Celestial: Fallen

Chapter 54: Shadows of Uncertainty

After dinner at my apartment, I offered Michael and Rafail the option to stay the night since the journey back to town was quite long. They agreed, and I assured them I'd arrange for an Uber to take me back to Josh's place so they could rest early.

As we stood in front of the building, waiting for my ride, Michael broke the silence. "Arwen, do you still experience those moments?" he asked, his voice low and contemplative.

I turned to him with a puzzled look. "What moments?"

He met my eyes briefly before clarifying, "The glowing."

"Oh..." The realization hit me, and I let out a small gasp. "I'd almost forgotten about that." I paused, collecting my thoughts. "No, not anymore, Michael. The last time was when you found me on the rooftop."

He nodded slowly, his gaze drifting from me to the road ahead, his expression unreadable but pensive. The sound of distant traffic filled the silence between us for a moment before he spoke again.

"Rafail and I will be meeting with... some people," he said carefully, still avoiding eye contact.

"Some people?" I repeated, my curiosity piqued. "Are they like us?"

Michael's gaze finally shifted back to me, his dark eyes serious. "I can't say for sure. They're... different. But they've reached out to us because some of their people have been killed. I don't know all the details yet."

A chill ran down my spine at his words. "Killed?" I whispered, my voice barely audible. "By who?"

He shook his head slightly, his expression tightening. "That's what we need to find out. It could be unrelated to us, but I have my doubts." His brows furrowed, and he took a step closer, his tone softening. "Arwen, I need you to be careful. Until we know more, it's best to stay alert. Don't ignore anything unusual."

The weight of his concern pressed on me. Michael rarely showed this level of worry, and seeing it now stirred a mix of fear and unease in me. "I'll be careful," I promised, my voice steady despite the anxiety blooming in my chest.

As my Uber pulled up, Michael opened the door for me but paused before stepping back. "If anything happens, no matter how small it seems, you call me immediately. Understand?"

I nodded, feeling the seriousness in his tone. "I will," I assured him. "And Michael... be careful too. Whoever these people are, they reached out for a reason."

He gave me a faint smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I will. Goodnight, Arwen."

"Goodnight," I replied, climbing into the car and watching as he stepped back onto the curb. His figure grew smaller as the car pulled away, but the image of his concerned expression stayed with me, a reminder that the world we were navigating was far more dangerous than I wanted to admit.

The ride back to Josh's place felt unusually long, or perhaps I was simply lost in thought. My gaze flitted between the glowing city lights outside the window, but my mind was elsewhere, caught in a spiral of questions.

What just happened?

I tried to make sense of everything. Michael's parting words replayed in my head: "Please be careful." There was a weight to his tone that unsettled me, as if he knew something I didn't. A chill ran down my spine at the thought of the unknown danger he had hinted at.

And then there was Nick.

A pang of guilt twisted in my chest. It felt like I'd been careless—too preoccupied with my own life, my friends, and... Diarmid.

I shook my head, trying to push the thought away. How could I forget Nick? He was family, my anchor, the one who always had my back. Yet, here I was, swept up in a whirlwind of distractions, barely sparing him a moment in my thoughts.