Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]
Chapter 161 161: Protective Instinct

Electra's POV

The moment Seraphina mentioned going to a party earlier, I couldn't shake off the unease that followed. She might have tried to act casual about it, but I knew for a fact she had never been to a party before—certainly not the kind that Elysium Girls High was infamous for.

The parties here weren't the glamorous events she might have seen in movies. They were chaotic, wild, and often unpredictable. Drinks were frequently spiked, people did reckless things under the influence, and secrets had a way of spilling out into the open.

Seraphina didn't know any of this. She was stepping into something she wasn't ready for, and the thought of her dealing with it alone, even though she would technically be with my friends, still made my stomach twist since they didn't know she wasn't who they thought she was.

Sure, she was doing her best to blend into my life—to act like she was the hardened, confident version of me—but she wasn't me.

The things she might see or hear at that party could rattle her if she wasn't prepared, and if she ended up reacting without thinking, it would raise questions. Questions she couldn't afford to answer.

I spent most of the evening pacing in my room, my restlessness growing with every passing minute. I didn't want to admit it, but I was worried.

What if she ate or drank something drugged? What if she saw something she couldn't unsee, and it ends up ruining the poor girl's innocence even more than it was already ruined?

Finally, after what felt like hours of overthinking, I made up my mind. I couldn't sit here and do nothing. If Seraphina was going to that party, then I needed to be there too.

My roommates—Ashleigh, Jolene, and Liana—had been running with excitement all evening, laughing like a bunch of maniacs as they tried on different outfits, debating loudly about which one their very boring outfits screamed "party queen" the most.

"Electra, you're coming, right?" Ashleigh asked, twirling in front of the mirror in a dress that literally left little to the imagination. If I weren't so keen on minding my business, I'd have told her to just walk into the party naked instead of wearing whatever it was she had on.

"Yeah, you have to come," Jolene chimed in, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

I glanced at them, considering my response carefully. The last thing I needed was to get roped into their plans. If I was going to that party, it was for one reason only: to keep an eye on Seraphina.

"Nah, I'm not really in the mood," I said casually, pretending to scroll through my phone. "You guys have fun, though."

Ashleigh pouted, but Jolene just shrugged, clearly more interested in finalizing her outfit.

As soon as they turned their attention back to their clothes, I grabbed my jacket and slipped out of the room. I wasn't going alone, though. If I was going to deal with the chaos of that party, I needed backup, and there was only one person I trusted enough to bring along: Yuna.

I headed straight to her dorm, and when I reached her door, I knocked twice and waited. A moment later, Yuna opened the door, her sharp gaze narrowing as she took me in.

She was still in her school uniform, her hair pulled back into her usual loose and messy ponytail, and she looked like she'd spent the evening buried in a book.

"Electra," she said, raising her brows. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

I leaned casually against the doorframe, trying to gauge her mood. "I know this is an odd request, but I need you to come with me to a party tonight."

Her brow arched. "A party?"

"Yes."

She tilted her head, her expression shifting into something unreadable. "Why would I want to go to a party? More importantly, why are you going? You've been acting like you couldn't care less about this school's social scene since you arrived here."

Thinking quickly, I responded. "I heard there's a party happening somewhere on campus," I said, trying to sound casual. "And it just hit me that I haven't been to one in forever, and I figured it's time to blow off some steam."

Yuna narrowed her eyes at me, skeptical as ever. She leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. "Blow off steam, huh? Since when do you get the urge to party on a random night?"

Her questioning was starting to get on my nerves. "Since tonight," I replied, forcing a smile.

"Look, I'm just tired of the same old routine," I said when she didn't respond immediately. "Can't a girl have a little fun without getting interrogated?"

Yuna narrowed her eyes slightly, but before she could press further, I spoke again, "Anyway, are you in or not?"

She tilted her head, clearly not bothered. "Well, it's a good thing you want to have fun, but I wasn't planning on leaving my room tonight."

I sighed internally. Of course, Yuna would make this difficult.

"You should invite Iris instead," she continued, smirking slightly. "She'd probably be thrilled to go."

"Iris?" I said, almost laughing. "She doesn't exactly strike me as the party type."

Yuna's smile faded, replaced by a slight frown. "Oh, so what—you think I'm the party type?"

Here we go. I knew she was baiting me, but I didn't have the patience to play along.

"Are you going to come or not, Yuna?" I asked, my frustration slipping through.

She studied me for a moment, letting the question hang before finally shrugging. "Fine. I'll go."

"But," she added, holding up a finger, "I want Iris to come too."

"What?" I said, my voice rising slightly.

"You heard me," she said, smirking again. "Invite her before deciding she wouldn't like it. Who knows? She might surprise you."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine. I'll check in with Iris, but you'd better start getting ready and maybe fix up your hair while you're at it. You look like you've been fighting with your pillow all day."

Her smirk widened, but she didn't argue. "Don't take too long, then," she said, turning back into her room.