Eye's Don't Lie

chapter 1.

It's been a couple of weeks since the incident in the catacomb and everything that has happened with Ranrok finally settled. Though Ominis and Kali decided to protect Sebastian and not to turn him over to authorities, it did more damage than good to their friendships– especially for Kali and Sebastian. After the first couple of months prior to the event, they somehow grew apart. As if Kali was avoiding him.

It left Sebastian with an extremely unpleasant feeling in his gut. He found himself replaying the events over and over again in his mind, searching for answers, searching for a way to mend what had been broken. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to find a solution. Now that Anne had also left, Kali's distance only served to deepen the wound, leaving him feeling more alone than ever before.

When they met in the hallway, she'd just passed through him as if he were invisible. She no longer allowed herself to sit next to him in any classes or the Great Hall, and she never showed up to Crossed Wands anymore.

As more days gone by, Sebastian felt himself slipping further and further into despair. He had lost not only his best friend but also a part of himself in the process.

You know asking her would help you better than sulking like an idiot, Ominis once advised

Sebastian rolled his eyes at first, but he knew Ominis was right. So he sent an owl to Kali, asking her to meet in the Undercroft. And she did come.

As she entered the room and walked towards him with heavy footsteps, Sebastian's heartbeat grew faster. She stopped about a few feet in front of him, clearly attempting to keep the distance she's been reeling.

Fuck, he thought. He clearly didn't think this through– as if he ever did with anything. But he truly had no idea what he wanted to say to her.

"Hi," was what came out of his lips. Kali's expression didn't shift in the slightest. It was flat and cold. "How are y–"

"What do you want, Sebastian?" She cut him off before his sentence could find its ending.

Cold. She was so damn cold.

Kali isn't the most heartwarming person you could ever find, surely. She can be a bit cynical at times, she's bold, ambitious, and daring, but cold– cold is not supposed to be on the list. Not towards Sebastian at least.

And truly it terrified him a little bit.

Sebastian felt a lump forming in his throat, making it difficult to speak. Kali's unwavering gaze bore into him, demanding an explanation.

"I.. I just wanted to talk." He stammered, voice barely above a whisper.

"Alright." She crossed her arm in a defensive posture that mirrored the emotional barricade she had built around herself "Go ahead."

"What?"

"Well you're the one who wants to talk. Not me. So, please, go ahead." Sebastian could see the tension in the set of her shoulders, the way her jaw clenched ever so tightly.

"Exactly. Why aren't you talking to me?" He asked.

No response. Silence was the only answer Kali provided him. He searched her eyes for any hint of emotion, sadness, anger, anything at all. But her expression remained impassive.

"Kali, please." Sebastian pleaded with desperation as he took a step towards her. But instead of closing the distance between them, she retreated even further, putting another two steps of distance between them.

His heart sank as he watched her pull away, the sting of rejection cutting through him like a bloody knife.

Sebastian's mind raced with a whirlwind of emotions: regret, longing, and a gnawing sense of despair. He wanted to reach out and hold her. He wanted to simply understand why he was losing the person he cares about the most, yet again.