Ambition

Tom returned to the dormitory at sunrise after spending a night alone on the Astronomy Tower. Clutching his textbooks, he headed to class. He had figured it out; he didn't want these things in the first place. He would become the king of this world, and at that point, he could seize anything he desired through sheer strength, even if he still didn't know what "those things" were.

"Hey~ My dear fellow!" Ian ditched his friends as soon as class ended and ran straight to Tom's side. Just as he was about to put his arm around his friend's neck, he saw Tom's cold, indifferent expression and awkwardly withdrew his arm. "Tom... what's wrong?"

With a fake smile, Tom shook his head gently. "Nothing's wrong, I was just thinking about what books to read later..." His smile didn't reach his eyes. Tom closed his eyes to compose himself, and when he opened them again, he had reverted to his friendly, good student persona. "Ian~ Do you want to go to the library with me?"

Scratching his head awkwardly, Ian felt a strange sensation. His good friend seemed to be drifting further away from him. Not knowing how to express it, Ian's lips moved. "Tom, we're friends... right?"

Maintaining his gentle smile, Tom nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Of course, we're friends. Don't you think so?"

Ian breathed a sigh of relief, dramatically patting his chest. He pulled a wrapped snack from his pocket. "Here~ My mom made these. They're really good cookies! You always forget to eat when you're studying, so remember to eat them when you're hungry~ I'll get going now!"

Waving goodbye to Ian, Tom watched his friend disappear into the crowd. The smile vanished from his face instantly. The moment he turned, his wrist flicked, and the snack disappeared. Friends? He didn't need them. Compared to relationships that would inevitably betray him, he would rather have never had them at all.

Standing in the shadows of a corner, Dumbledore watched everything with a grim expression. It seemed he needed to make a decision again. "Tom... you certainly do make things difficult for me."

The following days became bland and uneventful. Tom poured all his energy into his studies, mastering more and more spells. As for those fools clamoring to recognize him as their 'boss,' he accepted them all without hesitation, taking them under his wing.

Looking at the adoring gazes of his peers, Tom felt ambition stir within him for the first time. He wanted to train his own army, just like that German, Grindelwald. With enough strength, he could seize power and trample those nobles underfoot.

"At that time... I won't just be watching from afar..."

Olivia shifted her position with a stern face. She couldn't say she detested her current 'fiancé,' but she certainly didn't like him. She wasn't blind or an idiot. The moment that half-blood brat appeared, Malfoy's body would stiffen. This pretense of mutual affection was utterly boring to her.

"Abraxas, can't you let me enjoy my life in peace? Family arranged marriages don't require love, especially not for me. I will fulfill our agreement, so... can you stay away from me?"

Being rejected again, Abraxas helplessly put a hand to his forehead. Why did everyone, one after another, seem to dislike him so much? "You say that, and it truly hurts me. No matter what, you are my future wife..." Glancing at the furious witch, Abraxas wisely dropped his frivolous expression. "Alright, alright, I won't bother you anymore, my lady..."