In the Shadows of a Legacy // A Sebastian Sallow story

Prologue

Darkness enveloped me, suffocating my senses as I navigated the dreadful halls of Azkaban. The air echoed with agonizing screams of tormented prisoners, piercing my heart with each step I took. I tightly clutched my cloak, seeking solace in its meager protection, but it offered little respite from the horrors that surrounded me.

A skeletal hand reached out from a cell, desperate and trembling. The woman's eyes, sunken and lifeless, pleaded for release from this living nightmare. My soul ached at the sight, overwhelmed by the inhumane treatment inflicted upon these forsaken souls. I grasped her frail hand, wishing I could offer some form of comfort, but my efforts were met with cruel brutality. The guard viciously struck her hand with a club, shattering her fingers against the unforgiving prison bars. Her cries of agony pierced the air, mingling with the sound of bones breaking, as I was forcefully dragged away. "Keep up!" the guard barked, devoid of any empathy.

With a heavy heart, I pushed forward, doing my best to avoid the forlorn gazes of the prisoners who had been reduced to mere husks of their former selves. No one deserved this. Especially not a sixteen year old boy.

The guards stopped abruptly at the last cell. "You have ten minutes, any longer and I won't be able to keep back the dementers." He said unlocking the prison door and ushering me in.

The door creaked open, revealing a young boy huddled in the corner, his fragile form embodying the cruelty of Azkaban.

"Sebastian," I choked, my voice trembling with a mix of fear and desperate love. He flinched at the sound of his name but remained motionless, refusing to acknowledge my presence.

"Sebastian, my love," I wept, my body trembling as I moved closer. Falling to my knees, I reached out, hoping to bridge the chasm that had formed between us. His body recoiled at my touch, a raw reminder of the torment he had endured within these grim walls.

"Please, Sebastian," I pleaded, my voice barely a whisper, "Look at me."

Slowly, he turned his haunted gaze towards me. His eyes bore the weight of unimaginable suffering, their hollow depths mirroring the depths of Azkaban's despair. My trembling hand reached out, gently stroking his cheek, but his reaction was swift and fierce. He seized my hand, wrenching it away, and in a moment of anguish, he pinned me against the cold, unforgiving wall, his hand wrapped tightly around my neck. He had only been in Azkaban for a few weeks, but the horrors he had faced where itched into his very soul.

"Sebastian," I gasped, struggling for breath, my voice barely a choked whisper.

"You brought me here," he spat, his eyes burning with accusation, his grip tightening around my throat.

"No, Sebastian," I pleaded, tears streaming down my face, "I swear, I didn't."

His rage engulfed him, clouding his judgment and drowning the love we once shared. His fingers constricted, strangling the life from me until I could only wheeze for air. In that moment, I realized the magnitude of his pain, the depths of his mistrust.

"I love you, Sebastian," I managed to croak, fighting against the darkness that threatened to consume me. "I would never betray you."

For a fleeting moment, his grip loosened, his eyes searching mine for the truth. But the shadows of our shared past shrouded his vision, blinding him to the love and loyalty that had once bound us together.

"You did this so you and Ominis could be together didn't you." He screamed.

"No Sebastian, that isn't true, please you're hurting me." Tears fell down my face as I tried to reach out to stroke Sebastian's cheek.

He slowly released his grip off of my throat and I let out a deep breath. His eyes scanned my face, searching for the truth.

"Leave" He commanded, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Leave me and forget about me."

"No, no" I sobbed, my back sliding down the wall. My heart was shattering into a million pieces. "I can never for-"

"LEAVE!" He bellowed again.

I picked myself up and ran out the prison door- never to see Sebestian Sallow again.

I woke up screaming clutching my chest. My heart was aching for the love I had lost, haunted by the eyes of a man I once knew.

"Shh, shh" Poppy cooed, she sat on the edge of my bed and was delicately stroking my back, "Take a deep breathe Ophelia." she whispered, gently guiding me back onto the pillow and giving me a calming draught.

"Thank you," I murmured, clasping her hand in mine. My eyes fluttered close and I drifted off back to a fretful sleep.