(1) Tom Riddle

Tom Riddle had just finished disposing of a body over the edge of a secluded cliff when something unusual caught his attention.

A strange, ethereal light flickered in the distance, far too bright to be a lantern and far too steady to be fire. Curiosity overcame his usual indifference. With one last glance toward the cliff, Tom turned and followed the mysterious glow, making his way through the trees toward its source.

The light eventually led him to a secluded lake.

Moonlight spilled across the water, turning its surface silver and illuminating the surrounding trees. Beneath the branches of an ancient cherry blossom, Tom caught sight of someone in the lake.

A Woman.

She was bathing beneath the moon, her skin shimmering faintly beneath its pale glow. Her presence seemed almost otherworldly, as though she did not truly belong to the mortal world.

Tom’s eyes narrowed.

He had heard the rumors countless times during his years at Hogwarts—the whispered stories of a Goddess of the Lake and Moon who appeared only under the light of a full moon, bathing in the waters beyond the castle grounds.

Most students dismissed the tales as childish superstition.

Tom Riddle did not.

If the stories were true, then killing a goddess might grant him something far greater than ordinary magic. Power beyond anything a wizard could achieve. Perhaps even immortality.

The thought alone was enough to stir his ambition.

Rather than reveal himself immediately, Tom cleared his throat and stepped toward the shore. He leaned casually against a massive stone beneath the cherry blossom tree, his expression calm and unreadable as he watched the mysterious girl swim.

After several moments, he finally spoke.

“Staying here alone is dangerous,” Tom said in his usual cold, unbothered tone. “Especially at midnight, without anyone watching over you.”

The goddess abruptly stopped swimming.

Slowly, she turned toward the shore.

Her eyes met his