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Mattheo Riddle

Hearing footsteps behind him, Matteo flinched and turned around. Since he had been there for a while already, his eyes had adjusted enough to recognize Rain in the dim light, while she was still trying to adapt after the torches in the hallway.

For a brief moment, something flickered in his eyes before he looked away, turning his face to the wind.

“What are you doing here again, Wilde?” he said in a detached tone — the kind that made Rain want to grab him and shake him until every last bit of arrogance fell away. She already regretted coming here — again — but now that she was here and had nothing left to lose...

Rain stepped forward, closing the distance between them until only a few steps remained.

“I came to talk,” she said firmly, staring at him.

“We’ve got nothing to talk about,” he scoffed, turning to face her and looking down from above. His eyes narrowed slightly as he studied her face in the dim light.

“I’m tired of your constant rudeness,” Rain spat out, trying to keep her temper. “Why the hell do you always act like this?”

“Oh, you’re tired? How sweet,” Riddle hissed sarcastically. “Then why don’t you just leave me the hell alone?”

“Because I want to understand why you do what you do!” Their voices were gradually rising, their eyes locked in a fierce stare.

“Why I do what?!”

“Why you help me one moment, then act like a complete asshole the next!” Rain almost yelled. Her hands were clenched into fists, and she had no idea why she was even bothering to get through to him.

“Maybe because you’re trying to find meaning where there is none?!” Matteo growled, stepping toward her with a threatening look. He gripped his wand tightly as he moved even closer. “Stop searching for hidden meaning in everything I do!” There was a dangerous spark in his eyes, but Rain’s instincts for self-preservation apparently shut down in moments like this. She was like a moth flying straight into the flame. “What do you expect from me? To smile at you sweetly like Nott and pretend to be friends? I’m Riddle, for fuck’s sake! I’m the son of Voldemort! Whether you want to admit it or not!” His breathing became heavier as he barked the words, raising his voice. “This is who I am. Maybe you don’t like it, but I never asked you to!”

Rain’s breath caught at his words. The smart thing would’ve been to turn on her heel, slam the door, and never — never — speak to this idiot again.

But that’s only if Rain had ever truly been smart.

“Why do you have to be like this?!” she shouted back, frustration boiling over. She felt like stomping her feet at this impossible wall he kept building between them.

“DIDN’T I TELL YOU TO BACK OFF?! JUST FUCKING STAY AWAY FROM ME!” he shouted, raising his wand in her direction. His jaw was clenched tight as he glared at her, breathing hard through his nose.

“OR WHAT? WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO?!” she screamed back, her voice cracking with the same raw desperation. “CURSE ME? THEN GO AHEAD!” Rain took a step toward him, fearless. “Go on, Riddle. Use the Cruciatus! Prove how much you want to be like your father!” She tilted her chin defiantly, lowering her voice to a dangerous whisper. “Show me what you’re really made of.” Her hand reached for his, guiding the wand until its tip pressed against her neck. “Come on. No one will know. Prove you’re the villain everyone thinks you are.”

Matteo flinched when her hand touched his. His pupils dilated as the meaning of her words sank in.

For a few long seconds, they stood frozen, locked in each other’s gaze. Time seemed to stop — only the wind howled indifferently around them, ruffling their hair, uncaring of all the words they’d screamed at each other.

Finally, Matteo let out a heavy, almost pained breath. He suddenly lowered the wand and stepped away, turning his back to her. His head bowed, and he ran a hand through his hair, trying to tame the mess the wind had made.

“You don’t understand,” he whispered, almost in despair, still not facing her. “I can’t. It’s all too fucking dangerous. Even just being near me is dangerous.”

Rain felt like her heart dropped off the edge of the Astronomy Tower and slammed into her ribs from the inside. Her breath caught, and all the anger and frustration she’d felt vanished in an instant — as if they’d never existed.

She took a cautious step toward him, barely breathing, and finally he turned to face her. What she saw in his eyes shattered her completely.

He stood there, stripped bare for the first time. No mask.

Rain didn’t dare move too quickly, afraid to scare him off — as if he were a wounded animal that could lash out at any second.

Her eyes stayed on his as she slowly reached out. Her heart skipped a beat when her fingers brushed his cheek. He exhaled sharply, but his gaze never left hers.

She took another small step, cupping his other cheek with her hand. Matteo didn’t move. His lips parted slightly, as if something wanted to be said, but he stayed silent.

“Let us decide for ourselves…” Rain whispered, feeling the tension still radiating from him. “We don’t have to keep fighting. We don’t have to keep hurting each other.” Another gentle step forward. “No one’s going to get hurt if we just let ourselves be normal school friends.” Her hands slid down to his neck as she rose on her toes to hug him. “I promise, I won’t get hurt. Just one more school friend. Like Vi or Blaise.”

He stood frozen in her arms like a statue.

She could’ve sworn he held his breath. For a second, she feared he’d snap out of it and push her away — but instead, he let out a soft, shaky breath, and his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her tightly to him as he buried his face in the curve of her neck, breathing her in deeply.

Rain’s breath caught from the overwhelming feeling that rushed into her chest, making it hard to breathe. Something inside her cracked open, and a strange warmth surged through her.

She closed her eyes, trying to slow her heartbeat.

It was nothing like hugging Theo. There was something hot, consuming in the way Matteo held her. The way his breath fanned against her neck, his curls tickled her skin, the scent of his cologne and smoke filled her lungs, wrapping around her like warmth against the bitter wind.

Her head spun from the way he clung to her — like she was a lifeline, and he was drowning.

Maybe… maybe he was.

Rain felt the tension begin to leave his body, his arms slowly relaxing as if finally surrendering.

They stood like that for a long while, embracing each other at the top of the Astronomy Tower, while the cold autumn wind swirled around them.

“Just school friends?” Matteo finally whispered, still holding her tightly.

“Yeah… just friends,” she replied, tasting a strange bitterness on her tongue — but she pushed it aside. The words didn’t matter. They had buried the hatchet. That was the real victory tonight.

“Should we do some sort of friendship ritual?” Matteo asked with a small laugh when they finally pulled apart. Rain felt a pang of loss without his warmth next to her.

“Pinky swear, maybe?” she grinned, holding out her hand with a raised pinky.

“Pinky swear?” Matteo raised an eyebrow, barely suppressing a laugh. The shift in his mood made something light up inside Rain — something that made her want to grin like an idiot.

“Oh, come on. It’s simple.” Rain grabbed his wrist gently — he flinched slightly, still unused to touch — and folded his fingers into a fist, leaving the pinky out. She hooked it with her own, and Matteo watched with amused eyes.

“So, I solemnly swear to be your friend from this moment on,” she said, meeting his gaze.

“Am I supposed to repeat that?” he teased, but quickly raised his free hand in surrender when Rain gave him a mock glare. “All right, all right. I solemnly swear… to be your… friend,” he finished, the last word quieter than the rest. He looked up at her from beneath his lashes, smiling slightly, as if to check if he’d done it right.

“You did good,” Rain chuckled, releasing his pinky.

“Not completely hopeless then?” he tilted his head, flashing a cheeky grin — the kind that made Rain want to do something reckless, like ruffle his hair or kiss the tip of his nose. But she held back.

“We’ll see,” she replied, leaning against the railing with a satisfied smile as the night wind kissed her face.

Well... hey there

I’ve recently translated a few chapters of my fanfic into English and uploaded them on AO3! It’s a story featuring Matteo Riddle — woven into the canon events of Half-Blood Prince. The timeline and world stay true to Book 6, but with some original twists, added depth, and of course... a certain dark-haired Slytherin who didn’t exist in the original.

If this little excerpt piques your interest, feel free to follow the link and dive into the translated part of the story — I’d love to hear what you think 💚

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Should I say anything here?

That's so sweet🥰

In case anyone didn't know, you can get this post by having Sylus' card from this multi-banner, a wedding dress, and a red crystal background for this event. And, of course, the pose where our cute dragon kneels down.

It's actually so cute. And I like Sylus' response to Kieran's comment. Of course, it had to happen sooner or later. 💖🐉

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He sat motionless, fingers wrapped around a glass of whiskey, the ice inside nearly melted.

One name kept spinning in his head like a broken record.

Jane Briar.

His new partner.

The irony was almost cruel.

Jane — the girl he grew up with.

Jane — the one he loved, hated, tried to forget… and never could.

She had lived under his skin all this time. In every silent dream, in every breath.

He missed her so much it hurt.

And he was furious —

For leaving.

For not staying.

For choosing her gift over him.

And now she was back.

Here. Real.

As if none of it ever happened.

He had no idea what to say.

How to look into her eyes and not give himself away.

How to hold back the storm clawing its way up his throat — the joy, the rage, the longing, the fear.

He was happy. He was furious.

And completely, hopelessly lost.

How do you breathe when the past comes back — so vividly alive?

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I just want to run away with him in this dress.

This dragon has finally found his treasure, he's so gentle 🥺🥺

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Just look how in love he is...🥺🥺🥺💔💔💔

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Just watched K-pop Demon Hunters and I’m OBSESSED — of course I had to draw them too. Count me in the fanartist squad 🔥🖤

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He wasn’t jealous. Just not used to sharing what once felt like his.

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Jack Nightwood. Wip✏️

Jack always stands just a little closer to her than he should.

A little closer than the rules — or common sense — would allow.

They never talk about feelings.

But the moment she speaks, he listens like the rest of the world goes silent.

He’s always serious.

Except when he looks at her. Then something shifts in his eyes — something he’ll never dare to name.

She smiles at others.

But he smiles at her — that rare, barely-there kind of smile she always catches, as if by instinct.

They pretend there’s nothing between them but work.

But when she’s near, he forgets to be careful.

And she forgets to be afraid.

He doesn’t wear charms or wards.

Except for her name — which seems to linger on his tongue, even when he never says it out loud.

She tells everyone he’s stubborn and closed off.

And only she knows that behind his silence live a thousand words, all meant for her.

They’ll never confess.

Because they both know: once it’s said out loud, it will be too real.

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Stabilizers. Blue lights scattered across the city like threads holding the world together.

They don’t save us. They only buy us time.”

Excerpt from Jane Brier’s notes, Katoptrium: Heart of rift.

🎥 Animated illustration.

More lore and glimpses into Katoptrium’s world soon.

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Have you ever thought that maybe those creatures aren’t actually evil?”

Jane squinted toward the old house they had just cleared — monsters dealt with, the rift sealed.

“Like… what if they’re just scared of us? And maybe they have social anxiety or something?”

Jack slowly turned his head toward her. Paused. Tilted his head slightly, trying to figure out if she was being serious.

“It tried to swallow me whole, Jane. With fangs. And foam. And screaming.”

“Well… maybe that was a cry for help?”

“Pretty sure help doesn’t usually start with trying to bite off someone’s leg.”

When Jane is an empath, and Jack’s just… a realist.

(Or maybe he just doesn’t want to get eaten.)😅😅

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Jack Nightwood — a man of few words, but he always hears when someone calls for help.

He can’t cook, doesn’t believe in magic crystals, and double-checks under the table—for traps, just in case.

He works as a protector for the Agency, though he could’ve lived in a penthouse, sipping wine from crystal glasses.

Instead, he chose weapons, combat gear, and black coffee.

He chose to stand with those who can’t stand on their own.

Maybe once his reasons were more selfish.

But he’d never say it. Not out loud.

He always carries:

• a revolver loaded with enchanted bullets

• a notebook full of thoughts no one gets to read

• a pendant whose meaning only he knows

(and maybe, someday—she will too.)

Jack doesn’t talk about himself.

But he’ll always have your back.

As long as your light burns—

he’ll walk beside you.

Silently.

With a steady hand

and a shadow inside.

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It was just a splash, Jack. Don’t be so dramatic.

You look just as handsome as you did when you were dry.”

“I look like I’m running out of patience.

A little break from the usual dark rifts and shadowy realms…

Here’s a fun Mermay piece featuring my original characters Jane and Jack —

because even magical agents need bath time (and chaos) sometimes.

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Did you see that? 🥹🥹🥹🥹 he damn sure looked at her lips.

Someday I'll stop to revisit this moment over and over again, but not today.

Wrap this man up for me, please.

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Rifts appear where the fabric of reality grows too thin.

And then the Mirror World draws closer—

so close, you can no longer trust your reflection.

“Katoptrium: Heart of the Rift” — stories from a world where reflections twist the truth,

and boundaries crack under the weight of magic and pain.

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Я тут постепенно хочу воплощать в реальность свой графический роман и все его сопровождающие вещи, поэтому буду постепенно делиться тем что есть)

И сегодня первое знакомство с одним из главных персонажей🥰

Знакомьтесь, Джейн Брайер)

Это Джейн Брайер — маг, которая верит, что даже самые мрачные дни можно осветить чашкой хорошего чая, искренней заботой и капелькой магии.

Она умеет закрывать порталы в Зеркальный Мир… но при этом может забыть, куда положила свою любимую баночку с чаем «Для тех, кто не выспался, но старается».

У Джейн есть подвеска, которая светится, когда рядом происходит что-то потустороннее.

А ещё — целый арсенал милых привычек:

— она оставляет стикеры с напоминаниями… себе и другим,

— коллекционирует кристаллы, потому что каждый «настраивает на нужную волну»,

— и почти всегда найдёт повод зажечь свечу, особенно если рядом кто-то нервничает (да, Джек — это про тебя).

Она — свет в команде. Но не наивный. Упрямый, искренний, чуть рассеянный и по-настоящему сильный.

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И… я должна сказать, что это моя новая любимая карточка. И вы видели? Он сказал ей что может быть ее притягивает его мир с драконами, потому что ей кажется это знакомым.

А еще я рада, что это был не сон. И наконец-то они смогли вдоволь поваляться в цветах. И два поцелуя за раз - это просто 🙂‍↕️🫠🫠🫠

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Итак, у меня есть несколько моментов с нового ивента к ДР Сайлуса с которых я пищала как котенок 🥹 Они такие милые, это не слезы, просто дракон попал в глаза.

И да, я получила эту карточку и снова кричу от восторга🥹🫠