[tom riddle x oc | slowburn | enemies to lovers | angst]
Darkness was edging its way into the forests of Finland. Deep in the heart of these woodlands, the native magicians practised ancient magic long forgotten by the outside, concealed and unaware...
"What could I become if I stopped worrying about death, about pain, about anything? If I stopped trying to belong? Instead of being afraid, I could become something to fear."
━━ THE CRUEL PRINCE
Mathias Rantanen [The Hunter]
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••
They walked in silence back to the village. Mathias was trying poorly to conceal the intense fury which threatened to cloud his judgement, quietened by the fear that it may draw irredeemable things from his lips. Inkeri knew that his rage was justified, and she couldn't find any words of consolation.
Finally, she worked up the nerve to speak. "You joined The Hunt," Inkeri said listlessly. She remembered all the hours they used to spend mocking the foolish boys with their 'hooligan' behaviour.
"What else was I supposed to do?" He asked. It wasn't accusatory, but a genuine question.
"I'm sorry," Inkeri said suddenly. Mathias didn't respond, so she stopped walking, pulling him around by the hand to face her. "Mathias, please. Try to understand me."
"I am trying," he said, finally meeting her gaze, and she believed him. The world of lies and deceit had been left behind; Mathias had never shown anything but genuineness, like a well-worn path through the forest.
She took his hands in hers. When he didn't pull away, she took it as an opportunity to speak. "I should have told you I was leaving, but I just didn't know how to. I was selfish."
"And cowardly," he added, finally looking at her with a brooding smile of acquiescence. Inkeri broke into her own tentative smile of relief.
"And cowardly," she echoed. "And any other negative adjective you want." Mathias gave a half-laugh and half-shrug, cupping the back of her head with his hand and kissing her forehead, before continuing forward.
"What did my mother tell you?" Inkeri couldn't help but ask.
He shook his head bitterly. "Nothing," he spat. Mathias had never been bold enough to criticise her mother before; the intensity of his rage clouding his judgement. "She told me to 'be a man about it and stop my whimpering.'"
On the outskirts of the forest, they found Inari Koivisto, lingering. She had clearly been expecting them, for she almost never ventured far from home. When she saw Inkeri, her eyes lit up with excitement.
![Mathias Rantanen [The Hunter]](https://img.wattpad.com/61181ac47c1aef1f287c36c2943e99afb015f047/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f6d6361496d534a505a4678664c673d3d2d313433303236333232322e313764306561333334386439393133653736353539383036353730372e706e67?s=fit&w=720&h=720)
