The Keeper's Legacy | Ominis Gaunt | Sebastian Sallow

CHAPTER - THIRTY-FIVE - Gratis Poltergeist part 1.

This and the next chapter is based on my favourite quest of the game. Hope you will enjoy some good Sebastian-Ominis banter as their opinions will often collide in this chapter. :)

"We've got ourselves a bit of a situation," I admitted, beckoning Sebastian and Ominis to gather in front of the timeworn shop on a quiet afternoon. Something about yesterday's unsettling revelations left me feeling restless, prompting me to skip a day of classes.

Ominis, always attuned to my tendency to downplay things, furrowed his brow. "This doesn't sound good, Ophelia," usually, when I said something was wrong, then most likely the house was already on fire.

"Guess what? I ended up buying the shop," I revealed, gesturing towards the weathered building behind me. Sebastian couldn't hide his excitement, while Ominis seemed more worried for us. Their reactions were like two branches diverging on a tree, going in different directions.

"What's the catch?" inquired Sebastian, already making his way towards the now-cleared entrance.

"The previous owner asked me to retrieve his late husband's cherished hat," I sighed, leading them into the dim interior.

"Sounds simple enough," mused Sebastian.

"And what's the problem we need to see for ourselves?" questioned Ominis, always one to see beyond the surface.

I told them they had to see it for themselves.

As we stepped inside, the creaky floorboards protested our presence, and the musty smell of dust filled the air. I nudged Ominis playfully and whispered, "Trust me, it's not as bad as the Snogging room."

"Wait, did you say snogging?" Sebastian asked, a mix of surprise and amusement on his face. "Who's been snogging?" He glanced around, then turned back to us.

"I bet it's Amit and Poppy," I replied quickly, before Ominis could utter a too suspicious 'no one' (not that wasn't untrue, unfortunately.) Sebastian just shrugged, launching into a spirited monologue about Amit's non-existent bravery and how Poppy would likely be the one calling the shots if they got together, all while inspecting the shop's condition.

"It's not in such bad shape," he concluded.

Of course not, I thought to myself. I had spent the morning using reparo charms to fix up the place; it had been in a sorry state. I was still picking cobwebs from my hair. Now, with most of the old furniture back in place and the larger cracks in the walls patched up, the shop looked presentable enough.

I forewarned them that the root of our problem lay in the back room, still cluttered with various items, but the large chest hidden in the right corner held our sought-after prize.

"The former owner claimed the hat was in there," I declared.

"And it wasn't?" Ominis asked.

"Check it for yourself." I lifted the lid of the chest, and as it opened, a magical ladder appeared, its rungs vanishing into the depths. Ominis illuminated the abyss with his red-glowing wand, surveying the mysterious passage.

"Wow, did you catch a glimpse of what lies down there?" Sebastian exclaimed, eager to explore.

I shook my head, though far from being a timid girl, I sensed an eerie air lingering in the cellar's depths.

"I thought we could explore together," I suggested, my voice trailing off as I peered into the darkness.

"Great," Ominis replied, his tone implying he felt quite the opposite.