You fooled me
you played with my mind
but at least
i am grateful of what
you have done to me

PROLOGUE

Darkness can take root in anyone, regardless of who they are. It does not discriminate; if you allow it to take hold, it will stay with you, as an unwelcome guest. You are responsible for it, as darkness does not choose, but you do.

The boy's face hardened as he tightly clutched the book, his white-knuckled grip absorbing every word written on its pages. Perhaps the poem "Hatred" by Wisława Szymborska had influenced him to some degree, but as for darkness, Tom Riddle believed that his darkness was self-made, an auto-generated mechanism that he had possessed for as long as he could remember.

Muggles often wrote poems and prose about moralities that the simple human mind could not fully comprehend. Wizards and witches had a great interest in these sorts of things, as they were, according to the dark-haired boy, the superior race, more insightful and wise than Muggles.

Tom Riddle despised Muggles, yet there he was, with a Muggle book full of poems in his hand, striding down the Hogwarts corridors with a proud, confident gait, as if he owned the whole building. His Slytherin robes, emblazoned with the crest of Salazar Slytherin, were untouched on his tall frame, and he felt at peace, alone in the corridors of Hogwarts. The other students were attending the Slytherin versus Ravenclaw Quidditch match, a game everyone had been waiting for since the start of the year, except for Tom, who wasn't fond of these forms of entertainment. To him, Quidditch was a waste of time.

He heard the faint sound of shoes squeaking on the marble floor and saw a female figure walking down the corridor towards him. She had a puzzled expression on her face as she looked around the castle as if she couldn't believe her eyes. Tom lifted his head to see who the person was that preferred the ambiance of Hogwarts castle to the full of fanatical voices of Quidditch field.

The girl seemed delighted by the sight of Hogwarts, as if it was her first time here, despite the puzzled look on her face, Tom looked at her with a bored expression on his face, trying to recall her name. He noticed her uniform, with a badger on the side, and assumed she was from Hufflepuff. She didn't notice him at first, as she was looking around with wide eyes, but as soon as her eyes met Tom Riddle's, her movement stopped for a second before she resumed ambling in the opposite direction. Tom raised an eyebrow at her and quickened his pace to meet face-to-face with the strange Hufflepuff girl.

He approached her like a snake, ready to strike with venom and harm. The only difference was that Tom Riddle didn't need a sign of danger to protect himself, he was attacking everyone without a second thought.

"Hello," he said, wearing a fake warm smile, stopping and putting his book to the side. "Are you new here?" he asked, and the witch's eyes looked at him deeply, almost enchanting him. What was wrong with this girl?

The witch seemed to ponder a little before answering, trying to maintain her composure. "I thought, Riddle, you knew everyone from Hogwarts," she replied.

The girl's attitude suddenly changed, and Tom could feel his blood boil. He was annoyed by the lack of respect she was giving him. "Actually, I do, but I don't recognize your name. You must have passed unnoticed by me," he responded, taking a quick circle around her frame. "Who are you, anyway?"

"Y/n Greengrass," she replied.

Tom looked at her strangely. The sorting of a Greengrass into Hufflepuff was a strange occurrence, as the most pureblood families were typically sorted into Slytherin, proudly flaunting their uncontaminated bloodlines that spanned centuries. Perhaps this particular girl lacked the necessary attributes to excel in Slytherin.

"Greengrass, I would advise you to watch your tongue," Tom Riddle spoke in a low, threatening tone, and Y/n met his gaze head-on.

Behind those stunning emerald eyes, which many perceived as pure and filled with good intentions, Y/n could see the madness that was often discussed on the internet and in fanfictions about Tom Riddle. His attractiveness exceeded her wildest imagination, but his brilliance was matched by his wickedness.

Filled with a sense of fear, Y/n abruptly woke up from her sleep and was greeted by the irritating sound of the subliminal video she had set on her phone earlier. She closed the YouTube tab and sat up in her bed, bewildered by what had just happened. Her heart raced as if she were in the midst of a marathon, with Tom Marvolo Riddle chasing after her.

Shifting through realities had gained popularity on the internet, and Y/n's curiosity had gotten the better of her. She had decided to try it out, not anticipating that anything significant would occur.

However, she had just encountered Tom Riddle through shifting, and she intended to do it again.

A/N;
I changed the plot a little bit. I really wanna hear what y'all have to say about this. I hope you like it <3