The moon hung low in the inky sky, its pale light slicing through the thick fog that clung to the forest floor. Your heart pounded in your chest, the faint sound of voices ahead drawing you closer, though you dreaded what you might find.

Then, you saw him.

Theodore stood at the edge of the gathering, his tall frame cloaked in the unmistakable black robes of the De4th Eaters. The silver mask dangled loosely in his hand, catching the dim light in an almost mocking glint. He hadn’t seen you yet, but you couldn’t hold back any longer.

"Theo!" Your voice cracked, raw with disbelief and betrayal. His head snapped toward you, and for a moment, his face was blank, unreadable. But as you stepped into the clearing, his dark eyes softened with something that looked like regret.

"You promised me!" you shouted, your voice trembling with anger and hurt. "You promised you wouldn't do this!"

Theodore’s jaw tightened, and he finally spoke, his voice low and strained. "I crossed the line..."

You stared at him, your chest heaving as the words sank in. "No, you didn’t just cross the line, Theo. You shattered it. Do you even realize what this means? What you’ve done?”

His gaze dropped to the ground, and for the first time, he looked... vulnerable. "I know what it means," he said. "But I didn’t have a choice."

"There’s always a choice!" you snapped, your voice echoing through the trees. Tears blurred your vision, but you refused to let them fall. "You chose this. You chose them over everything we’ve stood for."

Theodore took a step toward you, his hand half-extended as if to reach for you, but you recoiled, anger surging to the forefront of your pain.

“Don’t,” you said, your voice hard. "You don’t get to explain this away. Not to me. Not after everything."

For a moment, silence fell between you, broken only by the rustling leaves and the distant murmurs of the others in the clearing.

When he finally looked at you, his expression was hollow, haunted. "I’m sorry," he said quietly.