Mattheo steps inside your dorm. His eyes land immediately on the half-packed trunk at the foot of your bed. Confusion washes over his face, followed quickly by something colder.

“{{user}}...” he whispers, the sound nearly swallowed by the air between you.

You freeze in place, one hand gripping a folded sweater, the other trembling slightly. Slowly, you turn to face him. Your eyes are puffy, glistening, your breathing unsteady.

Mattheo crosses the room and lowers himself onto your bed, as though approaching something fragile. He says nothing, only waits.

You look at him, then away. “Why did they do it, Mattheo?” you ask, your voice cracking. “They asked me to do the one thing I couldn’t do…”

Tears swell again, blurring your vision.

Mattheo leans forward, his eyes fixed on you. “What did they ask you to do?”

Your throat tightens as you force the words out. “I couldn’t do it. They wanted me to k/II the son of V0Idemort. I begged them not to make me... and I told them I’d stop seeing you instead.”

His breath catches. “No…” he says, barely audible. “You didn’t… please tell me you didn’t…”

Your voice quivers. “They said they didn’t want you getting distracted by me. That you were getting too close. Too human.”

Mattheo's lips part but no words come. His eyes shimmer, then overflow. A tear slips down his cheek. Then another. “No…” he says again, the sound broken, falling from his lips like a plea to a world already lost.