Right Where You Left Me | Sebastian Sallow |

CHAPTER FIVE: False Hope

Sebastian's Perspective

Did I think that what I was about to do was a good idea? No, absolutely not. But my sporadic decisions in the past have always been a tossup between working out or failing.

Maybe this will be one of the times when things work out?

It just now came to my attention that I've been standing outside the entrance to the Undercroft for the past twenty minutes.

Are they even in there? What am I going to say?

They're my best friends, I shouldn't be this nervous to walk in there and speak to them. Finally finding the courage and pulling myself together, I made my way through the secret door.

When I found myself standing in front of the metal gate, I thought my heart was going to beat out of my chest. Before entering I gave the room a quick glance. My ears picked up the sound of paper being flipped and the soft tune of the piano.

They're both in here, good.

As the metal door started to rise, both of their heads snapped over towards my direction, all sound halting to a sudden stop. The room was deathly silent. I never knew the Undercroft could be this eerie and unwelcoming.

My attention was drawn to the small figure on the completely opposite side of the room. It was her.

I found myself staring into the familiar, owl-like, hazel eyes that I got to know so well two years ago.

"W-who is that? Who's there?!" Ominis was the first to break the silence.

"Hello mate."

Ominis started to stand, whereas Eliza just continued to sit and stare, not moving an inch. I stared right back at her.

She looks so different.

I know I haven't seen Eliza in such some time but, I didn't expect her to look like this. Her hair was still in her typical braid, same freckles that danced across her nose, and she still looked like her height would end right at my shoulders.

But her physical appearance drastically changed. She looked older. She was no longer the little teenager I remembered her as, but now a woman. The last remaining baby fat around her cheeks disappeared and created a sharp jawline. Her hair was a little longer and her body more toned and curvier. She looked so mature, no longer a child.

She finally stood up from her piano and began to walk over towards me. My heart rate accelerated, and my throat closed. She broke eye contact and walked right past me without saying a word.

Shit.

She couldn't even look at me.

I gave myself false hope before I entered the Undercroft. This was bad.

Looking back over at Ominis, he began to take out his wand and began to guide himself towards the exit.

"Woah, where are you going?" I said putting my hand across Ominis' chest to stop him.

"Leaving, I have no desire to speak to you right now."

"Come on Ominis you can't leave, I just got here."

I thought that maybe speaking in a joking way would lighten the mood. Clearly not.

"Oh, you're one to talk." Ominis was furious. "So, you're saying I can't leave as easily as you left us last year? Give me a break Sebastian!" He struggled to get around me.

Merlin, this is worse than I thought.

"Ominis, please!" I was so desperate to speak. "I really need to speak; I need my friend—"

"You have no right to call me that right now." Ominis spat out, not letting me finish my sentence.

"I know, I know!" I felt like crap, but another risky thought came to my head, and I quickly pulled out my wand and aimed at Ominis' feet.

"Glacius!"

"D-did you just cast glacius on me Sebastian?!"

"It's the only way you will listen to me! Please hear me out! Ominis, you don't deserve to hear any word that comes from my mouth, but I need to speak to you."

Ominis released a huge sigh, "You certainly got that right, go ahead before I change my mind."

Words Sebastian, think!

"Ominis, I'm so sorry."

Silence.

"That's it? After being absent for over a year Sebastian that's all you're going to say to me?"

"No! I-I'm honestly trying to find the right words to say."

Ominis' expression went back to anger.

"No owl, no visit, no location of your whereabouts since our fifth year Sebastian! You have no idea of the hell Eliza and I have been through the past year and your disappearance made it worse!"

"Ominis, I know I've been gone but what else happened?"

"You would know if you would have been here!! I got kicked out of my own family, Eliza's family has nothing to do with hers as well, and don't think I don't know about your little escapade to Feldcroft with Eliza!"

I was taken by total surprise with what he said about Eliza, "You know about that? How? What did she tell you?!"

Ominis was so done with me.

"Why don't ask me, it's not my story to tell. Glad you found the heart to only reach out to her in the past year!" Ominis spat out bitterly.

I've never felt so low in my life, "Sebastian get me out of this ice, I'm done with you and this conversation."

"It's Anne!" I finally blurted it out.

"What about her Sebastian, from what I remember she has nothing to do with you." Ominis tried to sound annoyed, but he couldn't hide it that well. "Also because of you Anne hasn't sent either me or Eliza an owl."

"She's worse Ominis, Anne is about to die..." My voice cracked at the end of my words. I hated stating the truth out loud.

"W-what? Tell me everything Sebastian."

"I will, I promise. If you listen, I'll tell you everything tonight. But first I need to think of a way to talk to Eliza."

Ominis only nodded, starting to leave the Undercroft after I removed the charm, but he spoke out one last time.

"Eliza might not forgive you as easily as I might. This will take time; and you better give it to her. Fix it."

After Ominis left, I realized how much I've screwed up my best friends' lives. I am so consumed with guilt after Ominis giving me the brutal honesty I deserved, and Eliza having nothing to do with me.

I walked over to where Eliza and I once found Isadora's Triptych and noticed how different it was. Little moving pictures filled up all three portraits. These magical pictures were mostly of Ominis and Eliza and a few friends.

I missed so much of their life; I am filled with so much regret. Now, there is so much I don't know about them. I stared at each picture, mostly at Ominis and Eliza and before I knew it, tears were falling down my cheeks. There were no pictures of me on the wall, I wasn't a part of their lives anymore.