?" I asked, following her gaze.

Kevin's head was bowed, his shoulders tense. When he finally looked up, his eyes were wet with unshed tears. "I just can't believe they suffered this much," he whispered.

He was talking about those students. I felt pity for them, too. 

Jamaica moved toward him, but he stepped back. "Don't," he said sharply, then softened. "It's all my fault. Because of me, that's why they're targeting us. These innocent students should not suffer because of me."

"You're wrong," I said firmly, stepping closer. "It's not just you, Kevin. We must protect the universe from this timeline and the others."

He looked at me, his expression wavering. "I just feel... empty."

I didn't know what to say to that. What could I say? He had given up so much, and for what? A victory that felt more hollow than triumphant.

"We'll get through this," Jamaica said softly, her voice steady.

Kevin didn't respond but didn't pull away when she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

The sound of footsteps interrupted the moment. I turned to see the dean, followed by a group of teachers, their faces etched with confusion and concern.