If We Were Heroes | ONC2022

chapter twenty-one

chapter twenty-one: in which everything comes together

Sebastian's eyes fluttered open in a cold, fast shock. He was having such a terrible dream.

'Sebastian.' In the background, he could vaguely hear his father calling his name.

Why was his father here?

Where was he?

His eyes fell on the room he was in, the dozens and dozens of insects beginning to wake up and flutter around. He was like one of those insects, he thought.

Ugly, useless, little brat.

He looked at his father. Properly met his eyes, so much like his own. 'Where's Olive?'

His father shook his head. If Sebastian did not know any better, he would have said that the slightest hint of a tear was forming in his father's eyes.

'Why am I here?' Sebastian demanded. 'You've never—'

His gaze fell on someone lying on the floor, just out of sight from where Sebastian was sitting on the table. It took him several long moments to process the fact that this was a person.

The person was smiling, as if he was doing the right thing. The person was pale, unnaturally so, like his circulation had been stopped halfway. The person had laughed and talked and smiled with Sebastian. Kept him company. Been his friend. The person was Olive. And he was, well and truly dead.

'He did it to break the curse,' Sebastian's father said, as Sebastian nodded slowly, a stray hand touching the tip of his right ear, making sure the glamour kept it to its usual round shape. It had become a stupid nervous habit.

'Where's Holden?' Sebastian asked.

'Gone. Far away, as far as I know.'

'Good,' Sebastian replied. 'He can't interfere then.'

'Oliver's friends are downstairs.'

'Ethan and Mia,' said Sebastian. 'I know.'

'Holden had used Oliver to curse you.'

Sebastian nodded. 'That's good.'

'What?'

'That's what we wanted.'

Sebastian's father still did not understand.

'Oliver wanted to be able to live without Holden bothering him.'

'I wouldn't call this living.'

'Holden would think so too.'

'What the hell are you trying to say, Sebastian?'

Sebastian rolled his eyes. 'Holden would not have wanted to risk his own life on me, and so would have chosen Olive. He would think that Olive would be in grief, and would do whatever he asked. And I would be dead, safely out of the way.'

'So,' Sebastian continued. 'When Holden was gone, had given up, Olive would kill himself, and I would wake up. And when I had woken up, I would raise Olive in turn.'

'So he isn't dead.'

'Oh he's very dead,' Sebastian replied, getting off the table and standing up, well aware he wasn't dressed in much. 'But hopefully he slowed his heartbeat before he actually died. I can work with that.'

Sebastian's father hummed, definitely not impressed. Or maybe he was so impressed that he was at a loss for words. It was difficult to tell.

Limbs stiff from the lack of movement, Sebastian managed to get over to where his friend was lying on the floor, untouched by any sort of visible mark.