Ominous future

Revelation

( Chris Grey - Let the world burn)

Anne's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, you mean Ominis' older brother was aware of this?"

"Yes. Because he gave me this idea of ​​punishing myself," Elisse said disgustedly.

"He did THAT?" Anne exclaimed, her eyebrows furrowing in disbelief. "That's... That's terrible, Elisse."

She reached out and put a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. "I can't believe that Ominis' own brother, and his own blood, could do something like that. Was there any reason why he did it?"

"Probably because the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." she replied.

"It all makes sense to me now." she stared into space and began to explain. " Since I was away from England for many years, I hardly even recognized Ominis after my return. The man in the mask looked at me as if I were familiar to him. Then he took my hand and pulled out the sleeve where I have scars.

Second, how would some strange guy know I was invited to Gaunt Manor?"

Anne nodded, slowly connecting the dots in her mind. "Damn... you're right. It all makes sense when you say it like that. This man in the mask, the way he looked at you... it could very well be Ominis' brother Marvolo."

"I have to find Ominis and tell him," Elisse said suddenly.

Anne nodded in agreement. "Yes, I think you should. But be prepared, Ominis' reaction to this might be explosive."

Elisse nodded, "I can imagine...Anne, thank you for listening to me. You're a good friend."

Anne reached out and squeezed her friend's hand. "Of course, that's what friends are for. You know you can always talk to me, no matter what."

Elisse smiled sadly before getting up and running to find Ominis. She suspected where she would find him, what an irony. The place was probably cursed. She entered the Undercroft.

As Elisse entered the Undercroft, her eyes quickly scanned the room, searching for any sign of Ominis. The room was dimly lit, casting long shadows across the stone walls.

"Ominis...?" she called out hesitantly, unsure if he would really be there.

"I said I need time," said Ominis irritated. "Leave me alone!" Elisse interrupted him: "Ominis, listen to me! I figured it out who sent me the roses!"

Ominis fell silent and finally asked tensely, "who is it?"

Elisse swalloved hardly and retorted:
" It's Marvolo".

Ominis froze. The muscles in his neck tensed and his jaw clenched. He turned around slowly, his voice filled with anger and despair.

"Marvolo? How... How do you know that?"

"The man in the forest. He looked at me as if I were familiar to him. Then he grabbed my hand and rolled up the sleeve where I have scars." she revealed to him. "I remembered this detail and connected it. It makes sense. Besides, who else would know about my invitation to Gaunt Manor if not a member of the host family?" she asked in conclusion.

Ominis stood frozen for a moment, struggling to process this new revelation. His anger slowly shifted into a mixture of pain and guilt.
"Marvolo... you're right, it makes sense." Ominis said, his voice filled with sadness. "But I can't believe he would do something like that. He can be cruel, but..." He didn't finish his sentence, his mind racing with conflicting emotions.

"But?" Elisse asked.

Ominis shook his head, his hand running through his hair. "I never thought he would go so far, that's all. Marvolo and I... we've always had a complicated relationship, but this..." He paused for a moment before continuing, "I can't imagine what his plan is by contacting you. It can't be anything good."

"Ominis, I'm scared." Elisse shivered all over, instinctively reaching for her forearm.

Ominis immediately noticed the gesture and stepped closer to her. He gently took her hand in his, his fingers running gently over the scars on her forearm.

"Hey, don't be scared Elisse," he said in a calm tone. "I won't let Marvolo hurt you. I promise."

Elisse looked on him with tears in her eyes. "he was already cruel as a child. I can't imagine what kind of monster he is now" She looked at her scars. "My parents were cruel to me, but Marvolo was the one who caused the most damage to my psyche."

Ominis felt a pang of guilt and anger in his chest. He knew Marvolo's cruelty all too well, but the thought of him inflicting such pain on Elisse made his blood boil.

"I know, Elisse, I know..." he said, his voice filled with a mixture of anger and helplessness. He reached out and gently touched her face, wiping away a tear with his thumb.

"Ominis, I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt you or break your trust. I just didn't want you to worry. But I promise you that I will never hide anything from you again.

Ominis shook his head, his hand still cupping her face. "No, don't apologize, you have nothing to be sorry for. I understand why you didn't tell me. You didn't want to worry me.

He pulled her closer, his other hand gently resting on her waist. "But I want you to promise me that you'll always tell me everything, no matter how painful or uncomfortable it might be. No more secrets between us."

"No secrets, I promise," she whispered.

Ominis gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering on the side of her face. "Good," he murmured, his gaze fixed on her. "No more secrets, no more hiding things from each other. We're in this together, no matter what. And I promise I'll protect you from Marvolo, I won't let him hurt you again."

Elisse sighed heavily. She couldn't get rid of the bad feeling that weighed on her. "The day after tomorrow we travel home for the holidays. Until then, we should enjoy this time to the fullest."

Ominis nodded in agreement. "You're right. We've been bombarded with news and revelations these days, it's a lot to process. Let's try to enjoy ourselves before we need to face whatever the holidays will bring."

He leaned in a bit closer, his hand still cupping her face. "And you...you need some rest. You've been through a lot."

" I don't want to rest. I want to enjoy your presence until the last second before we get off the train and part ways." she replied and planted a soft kiss on his lips.

Ominis' eyes widened slightly in surprise, but he quickly relaxed into the kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"You know I won't say no to your company," he said, his voice low and velvety. "We can enjoy each other's presence till the very last second before the holidays. Spending time together is the best distraction."