Out of the Shadows // Sebastian Sallow

Acknowledgements

Wow. 104 chapters, 4 epilogues and over 401,000 words later, we have reached the end of this story. There are so many things I want to say and so many people I want to thank! I'll try to be brief. But it probably won't happen 😉🤭

I have a few IRL peeps that need to be acknowledged. The ones that are around for my real self, not my online self, and have incalculably supported and helped me.

Firstly, my husband, Brett, is the most stellar man on the planet! He has put up with my insane Harry Potter obsession since we met! We even went to Universal Orlando for our honeymoon because I wanted to go to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. And he has put up with my insane Sebastian fixation since the game came out (which he had bought for me in the first place). And when I wanted to try my hand at writing, he spent money on editing programs and all kinds of things to get the laptop up to par. He also served as my sounding board for all my insane plot twists and thought processes. He also named Onyx and helped me write the labor scene. He is forever my real-life Seb! I wrote Rach and Seb in honor of my husband and me and our relationship.

My coworkers have been through all my crazy "flavor of the week" hobbies and when I started this journey, I suspect they thought it would be my new one and dissipate with time. It didn't. And they still stuck around listening to me obsess. One in particular. My "work husband" who many call my "evil twin" because he always instigates me and says out loud whatever I'm thinking to myself. Bill. In fact, his influence is so strong that I created an "evil twin" for my main character and named him after Bill. Thus, Will was created in his image. But much more evil! lol Bill is my evil twin in the best way and is always a good sounding board. And NO, Bill, I'm NOT writing "dragon porn." 🤭😂😉

To everyone who has loved Sebastian, Hogwarts Legacy and has the guts to write a story... It is YOU that I thank the most. I happened upon a fanfiction completely by accident when googling Seb because I was curious if I was the only one who was seriously obsessed. I wasn't alone. Not by a long shot! I immersed myself in those stories. It is a really brave thing to put out a story and have it put to scrutiny by the general public. You all are total ROCKSTARS and inspire so many others to be creative and find talents and abilities they didn't know they had, including and especially ME! I had no idea I had this in me. And it is thanks to all the brave souls out there who did it before me that I had the courage to even try. The Seb community is so unique and supportive. And I LOVE YOU ALL! Thank you for sharing your adventures with me and inspiring me to do the same.

The very first Seb fanfiction I ever read start to finish was Risk // Sebastian Sallow by ginger_lala. This book was fantastic! I highly recommend everyone to read it. It blew my mind. And made me think about fanfiction in a completely different way than I had before. I read it so obsessively that my eyes started to malfunction after 18 hours straight and was forced to quit and take a break! It was part of the reason I decided to try to do this in the first place. That story will forever hold a very special place in my heart. Thank you, ginger!

My very first follower ever was CTaylor33. She is so fun and supportive and so incredibly creative! I can't tell you how much her input was valued. And her advice on how to get started writing was so helpful! She gave it without my asking, just volunteered her expertise and support. Also, her stories are so detailed and vivid, you could get lost in descriptions and forget that you're reading a fanfiction. Absolutely beautiful! And created by a stunning human being. Such a treat! Thank you for your unending support, CTaylor33!

There are two very special readers that started with me from almost the beginning that need recognition.

Erika9604665's daily reads and surprise comments were something I looked forward to daily and were the main reason I kept motivated to keep on with this story. Without her, I probably would have stopped writing, decided my story was too dumb for public consumption and quit. Thank you, Erika, for inspiring me to continue!

A very special thanks needs to be said to Elorcan95. With me from the beginning. Anticipating every chapter. Commenting like a mad woman. And fulfilling my every wish in an avid reader! Every day, I would look forward to her comments and we would chat back and forth all about story nuance and plot twists. Her support cannot be equaled. And it was a total surprise! I found my Seb fanfic soul mate and that is something I could never have anticipated and for which I am forever grateful! I hope we remain Seb Fanfic Soul Mates for many years to come! Thank you!

There are a couple readers who came to the party late and still managed to make a HUGE impact on me! Petraag267 and _eittol started reading and binged so quickly to catch up to current updates it made my head spin! And the comments... oh the comments... Every day, breathing new life into my story! Just when I had thought... Well, no one is really interested but that's ok. I'm just doing this for me... They show up and start filling my heart with such joy and my tummy with the feel-good butterflies! Thank you, Petra and Lottie for your support and your love. You'll NEVER know what it is like to feel like no one cares and then have your notifications SPAMMED with love. You two are incredible!

To all who even read one word of this crazy story and to everyone who voted and commented and especially those that obsessively waited for updates and stuck with me every day through this 4 month long journey, you ALL are amazing and mean more to me than I could possibly put into words. This truly has been an adventure of a lifetime! THANK YOU. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. From the tips of my toes to the very last strand of hair on top of my head. Sincere thanks. Truly.

KISSES ❤️❤️❤️

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P.S. I have some shorts, small one shots from the story from others' perspectives to add and I will post them tacked at the end here. I hope everyone enjoys them!