Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]
Chapter 88 88: Alternate Reality

Electra's Pov

I was livid. No, livid didn't even begin to describe the fury coursing through me right now. Pissed off didn't scratch the surface either. I was downright enraged, frustrated, and—if I dared to admit it—even a little afraid. Nothing made sense. Absolutely nothing.

The driver had dropped me off at Elysium Girls High with the audacity to tell me, me, that I was Electra Hook. Electra Hook?

As if that wasn't absurd enough, he'd gone on to say my father was some Aldorian general named Koran Hook. The name had hit me like a punch to the gut because I recognized it. Koran Hook was supposed to be Seraphina's father, which meant these people thought I was Seraphina.

The realization had only made things worse, and my protests—firm and authoritative as always—had been met with a blank and unimpressed stare.

I told him I was Electra Vale, the heir to the throne of Elmeria, but he'd looked at me as though I'd sprouted a second head. Then, with the kind of indifference that made my blood boil, he'd told me to step out of the car and acted as though I'd gone mad, as though my words weren't even worth entertaining.

Now, here I was, standing outside Principal Astor's office with Hawthorne. To my horror, she, too, had called me Electra Hook. Hawthorne, who'd worked in this school since the day I was brought in, who'd addressed me as "Your Highness" every single time we met, now regarded me as though I was some random Aldorian girl who was new to the kingdom.

It was as if I'd fallen into some twisted alternate reality where I was no longer a princess but Seraphina.

Seraphina. Just the thought of her name made my fists clench. What in the world had she done? Was this her fault? Was it some ridiculous scheme by the gods or whoever the hell was up there to humiliate me? If so, it was working.

I glared at Hawthorne, who looked just as calm and composed as ever. "Tell me again, Hawthorne," I said through gritted teeth, "what exactly do you think my name is?"

Hawthorne blinked at me, her expression betraying nothing. "Electra Hook, of course. From your file, I'm aware that you're the daughter of General Koran Hook, a major general in Aldoria. Is there something wrong, Miss Hook?"

I let out a humorless laugh, the sound sharp and bitter in my ears. "Something wrong? Everything is wrong! My name is Electra Vale. I am the princess of Elmeria, and you're supposed to address me as your highness. How can you stand there and say something so absurd?"

Hawthorne's brow furrowed slightly, her first sign of emotion since this whole ordeal began. "Miss Hook," she said carefully, "I think you may need to see the school nurse once you're done speaking with the principal. You're clearly unwell, and it may be from the jetlag or something more severe."

I stared at her, stunned into silence for the first time in what felt like hours. She actually believed I was losing my mind. The audacity, the nerve—it was enough to make me want to scream.

Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to remain calm. Losing my temper wouldn't fix this—not yet, anyway. "Fine," I said coldly. "Let's get this over with."

Hawthorne nodded, opening the door to Principal Astor's office and gesturing for me to enter. I stepped inside, my jaw clenched so tightly it hurt.

Astor sat behind her desk, her sharp eyes snapping to me the moment I entered.

"Ah, Miss Hook," she said, her tone brisk. "I was expecting you. Please take a seat."

"No thanks," I said, leaning against her desk nonchalantly. "Just tell me what this meeting is actually about, or should I just assume it's another one of those waste-of-time orientations?"

She blinked, clearly taken aback by my tone. "Excuse me?" she said. "Miss Hook, this is an introductory meeting to familiarize you with Elysium Girls High. It's customary—"

I cut her off with a scoff. "Yeah, no thanks. I already know everything there is to know about this school, so save the speech for someone who cares."

Her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, her confusion deepening. "How could you possibly know anything about Elysium? Your father never mentioned you were familiar with the institution."

I groaned audibly, my frustration becoming almost unbearable. "Let's just say I've done my research," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

I clenched my fists, resisting the urge to outright scream. This was a nightmare—one where I wasn't Electra Vale, but some poor imitation named Electra Hook. If I weren't in Astor's office right now, I might have punched myself in the face, hoping to wake up from this madness.

Astor narrowed her eyes, her gaze scrutinizing me like I was some kind of puzzle. "You're... very different from what your father described," she said carefully.

I let out a humorless laugh, meeting her gaze with a smirk. "You'd be surprised, Principal," I responded. "People aren't always what they seem."

Astor's lips thinned, and I could see the wheels in her head turning. For a moment, she looked like she was going to press me further, but then she sighed and gestured toward the door. "You may leave, Miss Hook. My assistant will escort you to your room."

Finally. Without another word, I turned on my heel, eager to get out of her suffocating office, but just as I reached the door, her voice stopped me.

"Electra."

I froze, gritting my teeth as I slowly turned back to face her. She was standing now, her hands clasped in front of her, and a weird smile curved her lips.

"Welcome to Elysium," she said, her tone deceptively sweet, but then her expression darkened, and her next words sent a chill down my spine. "Be careful out there, child. It's a dog-eat-dog world here in Elysium."

I narrowed my eyes at her, my smirk returning to mask the discomfort I felt. "They're nothing compared to me," I responded confidently before walking out and shutting the door firmly behind me.

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