In The Shadow of Love // Sebastian Sallow x Reader

Chapter 24 - The final battle

Victory was within reach; only a few enemies remained, and our collective strength surpassed theirs. Drawing upon ancient magic, I hurled ashwinders aside as if they were mere puppets. As we confronted the last remaining foe, I forced them to the ground with the Descendo spell, placing my foot on their arm, rendering their wand useless. With a hint of taunting in my voice, I prepared to deliver the final blow. However, my wand was abruptly torn from my grasp. I looked up, my eyes meeting Harlow's cold gaze. It dawned on me then that he had been absent throughout the entire battle. A sinking feeling settled in my heart, realising that the worst was far from over.

"My dear niece, have you missed me?" Harlow chuckled as he sauntered into the space. The others quickly brandished their wands, surrounding him. I stood in the center, locked in an intense gaze with Harlow. I watched intently as he slowly approached me.

"It's over, Harlow," I seethed through gritted teeth, my fists clenched, my jaw set. But he struck me with a spell, leaving me defenseless as I crashed to the floor. Struggling to push myself up, I saw him standing over me, a sinister presence. He yanked me up by my hair, forcing me to survey the room. To my horror, I witnessed all my friends held captive, their lives hanging in the balance as ashwinders kept them restrained, rendering them utterly helpless.

My heart raced, and my breaths came in heavy gasps. "Let them go. They have nothing to do with this," I pleaded, desperation seeping into my voice.

"What, and have them miss the show?" Harlow retorted, his grip on my hair tightening. I watched helplessly as my friends struggled against the powerful restraints of Harlow's followers. Time seemed to stand still as the moment I had dreaded unfolded before my eyes.

"Fine, I'll give it to you. Just let them go," I pleaded once more, accepting my defeat. Harlow threw me to the ground and took a few steps back, his attention now fixed on the majestic repository.

Slowly, I rose to my feet, but Harlow immediately seized my arm, forcefully dragging me over the pulsating orb of ancient magic. All eyes were fixed on me, filled with a mixture of anticipation and dread.

"Y/n, you don't have to do this!" Theo's voice echoed, piercing through the tense atmosphere. I turned my gaze towards him, my heart aching at the sight of his struggle. But before I could reach him, the ashwinder holding him tightened its grip and subjected him to the excruciating Cruciatus Curse.

"Theo!" I shouted, my voice filled with anguish. I longed to rush to his side, but Harlow yanked me back, preventing any attempt to intervene. Theo writhed in agony, his cries piercing my soul, and tears streamed down my face as I helplessly watched his torment. Eventually, the curse subsided, and our eyes locked. In that moment, I mouthed the words "I love you" to him, silently conveying the depth of my feelings before closing my eyes and taking a deep, steadying breath.

"Let's get this over with," I said reluctantly, my voice laced with resignation. Turning toward the repository, I cast one final glance at Sebastian, silently urging him to fulfill my request. His face reflected concern, but he nodded in agreement, understanding the gravity of the situation.

As I faced the repository, I drew out the keeper wand and pointed it directly at the pulsating orb. With trembling arms, I lifted the wand, and a surge of powerful energy coursed through me. The connection between the wand and the repository intensified, causing my entire body to shake. A blinding flash of light enveloped the room as my powers grew stronger, reaching an unprecedented level.

With the wand now fully charged, I turned to Harlow, a devilish smile spreading across my face. "No one dictates what I do with my magic, my power," I declared, my voice resonating with unwavering conviction. "It was my responsibility to protect this with my life, and in failing to do so, it must be destroyed. You don't deserve this, and you are incredibly foolish to think you could ever lay your hands on it."

As everyone in the room watched in astonishment, I brought the wand under my nose, savoring the boundless power of ancient magic. Their eyes widened in shock as my own transformed, glowing with a devilish red hue. My face contorted into a wicked smirk as the overwhelming surge of power consumed me.

In that moment, vivid memories from my trials flooded my mind. I saw the horrors and darkness that could be unleashed through ancient magic. I began to grasp why Isadora had made her fateful decision. Brandishing this magic made me feel invincible, as if I were a force of nature with immeasurable might coursing through my veins.

Shaking myself free from the allure, I remembered my purpose. "Sebastian, now!" I shouted, snapping everyone back to the present. In an instant, Sebastian swiftly retaliated against the ashwinder restraining him, freeing himself and gripping his wand with trembling hands.

"Avada Kedavra!" he bellowed, and in that single word, it was all over. The repository was now in safe hands, secured from Harlow's clutches, and the long and arduous battle finally came to an end. Harlow had met his defeat, and the wizarding world could breathe a sigh of relief once again...

Theo POV

I watched in sheer horror as Sebastian unleashed the killing curse upon y/n, the love of my life. Time seemed to slow down as she crumpled to the ground, lifeless and motionless. My heart shattered into a million pieces, and an anguished cry escaped my lips. I seized the opportunity to break free from the grasp of the ashwinder restraining me, launching the same curse at Harlow, his body dropping dead in an instant. Samantha and Ominis follow suit and take down the remaining enemies.

Rushing to her side, tears streaming down my face, I clutched her lifeless form, desperately hoping for a miracle. "Y/n, please, please come back to me," I pleaded, my voice trembling with grief. But she remained silent, her eyes closed, forever lost to me.

Sebastian, consumed by remorse, fell to his knees beside me, his own tears mingling with mine. His hand trembled as he reached out to touch my shoulder, his voice filled with pain and regret. "I'm so sorry, Theo," he whispered, his words choked with sorrow. The weight of his guilt and the devastating consequences of his actions were etched on his face.

Blinded by rage and sorrow, I turned towards Sebastian, unleashing my anger upon him. "You did this! You took her away from me!" I shouted, my voice laced with anguish. I raised my wand, ready to strike, my entire being consumed by a mix of fury and despair.

But Ominis, my trusted friend, stepped in, his strong arms pulling me away from Sebastian's vulnerable form. His voice was filled with compassion and understanding as he tried to calm my raging emotions. "Theo, he had no choice," Ominis said gently, his words a lifeline amidst the storm of my grief. "Y/n made him promise, and it was the only way to stop Harlow. Please, let us find solace in our shared loss."

Nestling my head against Ominis' chest, I sobbed uncontrollably, the pain of losing y/n threatening to consume me. "I don't understand," I choked out between sobs, my voice a broken whisper. How could this be the only way? How could the price of victory be the loss of my beloved?

Sebastian, standing once again, found the strength to explain, his voice heavy with remorse. "The keepers, they made it clear that sacrificing y/n was the final desperate measure to stop Harlow," he said, his words filled with a mixture of guilt and understanding. "It was an unbreakable promise, Theo. I had no other choice."

As we gathered around y/n's lifeless body, the weight of our grief and the magnitude of our loss hung heavily in the air. With a final kiss on her forehead, I whispered my eternal love and promised to meet her again in another life. The pain was overwhelming, and we clung to each other, united in our shared sorrow.

Samantha, Ominis, and Sebastian, all touched by the tragedy, joined me in this embrace of mourning. In that moment, we found solace in each other, drawing strength from the bonds we had forged in the face of adversity. Together, we would navigate the darkness, forever carrying the memory of y/n in our hearts.

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Author Note!

First of all I am SO SORRY for the sad ending and killing you off. I have spent countless weeks going back and fourth on how this should end or if I could carry it on, but sadly this felt like the right outcome. 

I will leave an epilogue as the next chapter with a few words from each of the main characters and my thank you's to you all <3