Seraphina’s POV

I stared at Electra as she absentmindedly picked up a book that was lying on the table and started to flip through it. It was almost laughable how unaffected she seemed by our conversation, meanwhile, here I was, sitting across from her and trying not to let my irritation become too obvious.

Her words replayed in my mind: *”We’re both free to talk to whoever we want…As long as we both remember that, we’ll be fine.”*

The audacity of it all. As if I needed the reminder that we weren’t together. As if I didn’t already know, and yet, the way she had said it, so casual and dismissive, felt like a sharp jab to my chest.

It wasn’t that I wanted to be in a relationship with her—I didn’t think I did, anyway—but there was something about the way she had framed her sentence that made my stomach churn.

I hated the way it made me feel: competitive, possessive, and, if I was being brutally honest, maybe even a little jealous. It wasn’t a good look on me, and I knew it.

For a moment, I dropped my gaze to the table, letting my thoughts swirl. Electra was the only person I’d ever been with. Before Elysium, I’d never dated, never flirted, and certainly never slept with anyone, and then came Electra—arrogant, unyielding, yet captivating in a way I couldn’t quite explain.

She was my first in every sense of the word, and as I sat there watching her, I began to wonder if that was the reason for my strange reaction.

Maybe it wasn’t jealousy. Maybe it was something else—something tied to the fact that I had nothing and no one to compare her to. She was my only reference point, my only experience.

The realization made me uncomfortable. I didn’t like feeling as though she had that kind of hold over me, even unintentionally. It wasn’t fair—not to her, and definitely not to me.

I needed to change that.

The idea took root quickly, sprouting into a full-fledged plan before I could second-guess myself. I was in an alternate reality, wasn’t I? A reality where I was Seraphina Vale, not Seraphina Hook.

Here, I had freedom—the kind of freedom I never had, or rather, the kind of freedom I’d never give myself as Seraphina Hook. If there was ever a time to explore, to figure out who I was outside of my experience with Electra, it was now.

The thought was both exhilarating and terrifying. Casual dating wasn’t something I’d ever considered before, but maybe that was the point. Maybe it was time to step out of my comfort zone and do something entirely out of character.

If Electra could meet new people in this world, then so could I.

And who knows? Maybe by doing so, I’d finally understand why people like Electra seemed so at ease with moving from lover to lover, while I was stuck in this cycle of frustration and longing.

I glanced back up at her, studying the curve of her jawline as she rested her chin on her hand, still completely unaware of my gaze. There was no denying that she was beautiful—intimidatingly so, but she wasn’t the center of my world, and it was time I started acting like it.

Clearing my throat softly, I spoke up. “Is Iris your type?”

The words came out more casual than I expected, but my pulse quickened as I awaited her reaction.

Electra, who had been engrossed in the book in her hand, finally looked up. She set the book down carefully, her expression unreadable. “Why are you asking?” she replied.

I shrugged, trying to keep my voice light and nonchalant. “I was just curious. You seem… comfortable around her, and, well, it got me thinking. Maybe she’s your type.”

Electra raised an eyebrow but didn’t interrupt, and I continued, “I mean, considering how hellbent you were on having me back in our real lives—”

“What do you mean, hellbent? I wasn’t hellbent,” she interjected quickly, her voice low to avoid the librarian’s wrath.

I waved a dismissive hand and pressed on, “You were determined, let’s say, and now that I think about it, Iris and I kind of look alike, so maybe you have a type without even realizing it.”

Electra let out a soft laugh. “You’ve really been thinking about that, huh?” she said, leaning back in her chair and folding her arms across her chest.

“Well?” I prompted, refusing to let her deflect. “Is she your type?”

Electra tilted her head slightly, as if genuinely considering the question for the first time. “I guess she could be my type,” she admitted after a moment. “She’s quiet, seems sweet, has that whole ‘mysterious but approachable’ thing going on. So, sure, I guess someone like Iris could fit the bill.”

There was something in her tone that made my stomach twist, but I wasn’t ready to let it show. “So, you’ve thought about it then,” I pressed, though I tried to sound casual, uninterested.

“No,” she said firmly, shaking her head. “I haven’t thought about anything. Not in the way you’re insinuating, at least. I mean, it’s hard to take anything seriously in a world that isn’t even real, Seraphina.”

I was about to say something, to tell her that maybe we didn’t have to dismiss everything just because this world wasn’t real, when a voice rang out from behind one of the nearby shelves.

“Well, well. I hope I’m not interrupting something important.”

I stiffened immediately, recognizing that voice. It was Yuna’s.

Electra glanced over her shoulder, the slight tension in her posture mirroring mine, and I followed her gaze, spotting Yuna just a few shelves away, her usual grin on display.

And right beside her stood Iris.

Immediately, my stomach twisted into a knot. I had thought I was done feeling irrational when it came to that red-haired girl. After all, I’d just spent precious time convincing myself that what I’d felt seeing them together—Electra and Iris—wasn’t jealousy.

But now, here I was, the same uncomfortable heat coursing through me, especially with Iris standing so close to Yuna, peering at me with shy curiosity.

“Oh, don’t mind us,” Yuna said, waving her hand dismissively. She strolled up to our table, Iris following close behind. “I just saw you two here and figured I’d say hi.”

Electra cleared her throat, looking mildly exasperated. “You’re not interrupting,” she replied flatly.

“Are you sure about that?” Yuna pressed, glancing pointedly between Electra and me. Her grin suggested she’d be perfectly happy if she were interrupting.

I forced a thin smile, keeping my voice calm. “You’re not interrupting anything,” I said. “We were just about done.”

“If that’s all,” I added, pushing my chair back and rising to my feet, “then I’ll be on my way.”

My tone came out more abrupt than I intended, but I didn’t have the energy to care, and without waiting for a response, I turned and walked away.

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