Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]
Chapter 135 135: A Strange Repeat

Electra's POV

As soon as I stepped out of Seraphina's room, I let out a long, frustrated sigh. My chest felt tight, a mix of irritation and discomfort swirling inside me.

Talking about my past—especially about my mother—wasn't something I planned to do, not with anyone, and definitely not with Seraphina, and the fact that she'd even brought it up again this morning made my skin crawl.

I quickened my pace, heading down the hallway toward my room, hoping to avoid any nosy eyes or curious questions about why I was sneaking out of Seraphina Vale's room so early in the morning. The last thing I needed was more attention.

But, of course, fate had other plans for me.

"Electra!" a voice called from behind, and even before I turned around, I knew who it was.

Yuna. The upbeat, ever-inquisitive Yuna, who had somehow managed to make it her personal mission to stick her nose into every aspect of my life.

I stopped in my tracks, my heart sinking. Of all people to run into at this moment, why did it have to be her?

Taking a slow, calming breath, I turned around, already bracing myself for the barrage of questions she was bound to throw at me, but what I wasn't prepared for was the sight of Yuna walking toward me with another girl by her side—a girl who had a frown etched so deeply into her face that I couldn't help but feel annoyed just looking at her.

Yura.

It took me a moment to remind myself that in this twisted reality, I wasn't supposed to know Yura. I wasn't supposed to know that she was Yuna's twin sister or that she was the girl I had once nearly drowned back when I was Electra Vale.

I forced a neutral expression on my face as they approached. Yuna, as always, was grinning, but Yura's sour expression remained fixed. Her gaze was sharp, almost accusatory, as if she already didn't like me—and, honestly, the feeling was mutual.

There was just something about Yura's face that had always annoyed me, even back in my real life.

"Good morning, Electra!" Yuna greeted me brightly, completely oblivious to the fact that I was in no mood for pleasantries. "What are you doing out here so early?"

I hesitated, searching for an excuse. "Just... getting some air," I said vaguely, hoping that would be enough to satisfy her.

But, of course, it wasn't.

"Really?" Yuna asked, tilting her head curiously. "Because it kind of looked like you were coming out of Seraphina Vale's room. Were you?"

Her tone wasn't accusatory or anything, but my stomach twisted at the implication of her response. I shot her a glare, though it lacked my usual intensity. "What does it matter where I was?" I retorted, my voice sharper than I intended.

Yuna was about to respond, but before she could say a word, Yura would chime in, cutting her off. "Just mind your business, Yuna," she snapped, her tone sharp enough to make even Yuna flinch. "Let's go where we were headed, or I'm leaving without you."

I couldn't help the dry amusement that curled my lips into a smirk. Of course, she's the rude one. Watching Yura, it became crystal clear to me that I had been absolutely right about which twin deserved to be drowned. My choice had been impeccable.

Yuna, clearly flustered, turned back to me with a disappointed look plastered on her face. Her big, doe-like eyes seemed to silently chastise me for being uncooperative. "We'll talk later, Electra," she said in a soft but pointed tone, before allowing Yura to grab her wrist and pull her along.

I stood there for a few seconds, watching them retreat down the hallway. Yuna's retreating figure gave me a strange feeling, but I brushed it off. I wasn't in the mood to deal with her endless questioning or meddling, and I was relieved that she was leaving me alone for now.

With a sigh, I turned on my heel and made my way back to my dorm room. By the time I reached my door, I was already dreading whatever interaction might be waiting for me inside.

Pushing the door open, I was greeted by the sight of one of my roommates, Ashleigh, sitting cross-legged on her bed with a phone in her hand. Her head snapped up as soon as I walked in, and her eyes narrowed at me like a hawk spotting its prey.

"Where were you?" she demanded, her tone accusatory.

I stopped in my tracks, blinking at her in confusion. "Excuse me?" I said, my voice sharp.

Ashleigh rolled her eyes, leaning back against her headboard. "Don't 'excuse me' me. The principal sent someone to look for you last night," she said, crossing her arms. "Apparently, there's some kind of family emergency, and they wanted to find you. We had to lie for you because we had no idea where you were."

I stared at her, my irritation growing. "And what does that have to do with you?" I asked, not bothering to mask my irritation. "Since when do you care about where I am or what I'm doing?"

Ashleigh scoffed, turning her attention back to her phone as if she wasn't fazed by my tone. "I don't care," she said dismissively. "But when we have to cover for you, it becomes our problem. Maybe try not to make it our problem next time."

I clenched my jaw, my fingers curling into fists at my sides. Of all the people in this dorm, Ashleigh was the last person I wanted to deal with right now. Knowing her the way I did, she was always quick to stick her nose where it didn't belong, and her condescending attitude only made it difficult for me not to physically attack her.

"Thanks for the heads up," I said coldly, walking past her toward my bed. "But I don't need a lecture from you."

Ashleigh let out a humorless laugh, shaking her head. "Whatever," she said, her tone dripping with mockery. "Just thought you'd like to know that someone might still be looking for you. You're welcome."

I didn't care if someone was looking for me or not. If it was truly some "family emergency," it had to do with Seraphina Hook's life in Aldoria, and, frankly, that was none of my business.

Sure, I was currently living as Seraphina Hook, but I didn't know anything about her family—nor did I have any desire to. If they had a problem, that was on them, not me.

That's what I told myself, anyway.

So I collapsed on my bed, ignoring the fact that Ashleigh was still glaring at me from across the room. My mind was a mess, and the only thing I wanted was to shut it all down and get some sleep.

If someone was determined to find me, they'd just have to wait until I was good and ready.

It didn't take long for exhaustion to sink its claws into me. With everything that had happened from last night till this morning, I felt drained, both physically and mentally. My eyes grew heavy, and I let myself succumb to the pull of sleep.

I'm not sure how long I slept. Maybe a few hours. Maybe longer, but at some point, a light tap on my shoulder roused me from my sleep. It was gentle, almost like someone was trying not to disturb me but also needed my attention.

Annoyance flared inside me. 'Ashleigh again,' I thought, bracing myself for another round of back and forth I wasn't ready to indulge.

I opened my eyes, ready to snap at her for interrupting me, but the moment my eyes fluttered open, expecting to see the familiar sight of my cramped room and Ashleigh's obnoxiously smug face, my breath caught in my throat.

I wasn't in my room.

Instead, I was staring up at the ceiling of Seraphina's bedroom.

My mind froze, and for a split second, I thought I was still dreaming, but the heavy feeling on my shoulder and the warmth pressed against my side told me otherwise. Slowly, hesitantly, I glanced down and was greeted by the sight of Seraphina curled up against me, her face relaxed in sleep.

"What the hell is going on?" I whispered to myself, my voice barely audible over the sound of my own pounding heart.

This didn't make any sense. I'd gone to bed in my dorm, pissed off at Ashleigh, ready to forget about whatever family emergency had supposedly summoned me. So how had I ended up back here, and more importantly, why was I lying in Seraphina's bed with her clinging to me like some kind of overgrown teddy bear?

Carefully, I tried to shift away from her, but the moment I moved, she stirred, her hand tightening its grip on my shirt. I froze, my breath hitching as I waited to see if she would wake up. Thankfully, she only let out a soft sigh before settling back into her sleep.

'Okay, Electra,' I thought to myself, stay calm. 'There has to be an explanation for this.'

I looked around the room. It was definitely Seraphina's room, no doubt about it, but how I'd gotten here was a mystery. The last thing I remembered was falling asleep in my own bed, fully prepared to ignore the world for the rest of the day.

So how in the name of the gods had I been dragged here somehow? Teleported? Was this some new trick from whoever—or whatever—had switched our lives in the first place? None of it made sense. Nothing made sense.