Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]

Electra's POV

I couldn't sleep.

No matter how many times I twisted, turned, flipped my pillow, or yanked the blanket over my head—sleep refused to come, and I knew exactly why.

It was her.

Seraphina Hook, or, should I say—the soon-to-be Seraphina Orion.

My teeth clenched at the thought, and I flipped on my back, staring at the ceiling, and feeling my chest tighten with frustration.

This was ridiculous. I shouldn't care this much; I shouldn't be this restless over a stupid engagement announcement, and yet—I was losing my mind.

I knew it was bad when, after tossing and turning for over an hour, I had reached for my phone—and done something I had never done before.

I had searched his name.

Prince Darius Orion.

I needed something, some flaw, some imperfection. Something to justify the growing knot of irritation in my chest.

Instead, I found nothing. The stupid bastard was flawless, and unlike me, he seemed like the perfect royal with no single problem.

His reputation? Spotless. His social media presence? Carefully curated to perfection, and his appearance? Annoyingly attractive, which, frankly, pissed me off even more.

I wasn't the type to give men credit, but even I had to admit—Darius Orion was the kind of man most girls, the ones who liked men, would dream of marrying, and Seraphina was marrying him.

That thought made my blood boil, and I hated this feeling so much. I hated that there wasn't a single thing I could use to convince myself that Seraphina was making a mistake.

I hated that I kept scrolling, searching for something—anything—that would make me feel better, and most of all—I hated the bitter, ugly feeling twisting in my gut every time I saw his name next to hers.

I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to lock my phone and toss it on the nightstand.

I had never been this pathetic.

This wasn't like me. I didn't get jealous, and I didn't lose sleep over things I couldn't control, and yet, here I was, tossing and turning like an idiot over a girl I had no right to be mad at.

Because the worst part? Seraphina didn't even betray me. She didn't owe me anything.

I was the one who had pretended like I didn't remember what we went through together, and I was the one who had planned on rejecting her feelings before she could even confess them in our real lives.

I was the one who had denied my own feelings, hoping they would just go away, with the excuse that it was for the best, and now—now she was engaged to some perfect prince—and I was seething over something that was entirely my fault.

I was a damn hypocrite.

I ran my hands down my face, letting out a deep sigh.I needed to get a grip.

This wasn't me.

I didn't do feelings, I didn't pine over people, and I didn't torture myself over what-ifs, but then—why did I feel like this? Why did my chest ache every time I imagined Seraphina smiling at Darius?

Why did I feel this sickening pit of regret deep in my stomach? I shut my eyes tightly, trying to block it out and trying to pretend like I didn't already know the answer, but no matter how hard I tried—I couldn't escape the truth.

I had messed up, and the worst part? I wasn't sure I could fix it, or if I wanted to fix it.

I threw an arm over my face, letting out another frustrated groan.

"This is really stupid, Electra," I muttered under my breath, but no matter how much I tried to convince myself of that—

No matter how many times I reminded myself that Seraphina could marry whoever the hell she wanted—the anger didn't fade, the restlessness didn't disappear, and the jealousy—because that's what it was, wasn't it?—only grew stronger.

I sat up abruptly, rubbing my face aggressively before grabbing my phone again.

I had no idea what I was hoping to find this time, but I unlocked it anyway, staring at the article one more time.

The headline was still there, mocking me—"Prince Darius Orion of Aldoria to Marry Late Major General's Daughter, Seraphina Hook."

My jaw tightened.

I scrolled through the pictures, stopping at one of Seraphina and Darius standing side by side at an outing that looked like it was a date.

Seraphina was dressed casually, seated just close enough to Darius to look comfortable, but not intimate. Her expression was neutral, composed, but her eyes…I zoomed in slightly, staring at her eyes.

She didn't look happy. Not really. She didn't look like someone who was in love and thrilled to be engaged, and that alone should have made me feel better, but instead, it made me feel even worse.

Because it meant this wasn't just a casual engagement. It meant that, despite not loving him, which I hoped she didn't, Seraphina had still agreed.

Why?

Why would she do that?

A part of me knew I could just call her and ask—but I couldn't. Because I had already burned that bridge the second I pretended not to remember.

I had pushed her away, and now, she was moving on—moving forward. Moving toward a future that didn't involve me, and wasn't that exactly what I wanted?

Wasn't that what I had told myself I needed? Then why did it feel like someone was squeezing my chest so tight I could barely breathe?

I tossed my phone on the bed and stood up, pacing toward the window. Outside, the moon was high, and everywhere was quiet, and it should have calmed me down—but it didn't.

Because all I could think about was how, at this very moment, Seraphina was probably preparing to become a member of her kingdom's royal family and move into the palace with her new fiancé, and I was here, feeling like a complete idiot.

I let out another frustrated sigh, gripping the edge of the windowsill.

I was already on edge, frustrated, restless, and on the brink of a mental breakdown when all of a sudden, the air shifted, and it wasn't subtle.

It was like the entire atmosphere had been sucked out of the room, replaced by something heavy and unnatural.

My body reacted before my mind could catch up, and heat surged through my veins, fast and sudden. A burning sensation spread from my chest to my fingertips, and in that moment—my vision blurred—then sharpened.

I felt the prickling sensation of power surging behind my eyes, and before I even needed a mirror to confirm it—I knew.

Golden irises with a ring of fire inside—my other side had awakened, but—why? This had never happened before.

Even when I was furious, hurt, or cornered, my Phoenix instincts had never flared up this strongly, which meant something was wrong, something was very, very wrong.

I turned instinctively, my body tense—and then I saw it.

A creature. A shadow-like figure standing just a few feet away.

It wasn't human, and it wasn't anything I could name. Its body shifted and warped, like it was half-solid, half-smoke, and its eyes—glowing and watching.

I should've felt fear. I should've backed away, but I didn't, because the moment the thing smiled—the moment it spoke—my blood ran cold.

"Hello, Electra."

The voice.

That voice.

I knew that voice.

I had heard it before, and in my shock, the words left my mouth before I could stop them—

"It's you!"

The thing's smile widened, amused.

"Oh?" it hummed. "So you remember me?"