Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]
Chapter 192 192: Born to Die

Seraphina's POV

I woke up with a jolt, my senses immediately overwhelmed by the same eerie black-and-white space. I was back in the living room of my family's house in Aldoria, and despite how much I hated the color, I couldn't deny that I was happy to be back.

My idea had worked.

Going back to sleep had transported me to the past again, just as I'd hoped. This was my chance to finally figure out what was going on—to hear the conversation between Solara and my mother and hopefully piece together the connection between the past and the disturbing future where Electra was dead.

I turned quickly, a triumphant smile already forming as I prepared to celebrate with Electra. "Electra, I told you—"

My words faltered as I realized the space beside me was empty.

"Electra?" I said, my voice tinged with confusion as I glanced around the room. She wasn't there.

I blinked, my heart sinking slightly as I scanned the living room for any sign of her. There was nothing—nothing at all to suggest she had made it back with me.

A knot of worry tightened in my chest. "Where is she?" I whispered, my voice barely audible.

I stood up, my movements quick and frantic as I searched the room. I even checked behind the furniture, though I knew how ridiculous it was. She wasn't here, and it didn't take long for the sinking realization to hit me: I was alone. Electra hadn't come back with me.

My heart raced as the implications dawned on me. If she wasn't here, did that mean she was still stuck in that other dream? The one where she was dead? The thought of her being trapped there—alone, confused, and undoubtedly furious—made my chest ache.

"Electra," I muttered, clenching my fists in frustration. Knowing her, she was probably losing her mind, pacing and yelling at the universe for its latest injustice.

I wanted to panic, to let the fear and confusion take over, but I forced myself to take a deep breath. Panicking wouldn't help either of us. If anything, it would only waste the precious time I had here.

I needed to focus.

If this dream really was the past, then my priority had to be listening to the conversation between Solara and my mother. Whatever they talked about clearly had to be important, and it could be the key to connecting the past to the future.

It had to be why I keep coming back here, and if I could figure out what that connection was, maybe it would help me get Electra out of wherever she was.

I moved away from the living room and started making my way down to the garden. The first time I was here, my mother had looked tense when the servant mentioned Solara's name, and that tension had to mean something. I needed to know why Solara had come and why her presence had unsettled my mother so much.

As I made my way through the hallway, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched, even though I was sure that no one here could see me.

I stepped into the garden, and my eyes immediately fell on Solara being escorted by a servant toward the gazebo where my mother was.

I stood back, keeping my movements slow even though I knew they wouldn't see or hear me.

The servant stopped a few steps from the gazebo, bowing politely before retreating, leaving Solara and my mother alone.

I moved closer, slipping behind one of the tall hedges to watch. My mother gestured toward the bench beside her. "Please, Solara, take a seat."

Solara shook her head. "There's no need, Aurora. I'm aware I can't stay too long. I wouldn't want to risk getting you into trouble."

My mother scoffed lightly, crossing her arms over her chest. "If you know you shouldn't be here, then why are you?" she asked. "You know how hard it's been for my husband to keep my secret. If anyone finds out that a true-blood Phoenix is in my house, they'll start asking questions—questions that'll put us both in a difficult position. How do you think that will look?"

I froze, my heart skipping a beat. A true-blood Phoenix? Solara was the phoenix? My mind raced as I processed it. I already knew Electra was half-human, half-Phoenix, and now that I knew Jella wasn't her biological mother, it made perfect sense that Solara was where Electra got her Phoenix bloodline.

But how did my mother know Solara, and more importantly, what was this secret of hers that my father was supposedly protecting?

Solara sighed. "I wouldn't have come if it weren't important, Aurora," she said softly. "I wouldn't risk exposing you—or myself—without a good reason."

My mother's posture relaxed slightly, though her expression remained guarded. "Then tell me why you're here," she said. "And make it quick."

"I'm pregnant, Aurora," Solara finally responded, her voice trembling.

I barely stifled a gasp, my eyes darting between the two women. My mother's face froze in shock. Her eyes widened, and she leaned forward slightly, as if trying to ensure she'd heard correctly.

"Please tell me," my mother said, her voice almost pleading, "that whoever you're pregnant for is a Phoenix like you, or some other deity that's not forbidden. Not…" She paused, her lips tightening. "Not some foolish human."

Solara didn't answer right away, and the look on her face said more than words ever could. My mother's hands clenched into fists in her lap, her jaw tightening as anger flashed across her face.

"Solara," she said, her tone filled with barely restrained frustration, "tell me you didn't."

When Solara still didn't respond, my mother stood abruptly, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "What in the world got into you?" she demanded, her voice rising. "How could you get involved with a human? You know what it means for a Phoenix to get involved with a human! You know the consequences!"

Tears welled in Solara's eyes as she looked up at my mother, her voice breaking. "I know," she said softly. "I know I made a mistake. I never should have gotten involved with him, but… it's too late now. I'm pregnant, Aurora, and I'm scared."

From my understanding, Solara was pregnant—with Electra, I assumed, but what I didn't understand was why it was such a big deal that the father was human. And what consequences were they talking about?

My mother stopped pacing and turned to face Solara. "Scared of what?" she asked. "What are you so afraid of, Solara?"

Solara wiped at her tears, her hands trembling. "You know what happens to a demigod hybrid," she said, her voice barely audible. "The baby won't survive, Aurora. It will die before it even has a chance to live, and if it does survive…" She trailed off, her face crumpling as more tears spilled down her cheeks.

My mother's face darkened, her lips pressing into a thin line. She sat back down slowly, her eyes narrowing as she stared at Solara. "Then why?" she asked quietly. "Why did you risk it? Why did you let this happen?"

Solara shook her head, her tears falling freely now. "I didn't mean to," she said, her voice breaking. "I didn't plan any of this. I didn't want this, but it happened, and now… now I don't know what to do. All I know is that I can't lose my child, Aurora. I can't let my baby die."

The desperation in her voice sent a shiver down my spine. I had never seen Solara before this dream, but hearing her now, I could feel the love she already had for the child growing inside her. For Electra.

My mother sighed deeply, rubbing her temples as though trying to process the enormity of the situation. "What do you want me to do, Solara?" she asked finally. "What are you asking of me?"

Solara looked at her, her tear-streaked face filled with desperation. She stepped closer to my mother, her hands trembling as she reached out and took my mother's hands in hers.

"Save my child," she said, her voice cracking with emotion. "Please, Aurora. I'm begging you. Save my child's life. I don't care what it takes or what I have to do. Just don't let my baby die."

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