as the world caves in; mattheo riddle

twenty-five

That one cuts. Deep.

My chest tightens, but I stay silent.

"You've gotten inside his head. I don't know how, or why—but I do intend to find out. And if you're a threat to his purpose... I'll have no choice but to complete his task."

I clench my jaw, my stomach twisting with fear.

"Is that what this is? A threat?" I ask, my voice firm.

Tom lets out a low chuckle, the sound sending a chill down my spine.

"No, Amora," he says smoothly. "This is a warning. You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into."

A beat of silence passes like thunder.

Then, his tone shifts—sudden and controlled.

"I'm giving you detention for your tardiness," he continues flatly. "I will see you Friday night in my classroom."

I frown, my lips parting as the protest rises before I can stop the words from spilling out.

"Sir, I can't, there's—"

"It wasn't a request," he cuts in, his voice stern and his eyes hard. "You may go."

Dismissed. Just like that.

~~~

"So, Amora," Blaise says, serving a piece of ham onto his plate. "What the hell was that about in Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

My stomach twists at the mere memory of the interaction as all eyes fall on me. I poke at the mashed potatoes on my plate, trying to keep my expression neutral.

"He just reprimanded me for being late and gave me detention," I reply, shrugging my shoulders.

Pansy scoffs, swirling the contents of her goblet around the glass.

"Thats such bullshit," she adds. "Bet he didn't give his brother detention even though he was also late."

"Guess that's the perks of being related to a psychopath," Theo snickers.

My fingers tighten around my fork as I meet Pansy's gaze from across the table.

"That's not even the worst part," I say, deflecting away from the actual worst parts of that altercation. "The detention is for Friday night."

Pansy lets out a dramatic gasp, slamming her goblet down with a thud, causing a few heads to turn in our direction.

"But that's the night of the Slytherin party!" Pansy exclaims.

I hum, nodding softly as I set my fork down.

"Trust me, he doesn't give a fuck," I frown. "I can still go, I'll just be late."

"Oh it's such a shame Professor Riddle doesn't care about your party schedule," Blaise teases.

I roll my eyes, my lips curling into a playful smile that seems to lighten my mood a bit.

"Shut it, Zabini," I laugh softly.

Theo leans back lazily, a small grin tugging at his lips as he pops a grape into his mouth.

"Did he seem extra weird today? Like intense—or is it just me?" Theo asks.

Draco lets out a quiet laugh, stabbing his fork into a piece of meat without looking up.

"He's always like that," Draco replies. "It's like his entire personality is build around brooding and intimidation."

"Let's just stop talking about the bloke," I say, shaking my head slightly. "I already have to spend more time with him than I'd like."