The afternoon sun warmed your skin as you sat near the courtyard fountain, leaning back on your hands, laughter spilling from your lips as you chatted with a few friends. It was a picture of ease—on the surface, at least.

But not far off, leaning against a nearby wall, stood Barty & Regulus. Arms crossed. Eyes fixed on you. Their gaze never strayed. Always watching. Like they were waiting. Waiting for you to come to them. Waiting for you to break. Or perhaps… waiting for the perfect moment to make their move.

They weren’t blind. They’d noticed the way your eyes lingered on them lately. The way your curiosity betrayed you when you thought no one was paying attention. There was something about them now—something darker. The shift in their energy this year had been impossible to ignore. You knew why. You knew the truth. They’d taken the Dark Mark. You knew exactly who they served now.

And yet… instead of fear, what you felt was something far more dangerous. Attraction. Fascination. That forbidden allure tugging at your core like a whisper you weren’t supposed to hear. The darkness didn’t repel you. It called to you. It wrapped around your mind like silk, hissing promises in your ear. You tried to ignore it, to drown it out. But it was always there—lurking, waiting, pulling.

As you laughed at something Cassie said, you didn’t miss the way Barty and Regulus straightened, a spark of excitement flashing in their eyes. Hunger. Intent.

“Think she’ll give in soon?” Regulus asked quietly.

“Maybe,” Barty replied, smirking. “But she’s stubborn. Might need a little nudge.”

“She hasn’t turned us in,” Regulus said, lips curling. “And she still hangs around.”

“She’s just fighting it,” Barty added.

At that moment, you looked up—and met their eyes. The way they stared at you made your heart stutter. A chill ran down your spine.

Part of you screamed to stay away. But part of you didn’t want to.

“Hey—are you even listening?” Cassie’s voice broke through, and you turned back, blinking. But their eyes were still on you.