Like Moths to a Flame // Sebastian Sallow [Book One]

Chapter Thirty-Five: The Relic Speaks

Sebastian jolted awake, a bitter taste lingering in his mouth. Nausea surged through him, compelling him to roll over and slowly open his eyes. To his shock and dismay, he found himself lying on a hard surface in complete darkness. He propped himself up, straining to adjust his vision.

His racing heartbeat echoed in his ears. He peered down at his pajama-clad body, questioning how he ended up here. Wherever this mysterious place was. Another bout of queasiness overwhelmed him, leaving him no choice but to surrender to it, spilling his stomach's contents onto the floor. Had he used Floo Flames to transport himself here? He looked down at his feet. At least he was wearing his boots...

Sebastian wiped his mouth with his sleeve as he inspected the room. Seated on the gritty ground of a vast, dark cavern, he gradually recognized the familiar features of his surroundings. He slowly pieced together his location. It took a few more moments for realization to dawn upon him-Merlin, he was in the catacomb near Feldcroft.

An instinctive reflex prompted him to reach for the relic in his pocket, but of course, nothing was there; his pajamas lacked the convenience of pockets. He had been sleeping with the relic for weeks, tucked securely beneath his pillow. His heart sank as he realized he also didn't have his wand on him.

He rose from the floor, his fingers inadvertently grazing a hard object. Startled, he recoiled in alarm, yanking his hand back as a cacophony of whispers assaulted his mind. There it was-the relic, lying beside him on the ground. He picked it up gingerly, trying his best to ignore the whispers which began again.

Sebastian stood upright, suppressing the uneasy feeling gnawing at his gut, and set off towards the nearest passageway, determined to get out. His steps came to an abrupt halt as a chilling realization dawned upon him-the haunting voices that reverberated through his head, he could now understand them.

"Let us out

Set us free

Break the seal that binds

Our secrets we will unveil

Within the shadows

True power awaits."

Each phrase dripped with foreboding, as if the relic itself were a portal to a realm of forgotten nightmares. Sebastian stood paralyzed, unsure whether to heed the call or flee from the whispered enticements. He hesitated, torn between curiosity and deep-rooted fear.

He coughed weakly. He tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come out.

"LET US OUT!"

Sebastian crumpled to the ground, dropping the relic at his feet. The whispers stopped as suddenly as they started. A desperate urge coursed through him, compelling him to reclaim the artifact, its enigmatic power exerting an unsettling hold. With sheer determination, he fought against the impulse, sitting on his hands to quell the temptation.

"What's happening to me?" Sebastian's voice was lost within the expansive chamber. The weight of uncertainty settled heavily upon him.

Sebastian stood back up, brushing dust off his pajamas.

He felt his body convulse.

The world went dark.

---

When Sebastian opened his eyes, he was standing in a different room - the Great Room - of the catacomb, his hand suspended in mid-air, clutching the relic. No matter how hard he willed it, his arm remained stubbornly elevated, ensnared by an unseen force.

Once again, the voices stirred, resonating through his mind in a chorus of countless whispers.

"Let us out

Set us free

And we can do more

Than you can possibly imagine."

"Let me go!" Sebastian's anguished cry pierced through the chamber, his voice strained with mounting panic. Were the voices only in his head? They felt so real.

His plea fell on deaf ears as the malevolent voices reveled in their cruel amusement, refusing to relinquish their hold on him.

"Release me!" he pleaded.

"Let us out

Set us free

We know your desires

We'll give you what you seek."

Sebastian's arm throbbed. He was so tired. He could barely think straight. What if this was all a nightmare? It didn't feel like one, but stranger things had happened.

Sebastian made another attempt to drop his outstretched arm to no avail.

If there was nothing else he could do, he might as well try a different method. Perhaps he could play along.

"Can you... cure my sister?" he asked quietly, hesitantly.

The whispers intensified; their tone was chilling, insistent.

"Oh yes, dear Seeker

We hold the key

But at a price, you see

The darkness within

Must be set free."

Sebastian's heart thundered in his chest as he weighed the proposition. What did the voices mean? If this was all a figment of his overactive imagination, it was quite convincing.

"Suppose I agree, how would I set you free? How would you heal my sister?" he murmured, his voice a mix of resignation and cautious curiosity.

"Speak the words

We will appear

Bring your sister here

We will tell you from there."

"What are the words?" he inquired.

The whispers seemed to coil around his mind, their ethereal presence tightening its grip.

"The words you seek

Are ancient and forbidden

Speak them only once

Our power shall awaken.

But be warned, dear Seeker

Consequences shall follow."

Sebastian's resolve wavered for a moment as the weight of the words sank in. His desperation to heal Anne clashed with the unease of unleashing unknown forces into the world. His love for Anne propelled him forward.

What harm could speaking words do? He had already come this far. If that was all it took...any alleged consequences would surely be manageable.

"I... I will speak the words," he declared, his voice quivering but resolute. "If it means curing Anne, I will do whatever it takes."

"Exsurge inanimata

Exsurge inanimata

EXSURGE INANIMATA!"

The voices roared, incessantly chanting the phrase until Sebastian reached his breaking point.

"Enough!" he shouted desperately. "I'll do it."

The relic's firm hold on him loosened, and he collapsed to the ground, utterly drained.

As Sebastian felt himself fade out of consciousness, a mantra echoed incessantly in his mind: He would do it. He was going to do it. He was going to cure Anne.

And darkness enveloped him once more.