Electra’s POV

Principal Astor was staring at me like I’d sprouted a second head. Her dark eyes were wide, disbelief etched into every line of her face as she gawked at me from across her desk.

Meanwhile, I sat there, completely unfazed, meeting her incredulous gaze with my own unblinking one. I leaned back slightly in the chair, my arms crossed, the faint ghost of a smirk playing on my lips. If she was hoping to intimidate me, she was going to be sorely disappointed.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she cleared her throat, the sound sharp and disapproving. “Ms. Hook,” she began, her voice low but heavy with restrained anger. “Would you care to explain what in the world got into you? How in the name of the gods did you think it was acceptable to beat up four students with food trays and pour hot food on them?”

I didn’t answer right away, not because I didn’t want to, but because I didn’t exactly have anything to say. There wasn’t much I could say that would make her reaction any better. She wasn’t wrong—it was excessive, especially with who I was now, but I wasn’t sorry. Not one bit.

The memory of the fight was still fresh in my mind, and I could feel the ghost of adrenaline coursing through me. The girls had deserved every second of it. They’d underestimated me, thought they could humiliate me in front of everyone, and I’d shown them exactly how wrong they were.

The sound of the trays connecting to their stupid heads and the sight of their shocked faces after I took someone else’s food and threw it in Blondie’s face—it had been satisfying in a way that was hard to describe.

Astor leaned forward, her hands gripping the edge of the desk as she glared at me. “Electra,” she said sharply, her patience clearly thinning. “Are you going to say something, or are you just going to sit there?”

I shrugged, my smirk growing ever so slightly. “I have nothing to say.”

Her eyes widened in disbelief, and for a moment, she just stared at me like she couldn’t believe her ears. “Nothing to say?” she repeated, her voice rising slightly. “What do you mean you have nothing to say? Are you telling me you have no justification for what you did? None at all?”

I tilted my head, pretending to think about it for a moment before shrugging again. “That’s about right.”

Her face flushed red, and I could see her gripping the edge of the desk even tighter, as though she was physically restraining herself from throwing something at me. “Electra,” she said, her tone deadly quiet, “do you have any idea how serious this is? Those girls are in the infirmary, and you’re sitting here acting like it’s no big deal.”

I raised an eyebrow, finally sitting up a little straighter. “They’ll recover,” I said simply. “It’s not like I killed anyone.”

Astor’s jaw dropped, and for a moment, it looked like she was at a complete loss for words. When she finally spoke again, her voice was trembling with barely contained rage. “If you think for one second that this behavior is acceptable, you are sorely mistaken, Ms. Hook. This atrocity you’ve committed isn’t just about you. Your actions reflect on the reputation of this school, and I will not tolerate such blatant disregard for our rules and standards.”

I said nothing, keeping my expression neutral. She could rant all she wanted; it wasn’t going to change how I felt about what I’d done.

Astor pinched the bridge of her nose, clearly trying to rein in her temper. “Do you have any idea what this could mean for you?” She asked, her voice calmer but no less dangerous. “If you don’t give me a reasonable explanation for your behavior, you’re looking at expulsion, and not just from Elysium Girls High. You’ll be deported back to Aldoria and banned from Elmeria. Do you understand that?”

Deported back to Aldoria.

The idea of being sent back to Aldoria didn’t sit well with me at all because I knew absolutely nothing about that kingdom, and if I got sent back, my life as Electra Hook would become way too real for me to handle.

Still, I wasn’t about to grovel. That wasn’t me.

I let out a slow breath, leaning forward slightly as I locked eyes with Astor. “They pushed me,” I said finally, my voice calm. “I pushed back.”

Astor’s eyes narrowed. “That’s your excuse?”

I shrugged. “It’s not an excuse. It’s the truth. They came at me first, thinking they could bully me, and I just showed them that they couldn’t.”

“That’s not how things work here,” Astor snapped. “If you have an issue with another student, you bring it to the administration. You don’t take matters into your own hands.”

“With all due respect,” I said, my tone bordering on sarcasm, “bringing it to the administration wouldn’t have taught them a lesson.”

Her face darkened, and I could tell she was seconds away from exploding again, but before she could say anything, there was a knock at the door. Astor froze, her glare still fixed on me as she called out, “Come in.”

The door opened, and in walked Seraphina, wearing an unreadable expression on her face.

The moment she appeared, I couldn’t help the smirk that tugged at the corners of my lips. Not that I was surprised she’d shown up—far from it.

There had only been a fifty-fifty chance she’d decide I was entertaining enough to bother lending me her so-called authority, but something about the way she’d regarded me earlier at the dining hall told me she’d show up.

Astor, on the other hand, looked as if the ground had just shifted under her feet. Her confusion was written all over her face as she hastily stood from her desk, dipping her head in a bow.

“Your Highness,” she said, her voice a little too high-pitched, “I… wasn’t expecting you.”

Seraphina gave a small smile, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes but was enough to make Astor’s discomfort grow. “I imagine you weren’t,” she replied smoothly. “But I’m here now.”

Astor blinked, glancing between Seraphina and me as if trying to piece together a puzzle that didn’t make sense. “What brings you to my office, Your Highness?” she asked cautiously. “If I may ask.”

“I’m here to get Electra,” Seraphina said simply, her voice as calm and steady as ever. “I’ve heard there’s been some trouble, and I’d like to clarify a few things.”

The principal’s face paled slightly, and she seemed to falter. “Clarify?” she repeated weakly.

“Yes.” Seraphina stepped further into the room. “Those girls crossed a line first, and Electra was only acting on my orders.”

Astor’s jaw dropped, and for a moment, she looked as though she might actually faint. “Y-your orders?” she stammered, glancing at me with wide eyes before turning back to Seraphina. “But—what do you mean? How could you—how do you even know her? She’s barely been here for three days, Your Highness.”

Seraphina’s expression didn’t waver, but there was a subtle shift in her tone as she responded. “Are you questioning me, Astor?”

Astor’s eyes widened further, and she took an instinctive step back. “No, Your Highness, I—of course not. I just—I didn’t realize you and the new girl were—” She trailed off, clearly unsure how to finish the sentence without digging herself into a deeper hole.

“Friends?” Seraphina offered. “Is it so hard to believe?”

“No, of course not,” Astor said quickly, though her expression suggested otherwise. “It’s just… unexpected.”

Seraphina’s smile returned, but it was razor-sharp. “Well, perhaps you shouldn’t make assumptions about who I can and can’t be friends with.”

Astor looked like she might melt into the floor. “Of course, Your Highness. My apologies.”

Satisfied, Seraphina turned her attention back to me, her expression calm. “Electra,” she said, her tone softer but no less authoritative, “are you alright?”

I couldn’t help the slight raise of my brow at her performance. “I’ve had worse days,” I replied casually, leaning back in my chair.

“Good,” she said, nodding. Then she turned back to Astor, her smile fading entirely. “Now, as I said, this situation isn’t entirely Electra’s fault. Those girls have a reputation for stirring up trouble, and I asked her to put them in their place. She simply did as she was told.”

Astor’s face was an interesting mix of shock and disbelief. “But… Your Highness, if that’s true, then—”

“Then there’s nothing more to discuss,” Seraphina cut in smoothly, her tone brooking no argument. “I assume you don’t intend to punish her for following orders?”

Astor opened and closed her mouth several times, clearly trying to find a way to salvage the situation without outright contradicting Seraphina. “I… well, I suppose if that’s the case…”

“It is,” Seraphina said firmly. “And I’d appreciate it if you refrained from questioning my decisions in the future.”

Astor bowed her head, looking thoroughly defeated. “Of course, Your Highness. My apologies.”

Seraphina turned to me again, her gaze steady. “Shall we go?”

I stood, brushing imaginary dust off my uniform as I met her gaze with a faint smirk. “Lead the way, Your Highness.”

She didn’t respond, simply turning and walking out of the office with me trailing behind her.

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