Electra’s POV

I walked through the halls of Elysium High as I made my way back to my dorm room. The visit with my father had drained me—not just physically, but mentally as well.

My mind was still reeling from everything he had told me, from the sudden revelation that my position as Crown Princess was now at risk to the fact that Queen Jella had been scheming behind my back for who knows how long.

But strangely enough, none of that mattered as much to me right now. What did matter was what I had seen in my nightmares.

The nightmares where I had died and making sure to prevent it.

When I finally got to my room and pushed the door open, I was met with a sight that, under normal circumstances, would have made me roll my eyes.

Irina was sprawled out on my bed, lying there like she owned the place, flipping through her phone lazily. Meanwhile, Roxana was standing in front of my mirror, wearing my clothes, and checking herself out as if she were at a damn fashion show.

I would have normally been irritated by the intrusion, but instead, all I felt was an overwhelming rush of emotion.

They were here. I was seeing my best friends again, and this time, they recognized me and didn’t think someone else was their best friend.

Without thinking, I ran toward the bed and practically threw myself onto it, wrapping my arms around Irina in a tight hug.

She let out a startled grunt. “What the hell—?”

Roxana, noticing the scene, turned away from the mirror, her brows furrowing in confusion. “Uh, Electra?”

I didn’t respond.

I just held on to Irina tighter, feeling the warmth of her body, and grounded myself in the realness of her presence.

Irina stiffened in my grip, her whole body going rigid. “Okay, what the hell is going on?”

Roxana, now more intrigued than anything, stepped closer to the bed. “Electra, are you… okay?”

I finally pulled back just enough to look at Irina’s stunned face before moving toward Roxana and pulling her into a hug as well.

“What is happening?!” Roxana yelped, flailing slightly in my grasp.

Irina sat up, her eyes wide with shock. “Is she sick?”

“I was just about to ask the same thing,” Roxana muttered, still stiff in my arms.

I finally let go of her, stepping back slightly to take them both in.

My friends. My best friends. A chuckle escaped me, part humor, part relief.

“I’m fine,” I said finally, my voice softer than usual. “I just wanted to show you both how much I love you.”

They both stared at me like I had just grown two heads.

“Define fine,” Irina said warily, folding her arms over her chest. “Because I don’t think I’ve ever seen you hug someone willingly in the entire time I’ve known you.”

Roxana nodded in agreement. “And you definitely don’t just randomly tell us you love us.”

I smirked, shaking my head slightly. “Can’t a girl be sentimental once in a while?”

Irina snorted. “Not when that girl is Electra Vale.”

I chuckled again, rolling my eyes. “You guys are so dramatic.”

Roxana gave me a skeptical look. “Says the girl who just launched herself at us like a lost puppy.”

I sighed, deciding not to argue. “Alright, fine. I missed you guys, okay?”

That seemed to throw them off even more.

Roxana blinked. “Missed us?”

Irina narrowed her eyes. “You were literally just with us yesterday.”

I waved a hand dismissively. “It felt longer.”

Neither of them looked convinced, but thankfully, they didn’t press further.

Roxana studied me for a moment before shrugging and plopping down on my bed. “Well, if you missed us so much, maybe you won’t mind that I borrowed your clothes?”

I gave her a pointed look. “Borrowed without permission.”

She grinned unapologetically. “Details.”

Irina let out a breath, still watching me carefully. “Okay, but seriously, Electra,” she said. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

I hesitated for half a second before nodding.

“I’m sure.”

I couldn’t tell them the truth—not about the life switch, not about the nightmare where I had died. It would sound ridiculous, and honestly, I didn’t even fully understand it myself.

Irina, changing the subject, tilted her head and asked, “Alright, so where exactly did you disappear to?”

I sighed, dragging a hand through my hair. “My father called me to the palace.”

Roxana’s eyebrows furrowed in concern. “And? I hope nothing happened. He wouldn’t just call for you randomly.”

I exhaled heavily before lying on my back as I stared up at the ceiling. “In all honesty?” I muttered. “The worst thing is about to happen to me, and I have no idea what to do.”

Immediately, Irina—who had been lounging lazily—shot up into a sitting position. “What?” she demanded, her eyes sharp with alarm. “What the hell is going on? How bad are we talking?”

Roxana sat up straighter too, her frown deepening. I could see the worry in their faces, and for a second, I hesitated.

But what was the point in holding it in? They were my best friends. If anyone needed to know, it was them.

I sat up, meeting their gazes before finally saying, “It’s bad. Really bad.” I swallowed, my voice quieter now. “It looks like I’m about to be replaced.”

Both of them froze, their eyes widening as if I had just spoken another language.

Roxana was the first to break the silence. “Okay… what?” she asked, her voice slow, careful—like she was waiting for me to take it back. “What do you mean, replaced?”

Irina, on the other hand, had already gone into immediate fight mode. Her entire posture shifted, her hands clenching into fists as she stared at me like I had just declared war. “You better start explaining right now.”

I sighed, glancing between them before speaking. “Well…” I took a breath. “Apparently, there’s another potential heir to the throne, and now, my lovely mother and the council are seriously considering replacing me as Crown Princess.”

The second I said it, their reactions were immediate.

Roxana’s jaw dropped, and she let out an offended gasp. “Excuse me?”

Meanwhile, Irina—without a second of hesitation—deadpanned, “Who are we killing?”

I turned to her, blinking. “What?”

She crossed her arms, her eyes glinting with deadly intent. “I said, who are we killing?” she repeated, her tone far too serious. “Because there is no way in hell we’re letting anyone take your place.”

Roxana nodded vigorously. “Yeah, no. Absolutely not.”

I stared at them both for a moment before groaning, rubbing my temple. “Guys.”

Irina scoffed. “Don’t guys us. We are not letting this happen.”

Roxana folded her arms. “So, who’s the idiot trying to take your place? Give us a name.”

I sighed. “His name is Hunter Vale.”

Irina immediately scowled. “Hunter? Now, who the hell is that?”

I exhaled sharply. “Apparently, he’s my grandfather’s illegitimate and really young son, meaning he’s a Vale, which makes him eligible for the throne.”

Roxana narrowed her eyes. “I hate him already.”

Irina nodded in agreement. “Same. Hate his guts.”

I let out a humorless chuckle, shaking my head. “You haven’t even met him.”

Irina shrugged. “Don’t need to. If he’s trying to take what’s yours, he’s an enemy, and enemies get handled.”

Roxana sighed dramatically, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “You know, we could just, like… accidentally push him down a flight of stairs or something.”

I gave her a blank look. “We can’t just push a member of the royal family down the stairs, Roxie.”

She pouted. “Why not?”

I sighed again, running a hand down my face. “Because I can’t afford to have my best friends charged with treason, that’s why.”

Irina scoffed. “Yeah, well, you can’t afford to lose your throne either.”

Roxana nodded. “She has a point.”

I groaned. “I know, okay?” I leaned back against my pillows, closing my eyes for a second before opening them again. “But this isn’t something I can just fight my way out of. The council is looking for any reason to push me aside. If I slip up—even once—they’ll make sure I’m out of the picture for good.”

Irina and Roxana exchanged a look before Irina leaned forward, her voice quieter now. “Then we don’t let you slip up,” she said, her tone serious.

Roxana nodded firmly. “Yeah. We make sure you stay ahead of them.”

I raised an eyebrow. “We?”

Irina smirked. “Damn right, we.”

She then let out a long sigh, rubbing her forehead as if the sheer stupidity of the situation was giving her a headache.

“Okay,” she said, her voice more serious now, “but on a real note—do you have a way to make sure your position is secured?” She tilted her head. “Did your father tell you what you have to do to protect your claim?”

I didn’t respond immediately, mostly because I didn’t want to say it out loud.

Irina caught on to my hesitation instantly.

Roxana narrowed her eyes, studying my face like she was reading a book, and then, after barely two seconds of silence, she groaned, shaking her head. “Oh no.”

I blinked. “What?”

Roxana pointed at me accusingly. “That face.”

I raised an eyebrow. “What face?”

“The you’re-not-going-to-like-this-but-it’s-my-reality face,” Roxana said dramatically. “Which means your father did tell you something, but it’s something horrible.”

Irina folded her arms. “You better start talking, Electra.”

I sighed, rubbing my temple. “Alright. Fine. You want to know?”

“Yes,” they both said at the same time.

I exhaled sharply before finally saying the words I had been dreading to say out loud.

“The only way to secure my position,” I muttered, “is if I marry another prince.”

Silence.

Complete.

Utter.

Silence.

Roxana was the first to react. “I knew it was something stupid,” she muttered under her breath, dragging a hand down her face.

Irina, however, was completely still.

I stared at her, waiting for a reaction.

And then—

“…So who are we killing?”

I groaned. “Irina.”

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