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

Chapter 46

Chapter 46

Nel's POV

We would not allow Lyra to cause the death of an individual or a family. We had no choice but to return her to Hades and lock her up there for good.

Sadly, she was no longer with us. Jamaica and the Celestial Mother had ensnared her in an ancient language from which she could never escape.

It was deafeningly quiet. After hours of mayhem, things calmed down in the city. Debris from Lyra's tyrannical rule littered the streets, and smoke billowed into the sky. However, she had been banished to the underworld, her rightful place.

At the square's periphery, I knelt to collect my breath. Breathing was difficult due to the heat from the smoldering fires and the widespread aches and pains in my muscles. Standing close by, Kevin and Jamaica appeared just as worn out as I was.

"We did it," Kevin whispered, his voice betraying his beliefs. The faint light cast a faint glow on his weary celestial wings.

Feeling the gravity of our deeds, I gave a silent nod. "She's gone," I murmured, my words sounding strange. "We have defeated her and returned to her place."

Jamaica turned to face us, her face a mystery. She carefully studied the rubble and whispered, "But at what cost?" Her gaze darted among the crumbling buildings, the people being helped from the wreckage, and the lives of those who had lost everything.

It wasn't over yet. Lyra may have left Earth for all eternity, but the scars she left behind would take generations to heal.

With a hand on Kevin's shoulder, I advanced towards him. "Are you alright?"

He smiled at me, his eyes barely veiled in exhaustion. "Yeah, I'm good!" he exclaimed. "How about you?"

Then I just shrugged. "Well, at least I'm standing here."

Jamaica brushed soot from her face and joined us. She said, "We need to ensure her prison holds," speaking steadily but solemnly. "We must not allow Lyra to escape once more."

"She won't be returning," Kevin declared with conviction. Once again, we and the Celestial Mother sealed her. It's too late to turn back now.

As we all took a moment to process the enormity of our actions, we remained silent. We had triumphed over an underworld goddess and survived. It was surreal.

After that, Jamaica relaxed her shoulders a little and exhaled. "The city needs our attention," she remarked. "Look, we're here to assist."

Yes, I did indeed nod. "Count me in. Everyone here deserves it."

We set out to traverse the square, hopping from one fallen streetlight to the next as we dove among the debris. Those who were beginning to come out of hiding's faces showed a mix of terror and optimism.

One of the firefighters stopped us as we passed. "You kids were absolutely amazing," he exclaimed, his voice betraying his profound gratitude. You rescued us in some way, shape, or form."

Kevin looked over at us briefly before he spoke. According to him, they carried out their duties as guardians.

The firefighter glanced briefly at Kevin's wings before walking away, nodding in agreement.

"Hero status unlocked," I said, attempting to inject some humor.

Quickly, Kevin's grin disappeared. "We're not heroes," he declared. "A broken world needs ordinary people like us to fix it."

I remained silent. Perhaps he had a point. Looking at the faces of the people we had saved made me feel like we had accomplished something worthwhile.

I gave in to hope for the first time in what seemed like an eternity.