Third-person Pov

Seraphina had never felt such a twisting, confusing ache in her chest. It was like she had a million emotions running through her at the same time, and she couldn’t even sort through them.

After she left Electra’s room, a strange, mixed feeling gripped her—exhilaration, guilt, and fear. She couldn’t deny the thrill and the warmth that lingered on her skin from Electra’s touch, but as she headed toward the infirmary, guilt and shame started to creep up on her, pushing aside her momentary joy.

What had she done?

She had just shared an experience that was entirely new to her—intense, exhilarating, and utterly consuming—with the most captivating person she had ever met, but she couldn’t bring herself to be happy about it.

She glanced down at her hands, feeling like they belonged to someone else, feeling as though she had just crossed an invisible line she couldn’t uncross.

I shouldn’t have done that. The thought ran on repeat in her mind, echoing with each step she took down the corridor.

She had left the infirmary with the intention of finding the truth about Yura and to figure out if Electra had been the one to hurt her. Somehow, that reason had been discarded, transforming into something else entirely when she was face-to-face with Electra’s intense gaze and that magnetic smirk.

Sure, she felt satisfied—more than satisfied—but at what cost?

She had told Yuna she’d only be gone briefly to get a change of clothes, and instead, she’d spent the better part of an hour with Electra, lost in an experience she’d never imagined for herself, all while Yuna waited by her sister’s side, grieving and alone.

What kind of friend am I? she thought, trying to shake off the shame she felt. The timing couldn’t have been worse. Yura had nearly died, and here she was… distracted, worse than distracted. She had let herself fall under Electra’s spell, and now she couldn’t shake the feeling that she had betrayed Yuna in the worst way possible.

Just as she was about to reach the infirmary, she hesitated, taking a detour to Yuna’s room first. If she came back empty-handed, Yuna would undoubtedly ask questions.

She slipped into Yuna’s room, picking out a fresh set of clothes and using the brief moment to catch her breath, to try to compose herself and push aside the emotions that made her feel like a terrible person.

When she looked down, she could still feel Electra’s warmth, her lips, her touch, and a shiver ran through her, both thrilling and chilling. She shook herself out of it and headed back to the infirmary, hoping Yuna wouldn’t notice her flushed cheeks and slightly trembling hands.

When she entered the room, she found Yura lying still in bed, her face pale but peaceful, asleep.

Yuna was sitting beside her sister, her head resting on the edge of the bed, looking exhausted. Seraphina’s heart clenched at the sight—she could tell Yuna had cried her eyes out while she was away.

Her friend had spent the entire night worrying, fighting the terror of nearly losing her sister, and here she was, barely holding herself together.

As Seraphina approached, Yuna stirred and looked up. Her eyes were dark with fatigue, but there was a spark of relief when she saw Seraphina. Yet that relief was quickly replaced by concern as she whispered, “What took you so long?”

Seraphina swallowed, suddenly feeling her throat go dry. She had prepared an excuse, but now that she was standing in front of Yuna, the words felt empty and dishonest, but what else could she say?

“I, um, went to my room first,” she stammered, praying her voice sounded calmer than she felt. “My roommates were… well, they just kept me longer than I expected.”

She forced a small smile, hoping to brush it off casually, but she could feel Yuna’s questioning gaze.

A flicker of doubt crossed Yuna’s face, but she didn’t press. She merely nodded and glanced back at her sister. “I would have come looking for you, but I just… I didn’t want to leave her alone.”

The sincerity in Yuna’s voice only deepened the guilt gnawing at Seraphina’s insides. She felt undeserving of it, knowing that she hadn’t been there for her friend in her time of need and knowing that she had let herself be sidetracked by her own feelings, by Electra.

“How…how is she?” Seraphina asked, desperate to change the subject and to shift Yuna’s focus away from her.

Yuna sighed, her expression softening as she looked at her sister. “Better. She’s…still weak, but I think she’ll be okay with some rest.”

Yuna’s voice cracked slightly, and she wiped a stray tear away before it could fall. “I just can’t believe someone would do this to a human being, Sera. To Yura of all people. Yura doesn’t even bother anyone. She doesn’t bother anyone, so why would Electra even think of hurting her just to hurt me? How evil could she be?”

Seraphina let out a tired sigh as she lowered herself into the chair next to Yuna.

“Do you still believe Electra was behind what happened to Yura?” she asked quietly. She hesitated before adding, “I don’t think Electra had anything to do with it, honestly. Maybe… maybe we shouldn’t suspect anyone yet. Not until the school authorities finish their investigation.”

Yuna’s eyes narrowed immediately, and she scoffed, folding her arms tightly across her chest. “There’s no need to wait for their investigation, Sera,” she replied, her tone sharp and almost dismissive.

Seraphina frowned, confused by Yuna’s reaction. “Why not?” she asked, her curiosity deepening. “If they look into it thoroughly, they might uncover something we wouldn’t—”

“It’s not about what they’ll uncover,” Yuna interrupted, her voice laced with a kind of tired exasperation. She sighed heavily, then shifted in her seat to face Seraphina fully, her eyes dark and exhausted.

“What do you mean?” Seraphina pressed, worry edging into her voice.

Yuna took a moment, as if gathering her thoughts or perhaps debating how much to say.

Finally, she looked Seraphina directly in the eyes, her expression a mixture of sadness and anger. “Because, Sera, Yura told me what happened. She remembers more than we expected. She saw the face of one of the girls who tied her up… and she recognized her.”

Seraphina felt her breath catch, a knot forming in her stomach. “She… recognized her?” she repeated, her voice barely audible.

“Yes,” Yuna said, her voice calm, though her hands clenched into fists on her lap. “And it’s worse than that. Yura didn’t just see the face; she heard their voices, Sera. She overheard them talking, calling each other by name.”

Seraphina’s heart started pounding faster. She didn’t want to ask because a part of her already knew what she would hear, but she couldn’t stop herself.

“Did… did Yura say whose name she heard?” she asked, almost dreading the answer.

Yuna nodded slowly, her gaze hardening. “One of them… was one of Electra’s minions. Yura recognized her immediately, no doubt about it. She said she even heard them saying Electra’s name. They were talking to Electra, and Yura confirmed that she was the one behind all of it.”

The words landed like stones, sinking into Seraphina’s chest. She sat frozen, her mind struggling to process what Yuna had just said.

She tried to think back to earlier in Electra’s room, and she recalled Electra’s expression, her teasing, and how she’d skillfully redirected Seraphina’s questions about Yura.

It had all felt so… normal at the time, but now, in hindsight, she could see how Electra had sidestepped her questions on purpose and how she’d disregarded her suspicion, leaving Seraphina feeling foolish and naive.

Anger and frustration bubbled up inside Seraphina, and she clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. She’d been deceived, so effortlessly and so skillfully.

Electra had seen her questions coming; she knew just how to divert her, playing with her emotions to keep her from asking questions, and she’d fallen for it. Like a fool, she had fallen for it and even let herself get carried away by the sex, and now she felt like the biggest idiot in Elysium.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep