Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]-Chapter 370: Unwanted Kiss

Third-person POV

Seraphina stopped a few steps behind Electra, her chest tight, her hands clenched into fists she didn't remember making. She couldn't stop her from making the big mistake she was so determined to make, and that was the worst part.

All she could do was watch as Electra raised her hand and knocked on the door to Irina and Roxana's room, a loud, sharp, and final sound in the quiet hallway. The knock echoed louder than it should have, each tap feeling like a countdown Seraphina hadn't agreed to.

Her heart pounded as she stood there, staring at the door like it might explode, and she wasn't even sure who she wanted to open it.

If it was Irina… Seraphina swallowed. Irina wouldn't take this well, and she knew that from the short time she had lived as Electra and had been Irina's best friend in that alternate reality she didn't like to think about. From what she knew, Irina had a temper, a pretty bad one, which explained why she and Electra were best friends, and she didn't like being touched without warning.

Still, at least Irina was a lesbian. At least there was a chance, however small, that this wouldn't turn into a full disaster, but if it was Roxana…

Seraphina felt sick just thinking about it.

Roxana wasn't into girls, not as far as Seraphina remembered, and the last time Seraphina had seen her earlier that day, Roxana had been furious, like really furious, after Electra had kicked everyone out of her own room like they were nothing.

If Electra tried anything with Roxana, it wouldn't just be bad. It would be catastrophic.

The door creaked open, and Seraphina's breath caught. Penelope stood there, one hand still on the door, her brows lifting in clear surprise when she saw Electra standing in front of her.

"Electra?" Penelope said. "What are you…"

"Is Irina here?" Electra asked calmly, cutting her off before she could finish.

Penelope blinked, thrown off by the question. Her eyes flicked past Electra, landing on Seraphina.

Seraphina shook her head immediately, small movements to give Penelope a sign. 'No. Don't. Please don't.'

Her eyes were wide, silently begging.

Penelope frowned, clearly confused by the silent exchange. "Uh…" she said, then stepped aside without thinking too much about it. "Yeah. Come in."

Seraphina let out a low, horrified grunt under her breath. "No…" she started, but it was already too late.

Electra stepped inside, and Seraphina followed like she was walking into her own execution. Roxana was stretched out on her bed, lying on her side with her back turned to the door, one arm tucked under her pillow. She didn't move, either asleep or pretending to be.

Irina sat on her own bed, one knee pulled up, a book resting loosely in her hands. She looked up at the sound of the door opening, her expression shifting from neutral to confused the moment she saw Electra.

Her eyes lingered there, and Seraphina felt dread coil tight in her stomach.

Irina's gaze flicked briefly to Seraphina, then back to Electra. "Uh," she said slowly. "Is there something wrong again?"

Seraphina opened her mouth to warn her, but she didn't get the chance.

Electra crossed the space between them in just a few steps, and one moment she was standing there, the next she was leaning down, and before she knew it, her lips were on Irina's.

Time seemed to fracture.

Irina froze, her eyes going wide in pure shock. The book slipped from her fingers and landed on the bed with a dull thud, and for a split second, she didn't move at all, like her brain was still trying to understand what was happening.

Then instinct kicked in, and she shoved Electra back hard, her palms hitting Electra's chest with enough force to make her take a step away.

"What the fuck was that?" Irina demanded, her voice loud, sharp, and shaking with anger.

The room went dead silent.

Roxana stirred on her bed, shifting slightly but still not turning around. Penelope stood frozen near the door, her mouth hanging open.

Seraphina felt like her soul had left her body.

"Irina, I…" she started, rushing forward, hands raised, panic flooding her voice. "I tried to stop her, I swear, I…"

Electra, meanwhile, looked perfectly calm. She touched her own lips lightly, thoughtfully, as if she had just tasted something new and was considering it.

Irina stared at her like she might actually murder her. "Are you insane?" she snapped, standing up so fast the bed creaked. "You don't just do that to people!"

Electra tilted her head. "Interesting."

Irina's eyes twitched. "Don't say that like I'm some kind of experiment."

"You are," Electra replied honestly.

Seraphina winced. "Oh gods, please don't say that."

Roxana sat up abruptly now, finally turning to face them. "What the hell is going on?" she demanded, her eyes narrowing as she took in the scene.

Irina pointed straight at Electra. "She just kissed me out of nowhere."

Roxana's gaze snapped to Electra, and she looked both annoyed and slightly disgusted. "You did what?"

Electra met her stare without flinching. "I needed to test something."

Seraphina pressed her hands to her face for a second, dragging them down slowly. This was worse than she imagined. So much worse.

Irina let out a harsh, humorless laugh. "Test something? What could you possibly want to test using my lips? Isn't that why you have Seraphina, your freaking girlfriend?"

Electra sighed softly at Irina's outburst, like she was already tired of explaining herself. She rolled her shoulders once, slow and careless, then lifted her gaze back to Irina.

"I kissed Seraphina earlier," she said, and the words hit the room like a dropped plate.

Seraphina's head snapped up. "Electra…"

"I wanted to feel something," Electra continued, cutting through the tension with the same calm tone she always used. "I happened to witness earlier how two human girls acted like this kissing was… significant, and I was genuinely confused as to what the big deal was with two lips touching and fighting."

Irina stared at her, jaw tight. "So you just decided to use us to figure that out?"

"Yes," Electra said simply.

Roxana scoffed. "Wow. You really are unbelievable."

"When I didn't feel anything with Seraphina," Electra went on, unfazed, "I assumed the problem wasn't the act itself. It was the variable."

Seraphina's chest tightened painfully, but she tried not to show it, even though she was almost sure she'd fail woefully.

"So I tried again," Electra said, her eyes settling back on Irina. "With someone else."

Penelope finally found her voice. "And you really thought this was the right thing to do? You thought kissing Irina of all people was sensible?"

Electra shrugged. "More like it was logical."

Irina let out a sharp, disbelieving laugh. "You kissed me because of logic?"

"No," Electra corrected. "I kissed you because you're the prettiest one in this group, and I just felt you were the better option." 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

The silence that followed was loud, and Roxana blinked once like she had been slapped hard across the face. "Hold on," she said slowly. "Did you just call Irina the prettiest?"

Irina turned on her instantly. "Is that really what you're stuck on right now?"

"Well, excuse me," Roxana shot back, rolling her eyes. "She just ranked us like we're decorations, and for some reason, she thinks you're the best one."

Seraphina stood frozen, her mind struggling to keep up. The words echoed in her head, 'didn't feel anything,' and if it wasn't for the fact that she was in a space she wasn't familiar with, she would have bawled her eyes out.

Roxana tilted her head, smirking faintly. "Though, I guess it tracks. Electra has always had terrible taste."

Seraphina frowned. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Roxana glanced at her openly. "I mean, look at you. Little mouse Seraphina." She gestured vaguely. "So pale it looks like the sun could fry you."

Seraphina gasped quietly, shock flaring hot in her chest. Of all moments, of all things to say…

"That's unnecessary," Irina snapped.

Roxana shrugged. "I'm just being honest."

Seraphina swallowed, her fingers curling at her sides. She had never cared much about how she looked before, but right now, the words stung in a way she wasn't prepared for.

Then Electra laughed, and it was so sudden that everyone turned toward her with shocked looks on their faces.

Penelope stared. "Did you just… laugh?"

Electra's smile lingered for half a second before she seemed to notice herself. It faded quickly, her expression settling back into something distant.

She looked around the room, eyes passing over all of them. "You're all extremely embarrassing."

Irina scoffed and crossed her arms, her anger still very evident, even though she seemed a little less bothered now. "You don't get to say that after what you did."

Electra didn't respond. She simply turned and walked toward the door, and Seraphina took a step forward without thinking. "Electra, wait…"

Electra stopped. She turned just enough to look back, her gaze landing on Irina one last time.

"Nice lips," she said casually, and Irina's mouth fell open, but before she could say anything, Electra opened the door and left, closing it behind her.

For a long moment, no one moved. Seraphina stood there, heart pounding, staring at the door like it might open again.

Roxana broke the silence with a low whistle. "She's insane."

Irina nodded. "Completely."

Penelope looked at Seraphina, concern softening her face a bit. "Are you okay, kid?"

Seraphina hesitated, then nodded slowly. "Yeah, I think so."

But even as she said it, the ache in her chest told a different story.