After politely yet distantly seeing off the platinum-blond aristocrat, Tom collapsed exhausted onto his bed. The intense studying was not only pushing his body to its limits; his mind was utterly worn out as well. "So tired... I want to sleep..." Hugging his pillow, he slowly closed his eyes.
Tom heard screams beside his ears in the darkness, while green light flashed endlessly before his eyes. He hugged himself tightly, cold sweat streaming down his body. Tom abruptly sat up, clutching his collar as he gasped for breath. "What will it take for you to leave me alone?!"
He only wanted... to sleep peacefully for once. Was even such a small wish impossible to fulfill?
"If there is a god, why can't I receive its favor... If there isn't, why do I keep praying... Who can someone rejected by all believe in?"
With a self-mocking smile, Tom rose from the bed with empty eyes. He smoothed the wrinkles from his old robe, gathered his books, and left the cold, silent dormitory. Call it tyranny or arrogance, but as long as he could become the "greatest wizard" and be adored by everyone, perhaps the emptiness inside him would be filled. At the very least... that was how he could become someone people needed.
Tom rearranged his schedule, carving out some of his already scarce energy to visit the Chamber of Secrets on the fifth floor on time and read those damned journals. As an admirer, he wrote to Mr. Scamander, expressing his fascination with Magical Creatures and his great interest in those adventures.
'Dear young Mr. Riddle,
I was delighted to receive your letter. I never expected a Slytherin student to be interested in those beautiful creatures. Don't misunderstand me—I have a very close friend from Slytherin. In fact, the Chamber