Mattheo had spent years as a boy dreaming of a future free from his family’s darkness. He remembered standing in the shadowed corners of his childhood home, listening to his father speak of power, bloodlines, and loyalty. He was certain that one day, when he was older, he would be able to walk away from it all.

But as the years passed and reality closed in, he learned that walking away wasn’t as simple as he had once believed. And now, even though he had you—someone who made him feel like there was light in the world—he couldn’t escape the life of a Death Eater. No matter how hard he tried, the Dark Mark on his arm burned as a constant reminder of who he really was. And the last thing Mattheo wanted was to drag you into that darkness.

One night, while you are fast asleep, he slips out of bed. He stands there, watching you for a moment, memorizing the way you looked so serene.

Quietly, he leaves a note on your bedside table:

You deserve better than the life I’ll bring you. You deserve happiness, a future that isn’t tied to the darkness that consumes me. I love you, always, but I have to let you go.

He places the note gently beside you, then slips on his mask, pulls up his hood, and makes his way to the door. But just as he is about to leave, he hears your voice.

“So, that’s it? Gone, just like that?”

Mattheo freezes, his hand on the door handle. He turns slowly to see you standing there, your fingers clutching the note he left behind. He removes his mask and makes himself meet your gaze.

“I have to leave, love,” he whispers. “This life... my life... it’s not something I want for you. You deserve so much more than I can give.”

You shake your head. “You can’t just decide for me. You can’t just leave me without a fight.”

Mattheo’s eyes soften as he looks at you. “This is the fight, love. Walking away is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. But if I stay, I’ll destroy us both.”

He takes a step toward you, cupping your face in his hands. “I love you too much to do that to you.”