Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]
Chapter 159 159: Distant

Seraphina's POV

I watched as Irina returned to her seat, still clutching her folder like it was a prized possession. She slid on the stool beside me, and she had a strange smile tugging at her lips—one that immediately set me on edge.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

She didn't answer right away. Instead, she leaned back slightly, her expression dripping with mischief. It was the kind of look I've come to realize that she usually reserved for when she was about to drop some kind of gossip or pull a prank.

"Well," she started, drawing out the word, "someone's waiting for you outside."

I blinked, caught off guard. "What are you talking about?"

Irina leaned closer, her voice dropping into a whisper. "I just ran into Electra. She's standing outside our class, looking like she's on some sort of mission. When I asked her what she was doing there, she said she was waiting for you, and apparently, it's something important."

At the mention of Electra's name, my stomach tightened. It had been days since we last spoke, and truthfully, I'd been avoiding her. It wasn't that I didn't want to talk to her—I did.

There was so much we needed to figure out, especially about getting back to our world, but every time I thought about approaching her, Iris would conveniently appear by her side, and the thought of intruding made me hesitate.

I'd convinced myself that if Electra really wanted to talk, she'd come to me. Apparently, she finally had.

"Are you sure she said me?" I asked, skeptical.

Irina rolled her eyes. "No, Seraphina, I hallucinated the entire conversation. Of course, she said you. Who else would she be waiting for?"

"Did she say what she wanted?" I asked, trying to sound indifferent, though my heart was racing.

Irina shook her head. "Nope. Just that it was important."

I sighed, glancing toward the lab door. This wasn't the time for a conversation with Electra, and the way Irina was looking at me—like she was expecting some kind of dramatic reaction—made me hesitate.

"Don't keep her waiting," Irina teased, her grin widening. "She looked pretty determined."

I bit the inside of my cheek, debating my options. A part of me wanted to ignore this altogether, to pretend I hadn't heard Irina's words and go about my day like normal, but another part—the one that knew Electra wouldn't seek me out without a reason—was curious.

"Fine," I muttered, pushing back my stool.

Irina chuckled as I stood, brushing off my lab coat. "Good luck," she called after me, her tone dripping with amusement.

I ignored her and made my way out of the lab, my pulse quickening with each step.

---

The hallway outside my class was awfully quiet, and as soon as I looked ahead, there she was.

Electra stood a few feet from the door, her arms crossed over her chest and her expression unreadable. Her presence felt almost out of place here, like she didn't belong in this part of the school, but then again, I was the one who truly didn't belong here since this was the senior's territory, and I was still a junior.

She turned her head as I approached, her piercing gaze locking on mine, and for a moment, neither of us said anything.

"Did you actually skip class just to come see me?" I finally asked just to put an end to the strange tension.

Electra shrugged, her expression not giving anything away. "You've been avoiding me," she said bluntly.

I blinked, startled by her directness. "I have not—"

"Don't bother denying it," she cut me off. "Every time I try to talk to you, you're suddenly too busy or conveniently surrounded by your friends, and you always make it quite obvious that you're avoiding having a conversation with me."

I crossed my arms, mirroring her stance. I wanted to argue that it was her fault, but I knew that if I argued any further, I'd end up mentioning Iris, and the last thing I needed was for Electra to think I was jealous of her new friend.

"What do you want, Electra?" I asked.

She took a step closer, her eyes narrowing. "I want to know why you've been avoiding me. We're supposed to be figuring out how to get out of this place together, remember? Or have you forgotten that we're stuck in a reality that isn't ours?"

Her words hit a nerve, but I refused to let it show. "I haven't forgotten," I said evenly.

"Really? Because it seems like you're getting pretty comfortable here. Seems like living my life is no longer a burden like you said it was."

I flinched at the accusation, hating how she thought for even a second that I was enjoying living as her just because I didn't speak to her for a few days.

"I've had other things to deal with," I responded defensively.

Electra scoffed. "Like what? Playing leader? Hanging out with all my friends like this is your real life?"

"Just because I didn't speak to you doesn't necessarily mean I've been having the time of my life, Electra. You have no idea what I've been dealing with," I shot back, my voice rising.

"Then tell me," she challenged. "Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you're perfectly content to forget all about the mess we're in."

I opened my mouth to argue, but the words caught in my throat. I knew better than to try and argue with Electra when she was like this—it would only escalate into a fight neither of us had the patience for. So instead, I took a deep breath and chose a different approach.

"If what you want to talk about is finding a way to get back to our lives," I said evenly, "then we should find time to talk tomorrow, okay?"

Electra's frown deepened, her brow furrowing in irritation. "What do you mean we should talk tomorrow? Why not today?" she demanded. "What's so important that you can't talk today once we're both done with our classes for the day?"

"I have a party to attend," I replied, keeping my tone as neutral as possible.

Electra blinked, clearly taken aback. "A party?" she repeated, incredulous. "Are you going back to the palace again?"

"No," I said quickly. "It's not a palace event. It's a party here, in Elysium."

Her confusion didn't fade. "A party here?" she asked, her tone dripping with skepticism.

I sighed, already anticipating her reaction. "You used to be the queen of this school, Electra," I reminded her. "I'm pretty sure you know all about the secret spots where students throw parties. So don't act like this is news to you because I'm sure that it isn't."

For a moment, Electra stared at me, her expression unreadable. Then she let out a long sigh, shaking her head. "Fine," she said reluctantly. "We'll talk tomorrow then, but you'd better not forget, Seraphina. You and I still have a lot that we need to talk about, so remember that."

I nodded, silently relieved that she had let it go—at least for now.

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