Electra’s POV

The party was chaotic, just as I expected, and I have spent the last ten to fifteen minutes of my life struggling to get past an overhyped crowd of girls, dodging hands that seemed magnetically drawn to me and sidestepping girls who thought “no” was just a challenge.

My patience was wearing thin.

I had come here for one reason: to find Seraphina, yet so far, it felt like chasing a shadow.

Leaning against the nearest wall for a moment, I exhaled heavily, my frustration building with each passing second. A girl I didn’t recognize sidled up to me, flashing a coy smile and leaning far too close for comfort.

“Hey there,” she purred, her fingers brushing against my arm. “Wanna dance?”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “Not interested,” I said curtly, stepping away.

She pouted but thankfully didn’t push it. I watched as she melted back into the crowd, her attention quickly snagged by someone else.

My head was pounding from the sheer exhaustion of dealing with people who couldn’t take a hint, and I was starting to wonder if coming here had been a mistake.

Maybe Seraphina had realized how out of place she’d feel at a party like this and bailed before even stepping inside.

‘That would be the smart thing to do,’ I thought bitterly, even though I couldn’t shake the gnawing worry that she was here, somewhere, and out of her depth.

Just as I was about to call it quits, a familiar figure caught my eye.

Irina.

She was in her element, surrounded by a bunch of girls. Her arms were slung around two of them, and she was unapologetically making out with a third. Typical Irina—completely unbothered, utterly wild, and exactly the kind of person I loved to call my best friend.

I pushed my way through the crowd, ignoring the annoyed glances and muttered curses from the girls I bumped into. When I finally reached Irina, I tapped her shoulder.

She turned, her lips glistening and her expression clearly irritated at being interrupted. “What?” she snapped, her words slurred slightly.

Up close, it was obvious she was high. Her pupils were blown wide, and her usually sharp gaze was hazy and unfocused.

“I need to ask you something,” I said, trying to keep my tone neutral.

She sighed dramatically, disentangling herself from the girl she’d been kissing. “Electra, if this isn’t important, I swear—”

“It’s important,” I cut in.

Her eyes narrowed, a flicker of annoyance crossing her face. “Fine. What is it?”

“Is Seraphina here?” I asked, cutting straight to the point.

Irina blinked, her irritation momentarily giving way to confusion. “Yeah, she’s here,” she said after a moment.

Relief flooded through me, but it was short-lived.

“Do you know where she is?” I pressed.

Irina rolled her eyes. “No clue. Haven’t seen her in a while.” She waved a hand dismissively. “She’s probably off somewhere finally enjoying herself. Can I get back to my business now?”

“Sure thing,” I muttered, stepping back. “Thanks.”

“Whatever,” she said, already turning her attention back to the girls around her.

I turned away, my mind racing. So Seraphina was here, but she was unaccounted for. That wasn’t exactly reassuring, especially considering the kind of things that could happen at parties like this.

I scanned the crowd again, my eyes darting from face to face. Most of the girls were too preoccupied to notice me, their focus on their drinks, their partners, or the music.

With my frustration and the dryness in my throat, I realized that I needed something to drink—something canned and unopened to ensure it wasn’t laced with anything.

And while I was at it, I figured I’d grab something for Yuna and Iris, assuming they were still here and not overwhelmed by this circus.

I made my way to the bar, and as I got closer, though, something—or rather, someone—caught my attention.

A girl stood by the bar, her head spinning as she scanned the room like she was searching for something—or someone. Her movements were erratic, and her gaze was unfocused.

At first, I thought she was just another girl drunk off her mind, but then I noticed something familiar in her stance.

The way she held herself, the tilt of her head—it was unmistakable.

“Is that… Seraphina?”

I stopped in my tracks, narrowing my eyes to get a better look. The girl was wearing heavy, dark makeup, far different from the minimal, natural look Seraphina usually wore.

Her lips were painted black, and her eyeliner was smudged like she’d walked straight out of a goth-inspired photoshoot.

But the makeup wasn’t the only thing that threw me off. Her dress was black and short, clinging to her curves in ways that left little to the imagination. Her neckline plunged daringly, and the way her dress looked under the dim lights only added to the effect.

She looked stunning—no, sexy.

I shook the thought from my head. Now wasn’t the time for admiration. The girl looked completely out of her element, her gaze darting around the room like a lost deer in a forest of wolves.

As I moved closer, the realization fully hit me. It was definitely Seraphina.

She looked like she’d stepped into a role that didn’t fit her, and from the way she moved slightly on her feet, it was clear something was wrong.

“Seraphina!” I called, raising my voice over the noise.

Her head snapped in my direction, and for a fleeting moment, I thought she’d recognized me, but her eyes didn’t focus; they passed right through me, glazed and distant.

I closed the gap between us, and when I reached her, I stopped just inches away, lowering my voice to something gentler.

“Sera, it’s me, Electra,” I said, trying to catch her attention.

She stared at me, her eyes wide but unfocused. It was as if she could hear me but couldn’t process the words.

“Hey,” I tried again. “Are you okay? What’s going on?”

Before I could get another word out, she moved.

Her hands shot up, grabbing my face with a surprising force. Her fingers were warm against my skin, trembling slightly.

And then, before I could react, her lips crashed into mine, and the world seemed to stop for a moment.

The noise of the party, the flashing lights—it all faded into the background. All I could feel was Seraphina, her lips moving against mine with an intensity that took me completely off guard.

Her kiss was desperate, almost frantic, as if she were searching for something she couldn’t quite grasp. Her fingers tightened against my cheeks, pulling me closer, and for a moment, I couldn’t move.

Shock rooted me to the spot.

I didn’t know what stunned me more: the fact that Seraphina was kissing me or the sheer hunger behind it, but as much as part of me wanted to lose myself in the moment, I knew something was wrong.

I pushed Seraphina away with force, my heart hammering in my chest as I stared at her in disbelief.

“Seraphina, what the hell?” I demanded, my voice tight with frustration.

She stared at me for a long moment, her lips slightly parted as if she were trying to remember something, but it was like she couldn’t quite place me. The shock in her eyes was evident, but before I could say anything else, the surprise disappeared in her gaze—only to quickly morph into something else.

Then she leaned in again, her hands reaching for me as if she had forgotten that I had just pushed her off me.

“Seraphina, no!” I shouted, instinctively holding my hands out to stop her.

She swayed on her feet, her eyes never leaving mine as she tried to close the distance between us. I stepped back, keeping my hands firmly in place, blocking her from getting any closer.

“Stop it! You need to snap out of it,” I said, my voice harsh.

Seraphina barely seemed to hear me. She was muttering under her breath, her fingers now running restlessly through her hair and tugging at her clothes.

“It’s so hot,” she complained, her voice breathy, as if the world around her was on fire.

I couldn’t stop staring at her, the way she was slowly unraveling before my eyes. Her body was restless, twitching almost compulsively as she rubbed her hands over her skin.

I moved closer, trying to assess the situation, but it didn’t take long for my stomach to drop with realization.

“Seraphina, stop,” I said sharply, grabbing her hands when she started tugging at the hem of her dress, as if she were about to strip herself down in the middle of the party.

This wasn’t just drunken behavior. This… this was something else.

I had seen it before. The pills. They were typically used to heighten sexual desire and to get the girls to lose control, and it was obvious that was what Seraphina had fallen victim to.

I cursed under my breath. The way she was acting, the flushed look on her face, the way her body seemed to be burning up from the inside—she had been drugged. I was sure of it.

“Goddamn it,” I muttered, already frustrated at the thought of dealing with a horny version of Seraphina.

With a sigh that sounded more like a growl, I grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her toward me so that she couldn’t slip away. “You’re coming with me, young lady,” I said firmly, my grip tightening as I started to guide her away from the madness of the party.

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