Tom Riddle's Time • Tom Marvolo Riddle

11

Vettriana's expression hardened. "Lost? You could have sought me. You could have endeavored. Yet, you forged ahead, constructed a new life, a new family, leaving me to suffer, destined to be an heir of a Malphas."

Abby, her eyes welling with tears, struggled to comprehend the depth of Vettriana's pain. Willow, caught in the crossfire, felt a mix of empathy and confusion.

"Vettriana, I... I cannot alter the past, but I extend an invitation. A place where solitude won't be your companion," Abby implored.

Vettriana's lips curled bitterly. "A place here? In your idyllic family? No, Abby, I seek not your charity. I survived solitary, and thus shall persist."

With that, Vettriana turned away, leaving Abby and Willow behind. The hut's door closed with a heavy creak, sealing the wounds of the past and the present. Abby, burdened by guilt, sank into a chair, while Willow remained standing, torn between familial loyalty and the harsh reality of Vettriana's pain.

Vettriana stormed out of Abby's hut, her emotions in turmoil. The night air felt thick with unresolved tension as she walked away from the place that held both echoes of her past and the bitter taste of abandonment.

Meanwhile, inside the hut, Abby and Willow sat in a heavy silence. The weight of Vettriana's revelation hung in the air, casting a shadow over their small abode.

"I never knew she survived," Abby finally spoke, her voice filled with remorse.

Willow, still grappling with the unexpected turn of events, sighed. "Grandma, what stirred her animosity toward us?"

Abby looked up, her eyes filled with a mix of sadness and determination. "We can't change the past, Willow, yet amends we can endeavor. Vettriana needs time, perhaps one day she'll welcome us in."

Beyond, Vettriana navigated Camelot with determined strides. Conflicting emotions churned within her - anger, sorrow, the sting of rejection. The once-promising town felt transient, a place of fleeting connections.

As she walked, Vettriana noticed the townsfolk casting curious glances her way. Finding her somber figure still makes her beautiful.

Deciding that Camelot held nothing more for her, Vettriana made a silent resolution. She would continue her journey alone, away from the shadows of her past. The road ahead seemed endless, but her steps were resolute. Whatever lay ahead, Vettriana Gaunt would face it on her own terms.

Vettriana wandered through the outskirts of Camelot, the cold night air biting at her skin. The moonlight cast long shadows on the deserted path as she ventured into the unknown. Her thoughts were a tempest, a whirlwind of emotions she struggled to contain.

In the distance, the silhouette of a dense forest caught her eye. Without a clear destination in mind, Vettriana decided to seek solace among the ancient trees. The forest welcomed her with an eerie yet comforting silence, the rustle of leaves and the occasional hoot of an owl serving as the only company.

As she delved deeper into the woods, Vettriana's mind continued to replay the encounter with Abby and Willow. The wounds of the past felt raw and exposed, and the ache of abandonment lingered like a haunting specter.

In a secluded clearing, Vettriana found a fallen tree stump and settled upon it, her eyes gazing up at the star-lit sky. The whispering wind seemed to carry fragments of memories-both painful and cherished.

Lost in contemplation, Vettriana wondered about the choices she had made and the people who had shaped her journey. The weight of her destiny as a Gaunt, burdened with the legacy of darkness, pressed upon her shoulders.