The air in the room was thick with magic—so heavy it felt like it might crush you. Every Auror around you stood tense, wands raised and gripped tightly, aimed at the figure in front of you. A dangerous wizard. One who had risen in the years after V0ldem0rt fell—someone you never imagined would take up that mantle.

But you knew him.

You had known him at Hogwarts. You had loved him then. And even now, even after everything, that love hadn’t entirely died. It haunted the edges of your heart, whispering that somewhere beneath the darkness, he might still be the boy you once knew.

Mattheo Riddle.

The new Dark Lord.

He stood now at the center of the chaos, cloaked in shadows and power, leading a new generation of Death Eaters. And among them—former classmates. Once friends. Now strangers in every way that mattered. Theodore Nott. Lorenzo Berkshire. Draco MaIfoy. Blaise Zabini.

Wands drawn. Spells ignited.

Red and green light filled the air, flashes of violent magic sparking against stone walls. The Aurors fought to survive, but you… you knew he wasn’t here for a fight. He was here for you. He had always said he would come back for you.

And now he had.

One by one, your allies fell. Until only you remained, facing the five of them alone. You managed to hit Enzo with a spell—he flew back with a grunt. But then Theo struck, and pain ripped through you as you collapsed to the floor, your wand skidding out of reach.

You gasped, choking on air, groaning as you forced yourself onto your knees. And then—he was there.

Mattheo.

He stepped toward you slowly, the others fanned out behind him like shadows at his back. His piercing brown eyes locked onto yours, and your breath hitched. He still had the same face—the same beautiful face—but it was colder now. Sharper. Dangerous.

He knelt before you and gently lifted your chin between his fingers, forcing your gaze to his.

“I told you I’d come for you,” he murmured, voice low and intimate, sending a shiver down your spine.

His touch was soft, but his words were iron.

“You have always been mine. And you always will be.”

There was a quiet threat in his voice—a dark promise that whatever happened next, he would never let you go.