The Light in My Darkness ||Ominis Gaunt X OC||

Chapter 24

The forest wrapped around Ominis like a living, breathing presence, the scent of damp earth and moss filling his lungs with each step. He could feel the cool softness of the dirt beneath his boots, a subtle give with every stride. Tall, ancient trees stretched high above, their needles forming a dense canopy that blocked out much of the sky, allowing only thin ribbons of light to filter through. The smell of pine mingled with a faint hint of amber, earthy and raw, grounding him in this wild place so far from the structured halls of his homeland.

It had been months since he arrived in America, and yet the vastness of the wilderness still struck him. He was far from the regimented life in Britain, here in the wild, untamed heart of the Pacific Northwest. There were no finely paved roads or neatly trimmed hedges here, only the untamed expanse of nature that stretched on and on, defying any attempt to confine it. The magic that pulsed through the ground was raw, untainted by greed and just for power. In the distance, the rhythmic call of a raven echoed through the trees, a sound that felt as ancient as the forest itself.

He approached a small, worn cabin where a Muggle family had reported sightings of the Sasquatches. He could already see the faint gray haze of their auras, the Muggle energy distinct from the vibrant magical signatures he was used to. The mother, a woman with tired eyes and an air of quiet resilience, sat on the porch, clutching her young son close. Ominis could feel the tremble in her aura, a mixture of confusion and fear, the kind that settled deep in the bones. He softened his tone as he approached, letting his British accent add an unfamiliar but calming quality to his words.

“Ma’am,” he began gently, the words slipping into the moist air between them, “I’m here to help you forget something you weren’t meant to see.” The boy’s gray aura pulsed with a hint of curiosity, his innocence mingling with the faint fear that lingered from whatever he had witnessed.

With a light touch to her forehead, Ominis accessed the memories that had lodged themselves into the fabric of her mind. He could sense the dark shapes, towering and monstrous in her perception, and the deep-seated fear they had invoked. Carefully, he sifted through the memory, isolating it as one might unravel a knot, removing it without disturbing the rest of her mind. The moment dissolved under his fingers, fading into the mist, and he felt her aura shift, the tension easing as the memory faded away.

The boy watched him with wide eyes, and Ominis managed a gentle smile. “Go on, lad. It’s just a dream now,” he murmured, watching as the boy’s fear softened, replaced by the innocence of not knowing.

After tending to several Muggles, each with memories of monstrous shadows and terrifying roars, Ominis ventured deeper into the forest, seeking the source of it all. As he had spent time in this land, erasing the creatures from memory, he had found himself wanting to understand why the Sasquatches had risked so much, exposing themselves in a way that endangered both their kind and the magical world. He was drawn beyond mere duty, seeking answers, hoping to understand the creatures he had been sent to make invisible.

It was early summer of 1894, and though the season promised warmth, the forest remained wet and shrouded in mist. The journey had taken him deep into the wilderness, guided by Ahsoka, an elder from a local Native American wizarding tribe. Ahsoka was a man of few words, but his presence radiated calm and understanding, a stark contrast to the rigid traditions and harsh teachings Ominis had known all his life.

They moved cautiously, guided by the quiet echoes of voices, not human, but something older, something that seemed woven into the very fabric of the land. The Sasquatches were nearby, their earthy green auras faint but unmistakable against the backdrop of nature. As he drew closer, he could feel the weight of their presence in the air, a hum of restrained power and primal sorrow.