Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]
Chapter 137 137: It's a strange world

Seraphina's POV

The moment Electra's words registered in my head, I felt the world around me blur. My mind tried to process what she'd just confessed, but I kept coming up blank.

My heart ached, my stomach churned, and I felt my hands clench involuntarily. Never in a million years would I have expected Electra to say something so... devastating, and the way she said it, as if she were discussing the weather—it shook me to my core.

I didn't know how to react. What do you say to someone who casually tells you that their mother, a literal queen, sexually assaulted them?

My throat felt tight, and I could barely breathe.

She wasn't looking at me anymore. Instead, she had turned slightly away, her arms crossed defensively over her chest, her face blank but her body language screaming discomfort. She was trying to mask it, but I could see the slight tremble in her shoulders, the way her fingers dug into her arms like she was holding herself together by sheer force of will.

Clearing my throat softly, I hesitated before asking, "Do you want to... talk about it?" My voice was quiet, careful, as though I were trying not to startle her.

Electra immediately shook her head, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "No," she said curtly. "I've already said more than I should have."

I nodded slowly, though her response didn't surprise me. Of course she didn't want to talk about it. Why would she? But the way she dismissed it, like it was nothing—like she was nothing—made my chest tighten painfully.

It was a strange feeling, but I hated seeing her like this, this vulnerable, yet so adamant about pretending she wasn't.

"Okay," I replied gently. "I won't push."

Her gaze flickered toward me briefly, her eyes hard and wary, as if she were trying to gauge whether I was lying. When she seemed satisfied that I meant it, she relaxed slightly.

She forced a small smile, but her exhaustion was evident. "Thanks for not pushing," she said quietly, her voice soft but tinged with a weariness I hadn't fully noticed until now. "I think that was already more than I've said to anyone about… that. Ever."

I nodded, trying to keep my expression neutral. "Of course. Thank you for telling me," I said, keeping my tone calm.

She offered a faint nod, seemingly relieved by my response. "I'm going to head back to my room," she said, brushing a hand through her hair and straightening slightly. "I need to see if this loop is done messing with me. Maybe what I told you was enough to end it."

I felt a pang of concern at the thought of her leaving, but I didn't want to push her. "If the loop stops," I began hesitantly, "are you still going to come back here? To talk?"

Electra's lips quirked into a wry smile. "Do I really have a choice?" she asked, half-joking but half-serious. "Clearly, whoever—or whatever—is pulling the strings in this twisted world wants us to figure something out. I doubt they'll just let us go without more… discoveries."

I nodded, even though her words unsettled me. "Yeah, you're probably right. It's all so… strange. None of it makes sense."

She sighed, leaning against the doorframe. "Strange doesn't even begin to cover it, and we still haven't even talked about the whole Hunter Vale situation."

The mention of Hunter made my stomach tighten. "Right," I said, the word coming out as more of a breath than a statement. "The mysterious older brother you never knew existed."

Electra rolled her eyes and let out a frustrated breath. "I didn't even want to think about that earlier," she admitted. "Because seriously, what the hell? I was an only child. Always have been. Where did he come from?"

I shrugged helplessly. "I wish I had an answer, but I'm as clueless as you are. It doesn't just stop at Hunter either, does it? There's so much about this world that's off."

Electra gave a bitter laugh. "Off is an understatement. Between the switch, Hunter, and whatever weird cosmic entity decided to lock me in a damn time loop, I don't even know where to begin."

I sighed, rubbing my temples. "If the loop really does stop, maybe we can start piecing things together," I offered. "Together, I mean."

Electra blinked at me, as if caught off guard by my words, but she didn't argue. "Yeah," she said finally. "Maybe."

She stood there for a moment longer, then pushed off the doorframe. "Anyway," she muttered, "I should go. If the loop isn't done, I'll probably end up back here again soon enough."

"Right," I said softly. "Good luck. I hope it's over."

She glanced back at me, her expression unreadable. "Thanks," she said, then opened the door and disappeared into the hallway, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

As soon as Electra shut the door behind her, I took a deep breath, wondering what next to do, but before I could even gather my thoughts, the air in the room shifted.

It was subtle at first—a faint change in pressure, like the room was holding its breath—and then the voice came.

"Are you satisfied?" it asked, low and mocking, echoing as if it came from every corner of the room.

My blood turned cold, and my body froze in place. It was the same voice I'd heard before, the same one that led me to this point.

"First of all, good to hear from you again, mystery being, or whatever the hell you are. And secondly, what the hell are you talking about?" I asked sharply, though my voice betrayed the unease that I couldn't suppress.

My eyes darted around the room instinctively, even though I already knew I wouldn't find the source. This voice had no physical form.

The voice laughed—a grating, maniacal sound that sent a shiver down my spine. "Come now, Seraphina. Don't play coy with me. Are you satisfied with the number of times you've sent poor Electra back to repeat her morning? Did it amuse you?"

My brows furrowed, my heart pounded in my chest, and I could feel my confusion turning into annoyance. "What are you talking about, you faceless bastard? I didn't send her back to do anything. How could I have even done that?" I snapped.

"Are you sure you didn't?" the voice countered smoothly, its tone dripping with mockery. "Or are you too blind to see just how deeply tied you are to that girl's fate in this world that you created?"