Right Where You Left Me | Sebastian Sallow |

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Kryptonite

I intensely stared back at him. My brain trying to catch up with my eyes, attempting to comprehend what I'm looking at. And what just happened.

A mess of emotions flooded my mind when I found myself staring no longer into Ominis' eyes. Sadness, anger, and most of all, embarrassment. He wasn't supposed to find out how I felt on the inside, not like this. I didn't quite tell him everything I suppose. I thought I was speaking to Ominis after all, and he knew the entire story.

"Eliza please, I can explain." Sebastian's tone sounded full of concern and panic.

I backed away from him, "You—It was you this whole time! Polyjuice Sebastian, are you kidding me?! I thought Ominis was acting strange since he sent the owl but, I never expected this."

"Eliza this was the only way I could talk to you! You wouldn't listen or wouldn't have come down here if my name was signed at the end of that owl! You can't tell me I'm wrong."

I couldn't. Because he was right.

Since meeting Sebastian, he has always proven himself to be very intelligent. Tonight, was no exception.

My facial features softened, "I feel horrible Sebastian, truly. But when did you even brew this? Polyjuice is a very difficult and time-consuming potion."

"Well, with you not paying a lick of attention to me this past month, how would you know? I brewed it in one of the bathrooms outside of Fig's office. No one ever goes in there."

He knew I would never go in there anyways; I couldn't bring myself to walk by Fig's office anymore.

"Eliza, everything I said was true. My appearance might have been a lie but, but my words were not. All of them."

"All this time, Anne has been dying and you kept this all to yourself? Why did you leave us? Why didn't you ask for our help? You knew I would have dropped everything that summer to help."

I had to turn around, prying my eyes away from his own. It felt like one of our old disagreements in the Undercroft. Standing the exact same when I turned away after he begged me to use my ancient magic to cure Anne.

I heard him walk closer, "And that's why Eliza, I knew you would. I couldn't burden you with my problems more than I already have. I have now caused so much pain and trouble in both of yours and Ominis' lives. Hearing that now from both of you, I am consumed with extreme guilt."

I turned to face him. He closed his eyes and placed his hand over his forehead, "I killed my uncle, damaged my friendship with Ominis, lost my sister. And you? I pressured you to use your ancient magic to cure Anne, and to find that damned relic. I thought I was going to make your lives better without me in it, you both deserve that."

Oh Sebastian, if only you knew...

My heart cried for him, all this time he had been fighting this internal battle within himself, and physically trying to find Anne along with her cure. All he had to do was say the word, and I would have been there.

Over time, I discovered my own personal kryptonite during my fifth year. It was him. It still is and always will be. And my responses to his questions earlier proved this weakness non the less. In the end, why must it always come down to one specific person?

"I know I've screwed up our friendship Eliza and I will spend the rest of my life apologizing for that. But I truly need your help."

I didn't know how to respond to what Sebastian just told me, or everything that he said. I wanted to easily forgive him but, some memories and past emotions are too hard to forget. It takes time to mend a deep wound. Band-aids don't fix bullet holes.