Soulbound : Tom Riddle

18: The Past pt.2

It'd only been two weeks since Victoria's interaction with Tom and the Malfoy Manor, but she'd chosen to move on from it. That was only because Abraxas had forgiven her for changing plans on him during the holidays and the rest of it was well spent.

She was alone by the frozen Black Lake when she heard a rustling noise from behind her. She turned back to see a young man emerging from the bushes.

It was Osgar Salvadore.

"You!" Victoria exclaimed happily. "I remember you from the ball- but you're not a student here."

"No, I'm not," he panted.

She realised that he had cuts all over him and was clutching onto his ribs. She could almost sense his aching when she saw the bruises on him. It was still cold and he wasn't dressed for the weather at all when she ran over to him with worry.

"What happened?" she exclaimed. "Hold on, let me get help-"

"Don't!" Osgar exclaimed. "I just need you- only you can help me. Only you can help us."

"Help who?" she asked worriedly, but he couldn't answer as his eyes faded open and shut.

He fell onto his shoulders as she laid him down with worry, seeing that the cold air was barely being bothered by his breath any longer. She panicked and was going to call for help when she remembered what he said.

Only you can help me.

She took that to heart as she panted, feeling his life melting from her fingers. Her fingers traced his forehead and down to his ribs where it hurt the most. She could feel it as his skin started to stitch itself together as she inaudibly chanted, almost like a song. Between them and the witnessing animals nearby, only the two of them could hear what she was saying.

And when she opened her eyes, she thought it was like a dream. It'd all happened so fast when she heard Osgar breathing. He opened his eyes as if to be shocked and caught the air like a lightning bolt as he sat up.

She helped him as she only had more questions built up in her mind.

"Osgar, who were you talking about?" Victoria asked. "Who needs help?"

"Your people," he said, taking her by surprise. "Come with me."

Some part of her wanted to say no, but the desperate tone in his voice was begging more than demanding. Almost as if he was afraid to order her around. When she didn't answer, he ran into the forest.

"Wait!" she exclaimed before chasing after him.

The cold air hit her like a freezing fire as she followed his footprints in the snow. She later saw him ahead of her and quickly followed. She figured they must have been going far because the run was beginning to set–she could see the purple in the sky.

Just when she caught up to him, he ran into a tree, but his body was absorbed. As if he had run into a barrier. She stopped, breathless from the magic she had just witnessed.

Something about this tree was different from all of them. This one was stronger and she could tell from the roots. They were thick and the bark was tough, turned in a pattern just like how stars had patterns. As if it were a doorway into the unknown.

And that's exactly what it was.

She leapt forward and didn't feel the harshness of the tree bump into her. Instead, she stumbled into a grassy field.

She looked up in amazement at the sight of it all. In the massive village surrounded by a circle of trees, homes were hung from the trees above. The circling trees hung over the village like a roof, leaving an opening for enough lighting of the sun and moon in.