In the shadows of Blood and Snakes [Sebastian Sallow x Gryffindor MC]

Chapter 6 - Distance

(Author's POV)

The night was unusually quiet in the Gryffindor dormitory, the air still and heavy. Adeen lay in her bed, her sleep troubled and restless. The pale moonlight filtering through the window cast long, eerie shadows that seemed to twist and move of their own accord.

She stood at the edge of a dark, misty lake. The water was still, its surface like polished glass, reflecting a sky that was neither day nor night. An oppressive silence hung over the scene, broken only by the occasional distant whisper that seemed to come from the mist itself.

Adeen's breath came in short, shallow gasps as she peered into the mist, straining to see what lay beyond. She felt an inexplicable pull, a compulsion to step forward, though every instinct screamed at her to turn back. She took a hesitant step, her foot sinking into the soft, damp ground.

A figure emerged from the mist, indistinct and shadowy. Adeen's heart pounded in her chest as she squinted, trying to make out who it was. The figure seemed familiar, yet distant, like a half-remembered dream.

"Adeen," her aunt's voice was a hollow whisper, barely audible over the oppressive silence. "Help me..."

Adeen reached out, her fingers trembling. "Aunt Maisie? What's happening?"

Before her aunt could respond, the mist thickened, swirling around Maisie and dragging her back into the darkness. Adeen tried to follow, but the ground beneath her feet turned to quicksand, pulling her down. The harder she struggled, the deeper she sank.

Suddenly, she was back in the Keepers' Caverns beneath Hogwarts. The air was thick with the sounds of battle—explosions, screams, the clash of spells. She saw Professor Fig fighting, his face etched with shock and despair, as he was surrounded by shadowy figures.

Adeen tried to run to him, but her legs felt like lead. She watched in horror as the shadows engulfed him. "No, no!"

The scene shifted again. She was in her childhood home, the air thick with tension. A figure loomed over her, his face a mask of rage. She felt the familiar surge of fear and anger, the magic bubbling up uncontrollably within her. She tried to hold it back, but it was too strong.

Adeen screamed, the magic exploding from her in a blinding flash.

With a sudden jolt, Adeen woke up, her heart racing and her body drenched in sweat. She sat up, gasping for breath, her eyes wide with terror. The room was still dark, the shadows cast by the moonlight now familiar and non-threatening.

Adeen buried her face in her hands, her body shaking. She took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to calm herself. The nightmare's images lingered in her mind, vivid and haunting. She knew it was just one of her reoccurring dreams, but the fear and guilt it stirred were all too real.

Adeen had been a shadow of her former self for weeks. She avoided the common room, skipped meals, and only showed up to classes. Even then, she kept to the back, her presence barely noticeable.