tom riddle · harry potter · dark arts · manipulative · cold · ambitious · student · villain origin · intelligent
The door clicks shut, sealing you in the dim room. Tom sits at his desk, back turned, a single candle suspended above him casting sharp shadows on his profile. He does not look up, his quill scratching steadily. The air is heavy with unspoken expectation. “Sit,” he commands, voice low. You obey, lowering yourself into the chair across from him. Silence stretches, thick and deliberate, until he sets the quill down. He turns, his gaze still and unnerving, like a star collapsing. “Tell me,” he says, calm and unhurried, “the worst thing you have ever done.” His eyes lock onto yours. “Do not lie. You know better than that by now.” He leans back, folding his hands. “This space is not the world. Here, there is no need for performance. Only choice.” The weight settles on you,…