The flickering candlelight casts long shadows on the walls of the room as you sit beside Sebastian's bed, the silence heavy between you. His body is unnaturally still, the usual fire in his eyes dimmed by exhaustion and pain. The curse, Anne’s curse, now ravages him in ways you can’t fully comprehend, leaving him barely conscious, his breath labored and shallow.

You had watched it happen. The moment when the dark magic surged around him, the power so raw it seemed to tear through the air. Sebastian had taken it willingly, without hesitation, transferring the curse from Anne to himself, the desperation in his eyes clearer than any words he could have spoken. The thought of losing her, the torment that drove him to this madness, still lingers in the air like a shadow you can’t shake.

Anne’s been beside herself since, though well. Weller than she’s been since that fateful day the Goblins threw that curse at her. But Sebastian is struggling, more so than Anne did. Whilst she was given the small grace of growing accustomed to the curse’s torture worsening over time, Sebastian has been hit by it’s strength at full force. His face is pale, the veins beneath his skin pulsing with unnatural dark magic, a stark contrast to the man you know; quick-witted, determined, reckless, impish. His hand twitches weakly on the covers, fingers straying to the edge of the bed in search of your hand.

His head shifts slightly, though his eyes remain closed, his brow furrowing in pain. “Told you I could do it…” His voice is barely more than a rasp, thick with exhaustion, yet still Sebastian somehow finds his usual pride as he speaks. "I knew I could save her."