Paradox | T. Riddle ✔

~•1.6•~

Her pace quickened as she crossed corridor after corridor, knowing full well that he was close behind, following her.

"Eleanor, stop! Wait..."

But she paid no heed as she ran further, finally entering the cold dark dungeons of Malfoy Manor.

Her heart sank realizing it was the final moment, the dungeons were where she was supposed to kill him.

She hoped he hadn't seen her step in, but not long after, the stone door shifted and Tom stepped in.

"Eleanor?"

She had retreated into the shadows, holding her breath and kept as silent as possible. Her fingers had closed around her wand tightly, counting his approaching footsteps.

She was anxious that the second she would say the curse, she would be thrown back to that dreaded day and she had no strength left in her to tolerate everything all over again.

Especially not the torture she had suffered that time, if it repeated, she would not be able to bear it.

"Do you want to play hide and seek, love? Where are you?" His voice echoed in the dark dungeons and she retreated deeper inside, not wanting to face him just yet.

There was a tiny hope that the time loop would break because that once, almost everything had changed in between her and Riddle. But if nothing changed even after she killed him, there would be no hope that she would ever break free from that paradox.

"There you are," he stood right in front of her and she was caught off guard, features paling in anxiety, "why did you run away?"

"I don't want to talk to you."

"But have I ever given you enough liberty for what you want? I want to talk to you, love, and that's it. You're going to talk to me whether you like it or not."

"You're insufferable," she seethed, "and step back. You are not supposed to come any closer."

"And since when did I start taking orders from you?" His voice had an amused lilt to it, "I recall no such agreement between us. But the agreement I do recall clearly is that you belong to me now in return for all the lives I have spared on your request."

An irritated huff escaped her as she gave in, "what do you want to talk about?"

His reply was immediate, "Regulus."

"No..."

His grey eyes took in the change in her demeanor. She turned very defensive upon the mention of that name as if he was someone very important to her and talking about him caused irreparable pain.

"You said I killed him but I recall no such thing. I haven't even known anyone named Regulus," his lips were pursed into a small frown as if recalling each and every victim of his, "no, I don't think I've killed anyone bearing that name."

Not yet, the words resonated in her head and it seemed as if he had read her thoughts again.

"Not yet? Are you a Seer, love?" He joked but then the color from his face as well as the smile faded, "or are you from the future?"

She froze and he knew he had struck upon the right answer as his brow furrowed, indicating he was deeper in thought.

"Who is this Regulus then?" He resumed as if totally not bothered by the fact that he was talking to a woman who had come from the future, instead he was more interested in finding out about the man who ensued such a severe reaction out of Eleanor just by the mere mention of his name.

"None of your business," her jaw was clenched and so was her grip around her wand, it was getting harder by every passing second to hold herself back from saying the killing curse.