Poison Ivy | T. Riddle ✔

[20] Black Dust

Tom had located a far off cottage in the Albanian forest to be their current residence. It was in a remote area with no nearby dwellings for miles around. To him, it was the best place to stay undercover. 

As for Perseus, it seemed as if he had accepted his fate and was simply obliging with Tom on anything he said, the only exception being when he asked him of his knowledge on the Dark Arts.

Riddle was quite agitated at his resilience, he couldn't figure out what to do next that would cause Perseus to give in. So far, everything he had tried had yielded no result whatsoever. It perturbed him how could an apparently fragile person like Perseus Burke exhibit such steadfastness.

But then he was Tom Marvolo Riddle and nothing in the world could stop him from achieving his target. And for now, the target was locked away in Perseus's brain, the key to which he had not discovered yet.

Perplexed at not receiving the information willingly, he knew he had to resort to other means. He would have to use Legilimency on him in hopes of gaining access into the folds of his brain. For him, there was simply no other option left.

Ever since they had come to Albania, Riddle would often leave him in the cottage and track out the wizarding community living there. The native wizardfolk was rumored to be extremely influenced by the Dark Arts, so for him it was a great opportunity to discover other means to his target.

One day when he returned from his routinely expeditions, he seemed to have decided that the time had come for him to break into Perseus's brain once and for all. 

Perseus was sitting on the floor of the bare living room, sketching something on the grey stones with a piece of chalk. As usual he had been feeling rather useless without having anything worthwhile to do or occupy himself in.

Soon as Tom entered and saw him, he went to him and made him stand up to his feet. Perseus was slightly taken aback however Tom continued to push him further until he made him sit down on a chair. Then muttering an incantation, dark ropes flew out of the yew wand which strapped him to the chair tightly.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked, irritated by the sudden chaining up, "you don't have to tie me up to ensure that I stay here."

"I know," Tom replied in a low voice, "but I have to ensure my own safety first."

"So now all of a sudden you're threatened by me," he remarked as if amused, "the great and mighty Tom Riddle is finally concerned for his own safety."

"Oh shut up."

Tom was still slightly dubious whether what he had planned would work or not. At times before when he was still working at Borgin and Burkes, he had once or twice tried to break into his brain but he would be thrown out forcefully before he could reach any of his memory.

He knew that if he was a master in Legilimency, his opponent was quite a practiced Occlumens.

"Can I ask what's going on?" Perseus was eyeing the ropes strapping him to the chair in utter loathing, since it reminded him of the day Renata had died right in front of his eyes.

Tom took a seat himself on a chair opposite him such that they were both facing each other, "you'll see."

He cleared his mind of all thoughts, increasing his concentration for when it came to Legilimency, concentration and intensity were the two most important factors. Grey eyes pierced through blue ones, and he slowly penetrated his way in making sure not to lose eye contact.

He sensed immediately that Riddle was trying to break into his mind, so he did his best to shut him out. But unlike before, he was now much weaker and his emotional and mental state were both quite unstable.