Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]-Chapter 264: Barely hanging on

Electra’s POV

I could barely stand.

My legs felt like they were about to give out under me, my skin clammy and hot at the same time, and my chest burned with every breath I took. I should’ve been in bed. I wanted to be in bed, but as soon as I got that call from Roxana, all sense of self-preservation flew out the window.

Seraphina. Seraphina had gotten into a fight with Iris, and just like that, I was on my feet, dragging a robe over my pajamas, not even bothering to change or care how I looked.

My hair was a mess, and the headache pulsing through my skull was loud enough to drown out most rational thoughts, but one thing cut through the haze with painful clarity:

Iris did something. She had to have because Seraphina didn’t fight unless she’d been pushed to the edge—and I knew that edge was already hanging by a thread these days.

I was barely holding myself together by the time I reached the administration wing of the school. My breathing was shallow, each step slower than the last, but I forced myself forward.

Hawthorne was seated at her desk just outside the principal’s office, and she looked up, her eyes widening slightly at the sight of me. She quickly stood and gave a polite bow.

"Your Highness... forgive me, but you look..."

"Awful?" I cut her off with a dry, humorless laugh. "Trust me, I feel worse."

"Have you been to the infirmary?" she asked cautiously.

"I’m fine," I lied, which was practically a daily habit now. "Are Seraphina Vale and Iris Aurelian still with Principal Astor?"

She gave a quick nod. "Yes, Your Highness. They’re inside. It’s... gotten a little intense."

Of course it had. Nothing involving that weirdo was ever simple.

"Thanks," I muttered, not waiting for her to finish whatever protocol she was probably about to remind me of. Instead, I turned toward the doors and pushed them open without knocking.

The moment I stepped inside, the tension in the air hit me like a slap.

Principal Astor was seated behind her desk, looking like she’d just bitten into something sour. Her stern eyes flicked toward me immediately, narrowing slightly at my disheveled state.

Seraphina was standing off to the left, arms folded, her face flushed with either frustration or the remnants of adrenaline. Iris sat calmly on the right, her head slightly tilted, lips pressed together in a mockery of innocence.

But it was Seraphina I looked at first—and I didn’t care how bad I looked. Her gaze met mine and softened, a flicker of surprise crossing her features, followed by something that looked suspiciously like relief.

Astor cleared her throat.

"Your Highness, this is a closed disciplinary discussion—"

I raised my hand, signaling Principal Astor to stop mid-sentence. The pounding in my head intensified, and I could feel the fever burning under my skin, so I was in no mood for prolonged discussions.

"Astor, dear," I began, my voice hoarse and strained, "as you can see, I’m not in the best condition right now, and the last thing I need is to spend more time here than necessary."

Astor’s eyes narrowed, clearly displeased with my interruption, but she remained silent.

I turned my attention to Iris, who sat across the room with a smug expression plastered on her face. The audacity of that look made my stomach churn.

"Iris," I addressed her directly, "do you have any serious injuries?"

She tilted her head, feigning contemplation. "Well, I’d have to check thoroughly, but I’m still feeling the pain from when Seraphina kneed me in the stomach."

I rolled my eyes, barely suppressing the urge to scoff. "Then I suggest you visit the infirmary and get something to ease the pain."

Without waiting for a response, I shifted my gaze to Seraphina. Her arms were crossed, and a flicker of concern flashed in her eyes as she looked at me.

"Are you okay?" I asked softly. "Did she hurt you?"

Seraphina shook her head. "I’m fine."

I nodded, taking a deep breath to steady myself before facing Astor once again.

"Astor," I started, "I’m sure you have more pressing matters than mediating a dispute between two teenage girls, so how about we let this situation go and move on?"

Astor’s lips pressed into a thin line, her displeasure evident. "Again, Your Highness, this is a matter of school discipline—"

I let out a frustrated grunt, the pounding in my head reaching a new height. "Can’t you see I’m in no condition to argue? Either you drop this, or Seraphina and I will walk out right now, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me anyway. So please, let’s not make this any more uncomfortable."

The room fell into a tense silence, and Astor’s gaze locked on mine in a silent battle of wills. After what felt like an eternity, she exhaled sharply.

"Very well," she conceded, her tone clipped. "But let this be a warning to you, Seraphina’s. Any further incidents will not be taken lightly."

"Understood," I replied on Sera’s behalf, not bothering to hide the sarcasm in my voice.

I turned to Seraphina, offering a small nod. "Let’s go."

As Seraphina and I stepped out of Principal Astor’s office, Seraphina reached out, gently pressing her hands against my forehead to check my temperature.

"Electra," she began, concern etching lines on her face, "shouldn’t you go to the infirmary? Even if they can’t do much, it’s better than letting yourself get worse."

I sighed, the exhaustion seeping into my bones. "I’ll be fine," I murmured, attempting a reassuring smile that felt more like a grimace.

The truth was, I wasn’t sure how much more of this I could endure.

Wanting to divert the conversation, I asked, "What did my mother say to you when she appeared?"

Seraphina’s eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know?"

"She came to me after," I explained, my voice softening. "It was brief—a hello and a goodbye—but she mentioned she’d spoken to you first."

Seraphina opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, as we exited the class building heading towards the dormitory, a sudden force collided into me, and I stumbled, immediately feeling a sharp and piercing sensation pricking the side of my neck.

Seraphina’s arm shot out, holding me before I could fall, and in my dazed state, I looked up to see Iris standing in front of us with a sly smile playing on her lips.

"Thank you for biting the bait," she said cryptically, her tone dripping with satisfaction. Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and sauntered away, leaving us in utter silence.

I reached up, fingers grazing the tender spot on my neck, and a small bead of blood smeared against my fingertips.

"Electra," Seraphina’s voice was laced with alarm, "are you okay? What did she do?"

"I... I don’t know," I admitted as the world around me started to blur. A wave of dizziness hit me from nowhere, and my legs buckled.

"Hey, stay with me," Seraphina urged, wrapping an arm around my waist to support me. "We need to get you to the infirmary. Now."

As much as I wanted to protest, to brush it off as nothing, I couldn’t ignore the growing weakness spreading through my body.

By the time we reached the infirmary, my consciousness was hanging by a thread, and the last thing I remembered was Seraphina’s panicked voice calling out for help before the darkness swallowed me whole.

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