Chapter 24. March 23, 1898

Sebastian continued to gaze helplessly at the figure sitting on the ground until it stood up and walked back to the mansion. His heart pounded with unease as he didn't understand what was happening. During their time here, Sebastian had crossed paths with Marvolo only a couple of times, always in the company of Ominis. The latter tried to finish the conversation as quickly as possible and leave, telling Sebastian that he and his brother simply had a bad relationship and he didn't want to have any contact with him. But in Sebastian's presence, Marvolo always behaved overly friendly, smiled, and said nothing that would indicate his bad relationship with his brother.

After each such encounter, when Sebastian asked Ominis what was really wrong between them, he gave restrained, simple answers about their childhood enmity, never delving into details. But now Sebastian saw firsthand that their relationship was dangerously strained. He saw how roughly Marv grabbed Ominis, how he pointed his wand at his throat, clearly threatening him, and how long it took Ominis to recover after his brother had already left.

He intended to confess to Ominis that he had seen everything and make him explain what had happened. He understood that throughout this month, Ominis had deliberately shielded him from any bad memories, and he was grateful for that because he really wasn't ready to confront them. However, the feeling of not knowing or remembering something very important gnawed at him like an anxious bird in his chest.

Sebastian ran his fingers over the scarred forearm, and his lips quivered with disgust. These traces of confinement and attempts to escape from the prison of his own mind were an ugly reminder of how horrifying the suppressed memories were. But with Ominis by his side, the quiet malevolent voice in his head was much quieter and less frequent. If he ever managed to find the strength, Sebastian was sure that Ominis wouldn't let him achieve what he desired.

Sallow flinched when he heard the door behind him open. He continued to stand silently by the window, gazing at Ominis' reflection in the dark glass. Ominis stood there, holding his wand with a brightly glowing red tip in front of him, pointing it in Sebastian's direction. Ominis bit his lip, either hesitating to approach him or delaying the moment to start the conversation. It was evident that upon discovering Sebastian by the window, he realized that Sebastian had seen something. Ominis sighed, approached his friend from behind, and embraced him forcefully from behind, pressing his forehead against the back of his head. Sebastian's heart in his chest made a dangerous somersault when he felt Ominis' closeness.

"Tell me about Marvolo. What did he do to you?" Sebastian asked softly, slowly turning within the embrace and looking closely at Ominis' face. He was certain that he knew this story in the past very well, and it played a significant role in his own relationship with Ominis. But what was the essence of it? Sebastian allowed his hands to encircle Ominis' waist in an attempt to comfort his trembling. In response, Ominis only let out a suppressed sigh.

"I mentioned that my relationship with my brother wasn't very good from childhood, but in reality... It was just terrible," Ominis began, once again picking at the unhealing scar within himself, wincing in pain. He didn't try to avoid the most gruesome details of the abuse because he wanted to be honest with Sebastian and finally share all his feelings and fears. When they were teenagers, Ominis spoke about it evasively and in general terms because he was afraid that waves of pain would engulf him right in Sebastian's presence, which he didn't want to allow. Now, on the contrary, he wanted to open up fully to him, leaving no dark corner or secret behind. Ominis felt Sebastian's muscles tense under his hands when he mentioned the Cruciatus Curse, heard him sharply inhale and hold his breath, "do you remember anything about it?"

Sebastian's gaze focused on Ominis' pale face, haunted by memories. Perhaps his unease was justified.

"I don't know. I feel... anxious?" Sebastian replied, uncertainty lacing his words.

"I can stop if you're not ready to hear more," Ominis murmured softly, even though he wanted to finish with this topic now and never return to it again.

"Speak. It seems to me that through this, I will get to know you better than through all those positive stories about holidays and escapes to Hogsmeade," Sebastian's hands continued to rest on Ominis' waist, and it felt so natural to him, as if he had done it a million times before, as if in all his past lives, he had met this beautiful young man with sad, blind eyes over and over again and had fallen in love with him so quickly and passionately each time.

"Alright," and Ominis continued their joint immersion into that dreadful summer of 1883 when he forever ceased to see the sunlight. His voice stumbled and faltered, at times growing quieter and then louder, but his body remained still, listening to Sebastian's gentle caresses. That's why he instantly reacted to the trembling fingers on his waist and the chest that began to spasm uncontrollably. With a swift motion, he pressed Sebastian against the windowsill, gripping his forearms until his joints ached, tensing his entire body. In the first two weeks of their stay in the estate, these episodes happened to Sebastian constantly, and he had learned to recognize their approach even before they fully engulfed him. They frightened him because during these few minutes, Sebastian stopped being himself, attempted self-harm again, and screamed. From these horrifying screams and the words that slipped through them, Ominis understood that Sebastian remembered his entire life but buried it so deeply within himself that not even the Veritaserum could extract it from him. Perhaps, in these agonizing moments, he was truly himself? A tormented soul forever drowning in the boundless black lake of his past, a deranged prisoner who remained eternally within the cold walls of a tiny Azkaban cell, staying there even when his body lay in a soft bed, a teenager, playing with dark magic and ruined several lives.

"O-Ominis... Did I... do something to you?" his fingers gripped Ominis's shirt so tightly that the fabric audibly protested. His eyes darted around the room, never settling on anything specific, not seeing anything before him. His body trembled with tension, but his head hung limp, resting his forehead against Ominis' crown. A hoarse whisper escaped his lips, "I used the Cruciatus on you... Why?"

"Sebastian, please... It's okay, everything's fine. We had no other choice, and I agreed to it myself," Ominis quickly spoke, using his entire body to restrain Sebastian, feeling his body starting to relax and settle onto the floor under his own weight. They sank down, Ominis straddling his thighs, pressing them to the floor, and he took Sebastian's face in his hands, "look at me, please. It wasn't a bad deed; it was a necessity."

But Sebastian couldn't hear him anymore; his eyes widened in horror as he saw Ominis writhing and screaming in pain before him and a wand in his own hand. In the darkness of the old dungeon, the inscription "Crucio" burned on the ancient stones, searing his retinas. Time around him turned into a viscous, disgusting mass that prevented him from dropping the wand and holding Ominis close to him. He stared at his friend's contorted body, which bent at unimaginable angles, unable to believe that he had done this with his own hands. He tried to inhale, but nothing came out, and he helplessly opened and closed his mouth. Finally, his knees bent enough to let the body beneath settle down and pull Ominis closer. His screams gradually faded into loud, heavy moans. His eyes rolled back, the veins on his temples bulged, and the air barely filled his lungs. It was only now that Sebastian heard his own scream, but it seemed to come from somewhere far away, as if it were not from his own mouth and vocal cords. He held Ominis close, whispering apologies that felt so empty and insincere that he wanted to silence himself, but he couldn't. Why, behind this thin veil of pain and regrets, did he feel triumph and satisfaction? Why did he make Ominis suffer so much back then, without a second thought? Why was he such a monster?

Ominis held Sebastian tightly, pinning his hands to his body and pressing him with his entire weight to the floor. He clenched his teeth in tension, breathing heavily, realizing that Sebastian was still slightly taller, slightly heavier, and slightly stronger than him. He closed his eyes, counting silently to himself and trying not to listen to the screams, but it was impossible. They were filled with pain and regrets, and Ominis could guess which particular memory was flashing before Sebastian's inner eye right now. How he wished Sebastian would believe that Ominis had forgiven him for this even before it happened.

He felt Sebastian trying to push him away, trying to break free from his grip, and Ominis panicked slightly. His wand was on the table very close by, but to reach it, he needed to loosen his grip. He bit his lip, preparing for that desperate lunge. He needed to immobilize Sebastian before he did something he would regret. Ominis couldn't see that Sebastian's eyes were completely empty, that he had stopped realizing where he was and who was beside him. He was lost in that horrible past, twisting his mind in unimaginable ways.

Ominis abruptly pulled away, reaching for the table, and a second later, he winced in pain. Sebastian, sensing his freedom, slid out from under him and kicked him in the chest, pushing him away. Ominis gasped for breath, and sparks flew from his eyes. He quickly fumbled for his wand and turned to face Sebastian. Sebastian was holding a glass of whiskey, which shattered with a loud crack as he squeezed it too hard. Ominis muttered a curse under his breath and raised his wand.

"Petrificus Totalus!" he shouted, completely immobilizing Sebastian and wondering why he hadn't done this immediately. Perhaps because he believed that this time it would go without using magic, as it had in the past. He sighed heavily, rubbing the spot where he had been kicked and coughing. Sebastian's body instantly turned into a silent statue and fell to the floor with a quiet thud, bound by magical stiffening. Only his eyes on his face continued to look somewhere ahead with horror.

Ominis crawled closer to him and unsuccessfully tried to pry his stiffened fingers apart to remove the glass shards. He didn't know what he hoped to achieve by using the Full Body-Bind Curse. He had to wait for some time until Sebastian's breathing and heartbeat calmed down enough to remove the spell. Only then could he tend to his wounds. He gently pressed against the petrified body, laying his head on Sebastian's chest to hear his heartbeat. He tried to whisper something soothing, though he knew that Sallow wouldn't hear him now. He had no idea what to do about these hellish episodes. Sebastian would never reunite with his past, with their shared past, if this continued. Perhaps it wasn't worth trying? But could he truly be himself if he forgot about his dark half? Ominis' breathing trembled. Had he really brought Sebastian back from Azkaban, or only his shell? And could he extract him from the depths of his own consciousness?

***

The next evening, Ominis and Sebastian appeared for the first time at a joint dinner with the members of the Gaunt family. The tension hanging over the table was almost palpable, but that didn't stop Marvolo from making poisonous remarks and having fun. Sebastian occasionally tried to respond, but every time he took a noisy breath to retort, Ominis would preemptively step on his foot under the table, and he would exhale, choosing to remain silent.

"Father, what if little Ominis turned out to be an Auror?" Marv asked innocently, fixing a predatory gaze on his brother sitting across from him. Ominis clutched his wand on the table to his right with his fingers, and with his left hand, he forcefully pinched Sebastian's thigh when he felt him lean forward too abruptly. He had to prevent any contact between Sebastian and Marvolo, ensuring that Sallow didn't catch his elder brother's interest for even a second.

"I would strangle him with my bare hands," Father replied indifferently, lifting both hands, taking a glass with one of them, and leaning back in his wheelchair, "but he doesn't seem like such a dimwit. If it weren't for those cursed Aurors, our family would still be thriving. And every Gaunt should remember who we should be thankful to for our decline and oblivion."

"Yeah, it's a good thing we all respect family and can put our ambitions aside, right, Ominis? I think you could make a good Auror," Marvolo continued to pierce him with his gaze, poking at the remains of his food on his plate with a fork. He shifted his bored gaze to Sebastian, resting his chin in his hand, and said, "why are you so quiet? I can't believe my brother chose someone so quiet and uninteresting as a partner. You must have some secrets."

"Don't touch him, Marv," Ominis said irritably, continuing to grip Sebastian's thigh and silently pleading with him to keep quiet. It seemed to him that he could hear the grinding of Sebastian's teeth, and he slowly leaned towards his ear and whispered, "for my sake, please, stay silent."

"Oh, Ominis, tell the whole class. Why do you only say something to Sebastian?" Marvolo's voice carried feigned offense, followed by a soft chuckle.

"Marvolo, stop it. You were supposed to mend your brotherly relationship with Ominis, but it doesn't seem like you're trying to do that," the Gaunt Sr. grumbled irritably, clearly more bothered by the noise at the table than its content.

"Oh, we're mending just fine, aren't we, Ominis?" Marvolo grinned broadly, rocking back in his chair, "we even have joint plans for tonight. Wonderful plans."

Ominis fell silent, but a slight tremor ran through his body. He understood all too well what kind of plans Marvolo could have for the evening. He let out a nearly inaudible sigh and pushed his untouched dinner away. He waited for the moment when his father would summon the nurse and return to his room. Then they would all be allowed to leave. He nervously tapped his fingers on the table, following the rhythm of the ticking clock somewhere behind him. He longed to be upstairs in his room with Sebastian right now, just talking to him about everything until the late hours of the night. But he would only be able to accompany Sebastian to the door and make sure everything was in order before heading with Marvolo to wherever he was told. "I'm doing this for the safety of Sebastian and myself," he reassured himself, trying to calm his rebellious stomach, filled with indignation. As soon as he and Sebastian found another way out of their situation, they would immediately leave this ill-fated house. Perhaps, if things continued like this, they would stop searching for them so actively because no newspaper had reported any traces of them being discovered anywhere. If this continued, the Ministry's vigilance would wane, and they could choose a less safe hideout than their current one. Ominis knew for sure that the Aurors were at the doorstep of their family mansion, but his brother and father responded in a way that made them believe that Ominis had not been here for over a decade.

Finally, the father's nurse entered the room and took him away. Ominis immediately got up from the table and nudged Sebastian by the elbow, who hadn't even considered reacting to Gaunt Senior's departure so abruptly. They quickly left the dining room, ignoring Marvolo's remarks about waiting for Ominis in the hall on the ground floor in ten minutes. Ominis had been feeling increasing nervousness throughout the day, but he only now realized that it was primarily about the necessity of leaving Sebastian alone for the entire evening. He knew that their conversations served as triggers and became the cause of Sebastian's breakdowns, but he had no idea what specifically was provoking them when they were silent. Perhaps Sebastian began to think about the past, and painful memories resurfaced, perhaps they came on their own when Sebastian didn't even try to remember. Ominis had tried to question him about it, but Sebastian himself didn't understand the reasons; he couldn't grasp what was happening at the moment when he disconnected from reality without any apparent triggers. When they reached their bedroom, Ominis checked again to make sure there were no dangerous objects that could harm Sebastian. Sebastian just rolled his eyes, insisting that everything would be fine and that Ominis was worrying for no reason. Finally, after taking a deep breath, Ominis walked into the dark corridor and descended to the first floor, where Marvolo awaited him. Marvolo's tall, broad-shouldered figure loomed as a dark and ominous silhouette against the moonlit window. A sinister grin spread across his face when he heard footsteps behind him. He intended to show Ominis a very interesting place, a gentleman's club where all pure-blood wizards with similar interests gathered.

***

Marvolo led him through dark alleyways, eerily reminiscent of the one where he had first experienced the Cruciatus Curse. These alleys were devoid of law-abiding citizens who might notice a wanted criminal, but Ominis still hid his face under his hood and kept his head down. A burning bitterness clung to his throat; the few sips of wine he allowed himself during dinner seemed eager to resurface, and he swallowed them spasmodically every few minutes. Marvolo barely uttered a word throughout the journey, only mentioning a couple of times that Ominis would definitely enjoy it and that it was a shame he hadn't brought Sebastian along. Ominis heard his excited breathing alternating between his left and right sides, and with every step, he felt more uncomfortable. Perhaps Marvolo was leading him to his grown-up but not necessarily wiser sadistic friends. Probably, his hobbies remained the same as before. Maybe the process had become more sophisticated, but the essence had definitely not changed. Ominis tried to focus all his attention on the sound of his own footsteps, but it was drowned out by heavy breathing and the pounding of his heart. Why was he doing this? Couldn't he just escape? Was he afraid to resist his older brother? Was he afraid that attempting to resist would provoke Marvolo to harm Sebastian? Or maybe he was just a weak-willed coward? Or did the Gaunt blood flowing through his veins unconsciously draw him towards darkness? Nonsense. He shook his head, quickening his pace to keep up with Marvolo. His fingers, tightly gripping the wand, had gone numb and turned pale. He was ready to use it at any moment when danger threatened.

Finally, they stopped in front of an unassuming door. Marvolo rhythmically tapped his wand on the damp boards, and the door opened, allowing the nighttime visitors inside. Ominis cautiously scanned the room with his wand; it appeared to be an ordinary pub, similar to the Leaky Cauldron, only smaller and gloomier. No one even turned to look at them as they entered, except for the bartender, who nodded politely to Marvolo. The air was thick with smoke and alcoholic fumes, but there was something else in it, something unusual for such places.

"You can take off your hood; no one here is interested in you," Marvolo smirked as he moved through the room towards the door at the far end. He moved slowly and gracefully, nodding to some wizards along the way. Near the door, he turned to Ominis, who was still standing at the entrance, scrutinizing everyone in the room.

"Come on, move," he urged.

Ominis moved forward slowly, trying to grip his wand even tighter. It truly seemed like no one was looking at him, but he felt that he hadn't gone unnoticed. His steps were confident, and he held himself upright, appearing perfectly calm from the outside. It was unlikely that anyone could hear his rapid breathing or see his eyelid twitching from tension. He stopped beside Marvolo and removed his hood, once again surveying the room. There were no windows in it, and the only door was the one through which they had entered. There weren't even doors leading to a kitchen or a corridor, except for the one Marvolo was about to enter. He whispered a few words to a tiny portrait of a girl hanging nearby, and the door slowly opened. What kind of secret gathering was taking place here that required a password for entry? Behind the door, there were steps leading down, covered with a soft carpet that didn't match the shabby wooden floor in the main area of the pub. Marvolo grabbed Ominis by the shoulder and pushed him forward onto the steps, making him go first.

"Right now, you'll see how real pure-blood wizards relax, not like those half-blood rejects who only need a glass of firewhisky to have a good time," he said aggressively, poking his younger brother between the shoulder blades with his wand, urging him to descend faster. Ominis ran his hand along the wall, holding his wand out in front of him, trying to make out something ahead. However, there were no candles on the walls or ceiling, so he had to silently feel each step with his foot. His breath almost stopped when they finally reached the end of the staircase. For a moment, he thought about Apparating back to the mansion, grabbing Sebastian, and teleporting far away from here, anywhere but here. But that thought gradually subsided, giving way to colder and darker thoughts.

Marvolo swung the door open in front of him, pushing him inside once again. Ominis was hit by an unexpected warmth and a pleasant scent of berries and smoke. He took a deep breath, and a chill ran down his spine as he realized that the scent was identical to the scent of Sebastian's skin and hair. His fingers trembled on his free hand, and he clenched them into a fist. He took a fearful step back but collided with his older brother who was standing behind him. Marvolo gripped his shoulder until it creaked and leaned in close to his ear.

"What does it smell like, little Ominis? Tell me. You have no idea how curious I am," he hissed into Ominis' ear, his voice filled with mockery and pleasure. He gently pushed him forward again, making him step forward. They entered a vast, opulent hall adorned with expensive furniture made from precious woods, massive sparkling chandeliers, and exquisite sculptures. Between the tables, there were chairs and sofas where wizards in formal robes were leisurely chatting. Almost every one of them was smoking a cigar and sipping on a drink. The room had no windows, but Ominis didn't find that strange, as they had descended quite a long way underground. What struck him as peculiar was something else, and after a few seconds, he realized what it was. Beautiful young women and men were bustling among the men, clearly serving as staff. They carried glasses, food, and cleaned overflowing ashtrays. But if you paid closer attention, it became evident that each of them served only one person and, in addition to the standard tasks, would do absolutely anything their master asked. Ominis pointed his wand at one of these young women who was wiping the lips of an ugly old man, and he shuddered when he saw her utterly glassy, lovestruck eyes and the radiant smile that never left her face even when the old man insulted her in annoyance.

"Amortentia..." Ominis whispered, stunned, trying to catch his breath. Fear and disgust surged through his veins once more.

"Bravo," Marvolo slow-clapped, flashing a sinister grin, "this is much more interesting than the Imperius Curse, isn't it? They're practically just as docile and sometimes even beg for things like the Cruciatus Curse, if they know it will please their object of desire. Beautiful, young, unwanted toys, devoid of will and magic... I have a couple of favorites here too. Come, let me show you."

He gripped Ominis' forearm and led him through a dark archway in the corner of the room. Once again, they found themselves in a corridor, but this time it was lit by the trembling light of candles, casting soft glimmers on silk wallpaper. Identical rooms lined both sides of the corridor, differing only in their furnishings: some contained tables for chess or card games, while others had all the furniture pushed against the walls, with several couples swirling in the center of the room. Ominis watched these peculiar amusements, unable to focus his wand on the floor and ignore what was happening.

There were dozens of Muggles here, all under the influence of the most potent love potion, obediently following any orders given by the one who had provided them with the potion. Certainly, none of them were here willingly. Disgust and helplessness coursed through Ominis. Suddenly, he heard a heart-wrenching scream and quickly turned towards the source of the sound.

In the middle of the corridor, right behind them, a girl writhed in pain on the floor. Just moments ago, she had been dancing with one of the pureblood wizards, who now stood over her, pointing his wand at her. His face expressed aggressive displeasure. The scene continued for several long seconds until the wizard nonchalantly tucked his wand away, pushed the girl lying before him with his foot, and walked in their direction. Ominis wanted to step back against the wall to let the threatening figure pass, but Marvolo stepped forward, extending his hand for a friendly handshake.

"Ominis, this is Vincent, remember him?" Marvolo asked, shaking hands with the smirking wizard.

"Oh, little Ominis, what brings you back to the family?" Vincent inquired in a sophisticated tone, as if the crying girl lying behind him on the floor wasn't a concern.

"More like it was necessary. But as you can see, I'm trying to introduce him to all the joys of life under our name," Marvolo replied on Ominis' behalf, once again grabbing him by the shoulder and pulling him into a feigned friendly embrace.

"Welcome to our gentlemen's club," Vincent grinned, crossing his arms over his chest and giving Ominis an assessing look.

"What about your girl?" Marvolo nodded in the direction of the girl struggling to get up.

"I'm tired of her already. Today, she even managed to step on my foot. I think it's time for a replacement," the wizard replied indifferently, yawning, "let's deal with her, and then we can look at the newcomers?"

"Sounds like an excellent plan for the evening," Marvolo chuckled.

Ominis didn't immediately grasp what they were talking about, but when it dawned on him, a shiver of icy dread ran down his spine once more. He began to question why he had ever thought that anything related to his family could be a good idea. The only argument he had was that so far, neither he nor Sebastian had suffered any harm from Marvolo. After all, verbal taunts couldn't be considered real harm. Furthermore, no one from the Ministry had any idea of their whereabouts. Yes, he had brought Sebastian into this incomprehensible and dreadful place, but was Sebastian's safety not worth the horrors he might witness here? On unsteady legs, Ominis silently followed the wizards engaged in lively conversation, trying to decide whether he should justify his presence here or not. Perhaps it would depend on what would happen next. Ominis fervently hoped that Marvolo wouldn't involve him in his sadistic games at least this time. And maybe the next time wouldn't come at all.