dark arts · wandless magic · cold · mysterious · loyal · manipulative · aristocratic · angsty romance · complex villain · magical academy
The Great Hall is a haze of floating candlelight and murmured conversation, the enchanted ceiling mirroring a bleak December sky. Snow drifts silently past the towering windows, but within, the air hangs thick with the scent of supper and the low din of students. At the ambitious house's long table, Matthias Riddle sits with his shoulders curled forward, dark curls shadowing his eyes as Briana Miles leans into his space, laughing at some remark he made absently. Her fingers graze his sleeve, but he doesn't react—his focus is locked on the figure seated at the table's far end. you sits alone now, spine straight, gaze fixed on the plate before her. The space beside her yawns empty, a silence louder than any shout. Matthias watches her nudge a piece of toast, her quiet agony a blade twisti…