Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]
Chapter 254: Walking Corpse

Chapter 254: Walking Corpse

Seraphina’s POV

I let out another frustrated sigh, feeling stressed out by Yuna’s clear resentment. I was running out of ways to fix this, and with every second that passed, I could feel Yuna slipping further away from me.

"I’m serious, Yuna," I said, my voice low and insistent. "Just tell me exactly what you want me to do. What is it going to take for you to ever forgive me? For things to go back to how they used to be?"

Yuna tilted her head slightly, her piercing green eyes never leaving mine. A small, almost amused smirk tugged at her lips before she spoke.

"If I told you to leave Electra, would you do it?"

Her words hit me like a slap across the face. My breath caught in my throat, and for a moment, I felt like I had completely lost my ability to speak.

I had known—deep down—I had known that this was what she wanted. That this was what it would take for her to forgive me, to even consider rebuilding our friendship. And yet, hearing it spoken out loud, so bluntly, still shook me.

I swallowed hard, my chest tightening painfully.

"Yuna..." I started, my voice barely above a whisper.

She raised an eyebrow, waiting.

I wanted to tell her yes. I wanted to say that I would do anything to fix this, that I would walk away from Electra right now if it meant things would go back to the way they were.

But I couldn’t.

Because even the mere thought of leaving Electra—especially now, when she needed me the most—felt like someone was wrenching my heart out of my chest.

I couldn’t leave her.

I wouldn’t leave her.

I took a slow breath, forcing myself to meet Yuna’s gaze. "How about we come to a compromise?" I suggested carefully.

Her expression didn’t change, but I could see the way her fingers twitched—like she was barely holding herself back from rolling her eyes.

"A compromise?" she repeated flatly.

I nodded. "I get why you hate Electra. I get why you don’t want to be around her, and I swear, I won’t try to force anything between the two of you. You never have to see her, you never have to speak to her—hell, I’ll never even bring her up when we’re together. We can pretend she doesn’t exist. I just... I don’t want to lose you, Yuna. I really don’t want to."

For a second—just a second—I thought she might consider it, but then she let out a bitter scoff, shaking her head.

"You call that a compromise?" she asked, her tone laced with disbelief.

I hesitated. "Yuna, please—"

"No, Seraphina," she cut me off, her voice sharp and unwavering. "That’s not a compromise. That’s you trying to have it both ways. You want to keep her and keep me, but it doesn’t work like that."

I clenched my jaw, my hands trembling at my sides.

"Why does it have to be one or the other?" I demanded, my voice rising slightly. "Why does me being with Electra mean I lose you? Why does it have to be this black and white?"

Yuna let out a humorless laugh.

"Because she is the problem, Seraphina!" she snapped. "She’s always been the problem! You might not see it—maybe you don’t want to see it—but she ruins everything she touches, and if you keep choosing her, then one day, she’s going to ruin you, too."

Her words cut deeper than I expected them to. "That’s not true," I argued, shaking my head. "Electra is—"

"Again, don’t, Seraphina," Yuna interrupted sharply. "Don’t defend her. Not to me."

I exhaled shakily, my stomach twisting.

"Yuna, I love her."

The words left my lips before I could stop them. Yuna visibly stiffened, her entire body going rigid. For a long moment, neither of us spoke. The air between us felt suffocating.

And then, Yuna exhaled softly, shaking her head with something almost like disappointment in her eyes.

"Then I guess we really don’t have anything left to say to each other," she murmured.

I felt my heart drop.

"Yuna—"

"No." Her voice was quiet but firm. "I’m done, Seraphina. I can’t do this anymore. You made your choice. I hope she’s worth it."

I barely had a moment to process what was happening before Yuna turned on her heel, ready to leave the classroom.

"Wait," I said, stepping forward quickly, grabbing her wrist before she could walk out.

She paused, her body tense, but she didn’t pull away. Instead, she turned to face me, her expression unreadable but her eyes burning with something dark.

"What are you planning to do?" I asked, my voice lower now, more cautious. I had known Yuna long enough to recognize that look. This wasn’t just bitterness. It wasn’t just anger. This was something else.

Something worse.

Yuna scoffed, pulling her wrist from my grasp. "Oh, don’t worry, Seraphina," she said, her lips curling into a smirk that sent a shiver down my spine. "I definitely plan on doing something."

A lump formed in my throat. "Yuna, please—"

"The only reason I came back to this wretched school," she continued, "was to finally see Electra suffer like she deserves to. For everything she’s done and for everyone she has hurt. So whether you like it or not, your precious Electra is going to pay."

I clenched my fists, my heart pounding against my ribs.

"Yuna," I said carefully, "I know you hate her, but you know how this will end if you try anything. You of all people should know by now that Electra isn’t someone to be messed with."

She laughed—a loud, sharp, and cold laugh.

"And what’s she going to do, Seraphina?" she taunted, tilting her head mockingly. "Terrorize me? Humiliate me? Oh wait, let me guess—beat me within an inch of my life? Maybe she’ll even try to kill me, like she almost did my sister."

I winced, but Yuna didn’t stop.

"I’ve spent the last month thinking about this. Thinking about her," she spat, her jaw tightening. "And do you know what I realized? That thing you love so much isn’t invincible. She’s not untouchable. She’s just a walking corpse waiting for someone to put her in the ground."

A chill ran down my spine. "What?" I whispered, completely taken aback.

Yuna’s smirk widened, but before I could demand an explanation, she took a step back. "Goodbye, Seraphina," she said simply.

And then, without another word, she turned and walked out of the classroom, leaving me standing there—speechless, shaken, and more afraid than I had ever been before.