Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]-Chapter 379: Nothing Serious

Third-person POV

Electra had just swung her legs over the side of the narrow bed when the door opened without warning. The sound made her look up at once, and Irina stepped in first, her movements fast and tense, with Penelope right behind her. The moment they saw Electra sitting upright instead of lying down, both of them hurried across the room as if they had been bracing themselves for something worse.

Irina reached her first. "You’re awake," she said, letting out a breath that sounded like she had been holding it for too long. Without asking, she pressed her palm against Electra’s forehead, then to her own cheek, comparing the heat. "Thank goodness you’re no longer burning up. You were so hot earlier, and trust me, it wasn’t normal."

Electra stayed still and let her check. She did not pull away or complain like she typically would have. Irina’s hand was cool, and it felt strange against her skin.

"What the hell happened?" Irina went on, her voice sharper now. "One minute we were trying to listen to that boring lecture, and the next minute you just collapsed. You didn’t just faint, Electra. You were burning. I thought the whole class was going to catch fire."

Penelope nodded, folding her arms loosely but keeping her eyes on Electra. "It was bad," she added in a calmer tone. "The teacher panicked. Everyone did because they all thought something crazy was about to happen."

Electra looked from one of them to the other. Their concern was clear, and she felt like she should react to it in some way, maybe feel comforted or grateful, but nothing strong stirred inside her.

For a second, she thought about telling them the truth. She could tell them about the darkness that had swallowed her, about her supposed grandfather appearing in her mind, and about the offer he had given her, which was the chance to take back the memories he had stolen, but she was not careless.

They had both been trying to help her remember things lately. Irina especially had not given up. If she told them she had been offered her memories and had turned them down, they would be angry, maybe even hurt, and she did not feel like explaining herself.

"It was nothing serious," Electra said at last, her voice steady. "I’m perfectly fine."

Irina did not look convinced. Her hand moved from Electra’s forehead to her wrist, as if checking her pulse. "You don’t just burst into flames for nothing."

"I didn’t burst into flames," Electra replied flatly.

"You were close enough," Irina muttered.

Electra gently pulled her wrist free and stood up from the bed. "Where am I?" she asked.

"The infirmary," Penelope answered. She leaned back against one of the empty beds. "They carried you here after you passed out."

Electra looked around again, taking in the white sheets and metal frames. "How long was I out?"

"A couple of hours," Irina said. "Long enough to scare us."

Electra did not respond to that. Instead, she walked a few steps toward the door before stopping. She felt steady, with no dizziness and no heat crawling under her skin. Just a faint tiredness.

Penelope pushed herself off the bed and moved closer. "If class was too much for you, you could’ve just said so," she said lightly. "We could’ve skipped."

Electra turned to look at her. "Skipped?"

"Yeah," Penelope went on with a small shrug. "It’s not like any of us actually enjoy sitting in class pretending to care. We were only doing that whole ’we’re trying to be better students’ act to reduce drama. The last thing we thought you needed was more attention on you, so we thought if we acted like normal students, we could avoid any drama."

Irina rolled her eyes. "Speak for yourself, Penelope. I at least try to pass."

Penelope ignored her. "My point is, if it’s too much, we can just leave. No big deal."

Electra stared at her for a moment, trying to follow everything she had just said. She understood parts of it, but not all. The way they talked about pretending to be reformed and about reducing drama, it sounded like there was a past she was missing. Which, of course, there was.

"I don’t understand half of what you just said," Electra admitted plainly. "But I would be more than happy to skip boring classes."

Penelope grinned. "That’s the spirit."

Irina sighed but did not argue further. Instead, she stepped aside, giving Electra a clearer path to the door. "Fine, but if you collapse again, I’m dragging you straight back here."

"I won’t. I can assure you of that," Electra said.

She reached for the door handle but paused for a brief second before opening the door. There was something strange about how calm she felt. The hallway outside the infirmary was quiet. Most students were still in class, so their footsteps echoed softly against the tiled floor. Irina and Penelope walked on either side of her, close but not crowding her.

"Are you sure you’re okay?" Irina asked again, though her tone had softened.

"I’m sure," Electra replied.

She meant it, at least physically. The conversation with her grandfather felt distant now, like a dream she had already decided to forget. The offer, the choice, and the snap of his fingers that had strangely felt final.

She had made her decision, and if there were consequences, she would deal with them later. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

For now, she focused on the simple sound of their steps, the faint sound from the lights overhead, and the steady rhythm of her own breathing. The world felt plain, quiet, and manageable.

Penelope nudged her lightly with her elbow. "There’s a café just outside campus. If we’re skipping, we might as well do it properly. You haven’t been out properly in a while, so how about we take the risk?"

Electra glanced at her. "Lead the way."

Irina shook her head but allowed a small smile to slip through. "We’re going to regret this."

"Probably," Penelope agreed.

Electra did not smile, but something close to amusement flickered in her eyes. She still did not understand everything about them or about herself. There were gaps in her life that she could not fill, empty spaces where memories should have been.

But in that moment, walking down the hallway with two girls who seemed determined to stay by her side, she felt strangely at ease and satisfied.