The chamber was cold, its walls breathing shadows, the flicker of torchlight casting dancing specters across the ancient stone.

Tom stood at the center, his gaze burned into you. “You’ve proven yourself to me,” he said. “And now, you shall become what others only dream of—a true servant of my will. My most loyal.”

You couldn’t tear your gaze from him, caught in the pull of his command.

From the shadows, a muffled sound broke the silence. A choked sob.

You turned, your heart clenching. Regulus.

He was kneeling on the cold stone floor, his hands trembling as they gripped the edge of his robes. Tears streaked his face, and his stormy gray eyes were filled with a kind of heartbreak that cut deeper than any blade.

“Don’t,” he whispered, the word barely audible but no less devastating. “Don’t do this to her.”

“Regulus,” Tom drawled, his tone as sharp as the crack of a whip. “Weakness has no place here. Perhaps you’ve forgotten your place.”

“I know my place,” Regulus snapped. “But this—this isn’t loyalty. It’s destruction. You’re destroying her!”

Regulus’s pain was palpable, his words a plea that you could feel in your very soul. But Tom’s presence was unyielding, his power a force you couldn’t ignore.

“Choose, now,” Tom commanded, his voice like ice. “Show me your loyalty—or prove yourself unworthy.”

The moment hung heavy, your breath caught in your throat. You cannot give up now. Tom won't let you. Regulus' broken eyes searched yours, silently begging you to resist.

Your fingers trembled as you reached for the sleeve of your robes, baring your forearm to the flickering light.

“No—please!” Regulus’s voice shattered.

Tom’s smile widened, a cruel satisfaction as he pressed the tip of his wand to your skin. The searing pain was immediate, a fire that etched itself into your flesh and your very soul.

The mark now a permanent brand on your arm.

But as you turned to look at Regulus, his tear-streaked face crumpled with grief, you realized that this victory came at an unbearable cost.