Losing (Tom Riddle X Reader)

▕⃝⃤ 02 | The Challenge

"Are you sure about this, Y/N?" Denis hisses in your ear, his teeth chattering as you and Tom row the boat stolen from the local fisherman to the edge of the lake, where your small hamlet has settled. Waves crash against the cliffs, rocking the boat precariously.

"Yes," you lie, meeting Tom's gaze. He smirks at you, almost knowingly, and you growl back challengingly, your determination fueling your defiance while Amy whispers in the background.

Denis and Amy shriek as the boat docks on the highest cliff with a loud thud that almost upturned the boat.

"We're here," Tom says calmly, getting up to his feet casually and patting down his tunic. "Bishop, Benson!"

"Y-Yes?"

"Stand up!" Tom instructs, and the two obey like well-trained dogs. "Hold each other's hands, and if you value your life... Don't let go." He smirks. "But if you ask me, that will be a kinder fate."

"Stop ordering them around!" you snap while Denis and Amy hold hands, shivering, sweating bullets, like they are about to cry. "And stop scaring them!"

"As you say," Tom shrugs "I'll start showing them rather than telling."

He snaps his fingers and Amy and Denis shriek a they float off the cliff to their deaths and disappear with a pop.  

""What did you do to them!?!?" you scream, your voice cracking with anguish. "Where did they go!? Bring them back!!! Bring them back right now!!!"

"Let go of me!" Tom yells, his voice tinged with panic, as he snaps his fingers. In an instant, you're wrenched away from him, your body flung several steps back. You stumble and regain your footing, glaring at Tom with seething rage.

"What have you done?" you demand, your voice trembling with a mix of fear and defiance. "Where are they?"

Tom's face is flushed with genuine shock and fear as he struggles to regain his composure. "I just... I teleported them into the cave," he stammers, his voice betraying a hint of uncertainty. "Never touch me again, do you hear me?"

As you sashay past Tom, your contempt palpable in every movement, you flip your hair into his face with a disdainful flick. "Not like I want to," you retort, your tone dripping with disdain.

He rolls his eyes, hastily covering his blush before following you into the cave. This is your first challenge: getting to the cave. Both of you must scale a cliff as tall as a skyscraper, its sides jagged and treacherous. If you fall, you'll plummet into the icy waves crashing against the sharp rocks below. You gulp, steeling yourself for the perilous journey ahead.

Closing your eyes, you tremble, focusing on your breath. Inhaling deeply, you steady your nerves, feeling the cool air fill your lungs. With a determined exhale, you blow the air out forcefully.

As you hurtle towards the crashing waves, panic grips you like a vice. Desperately, you try to snap your fingers again, but your trembling hands refuse to cooperate. The familiar sound that once heralded your magic remains elusive, lost amidst the chaos of your racing thoughts.

Frantically, you attempt to regain control of your mind, to summon the focus needed to perform even the simplest of spells. But the more you struggle, the further you spiral into disarray, your thoughts a jumbled mess of fear and confusion.

In the midst of your turmoil, a realization dawns upon you: the true issue lies not in the failure of your snapping fingers, but in the chaos within your own mind. The determination that once fueled your magic has been overshadowed by fear and doubt, leaving you powerless in the face of impending danger.

As the realization of your impending doom settles over you, you shut your eyes tightly, bracing for the inevitable impact of the waves below. Was it worth it, challenging Tom like this? Was the risk worth the reward?