Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]-Chapter 354: The best plan

Third-person POV

The door clicked shut behind Seraphina as she stepped out of the room Electra would be using, well, the room Darius had insisted she and Electra would share even after she tried to argue that it might make Electra uncomfortable.

Even now, Seraphina wasn’t sure how that was supposed to work. Electra had barely looked at her the entire time she’d shown her around. She’d sat on the edge of the bed like a stranger in someone else’s house, eyes scanning everything but not reacting to a single thing.

Seraphina tried not to think too hard about it. If she did, she was sure her chest would tighten again. Instead, she inhaled slowly, ran a hand through her tangled hair, and made her way down the hallway toward the living room where Irina, Penelope, and Roxana were waiting.

The second she stepped into the room, all three girls perked up.

Irina spoke first. "So? Did she say anything?"

Seraphina shook her head and sat on the arm of the closest chair. "No. She just... laid down. Didn’t ask any questions or say anything."

Penelope offered her a sympathetic look. "She’s really not herself, is she?"

Seraphina didn’t have the energy to answer. The silence stayed between them for a moment, heavy and uncomfortable. Irina, unsurprisingly, broke it first.

"Okay, so." Irina clapped once, making Penelope flinch. "We need to help her get her memory back, and since taking her to a doctor is a ’big fat no,’ what else can we do?"

Roxana snorted. "A doctor? You think they’ll just take one look at Electra melting metal with her fingers and go, ’Oh yes, that’s perfectly normal’? Why would you even state something so obviously stupid?"

Penelope lifted a hand. "That wasn’t what Irina meant..."

"No, it’s exactly what I meant," Irina cut in, raising her voice. "But since doctors are out of the question, we need a plan. A real plan, and preferably one that doesn’t end with Electra burning someone alive by accident."

Seraphina winced. "Can we not say things like that?"

Irina held up her hands. "Fine, fine. Then let’s focus. Ideas?"

Penelope nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Well... I was thinking. Maybe we can play movies for her? Strictly human movies. Normal movies. Something that can show her how people talk to each other because if she keeps talking the way she does now, I swear I’m going to lose my mind."

Irina nodded quickly, latching onto the idea. "Yes! Movies! Actually, that’s perfect. We can show her her favorite ones! Maybe if she sees them, her brain will just... click or something."

Roxana’s face twisted immediately. "Absolutely not."

Irina rolled her eyes. "Oh my God. Why not?"

Roxana looked at her like she couldn’t believe she had to explain. "Irina, Electra’s favorite movies are violent. The girl likes violent scenes that make my stomach hurt. She watches people stab each other and blow things up and enjoys it."

Penelope quietly added, "She also likes that one movie with the demon-bird thing that rips souls out of people. Ironic, isn’t it? Considering she’s not far off from being a demon-bird."

Irina blinked, processing. "Okay... fine, maybe not her favorite ones."

"No," Roxana said flatly. "Unless you want her thinking that melting guns and bullets is completely normal behavior. Which it is not."

Irina groaned and threw a pillow at Roxana, who caught it effortlessly. "Then what? You want us to show her slice-of-life movies?"

Penelope snapped her fingers. "Yes! That’s exactly what we should do. Slice of life, romance, friendship. Those are good themes, and Electra clearly needs help with... connecting."

Irina raised an eyebrow. "So we’ll make the literal phoenix princess watch high school love triangles?"

"It’s better than showing her serial killers," Roxana said dryly.

Seraphina listened quietly, staring at her hands, trying to gather her thoughts. The girls kept bouncing ideas back and forth, tone-deaf ones, chaotic ones, half-ridiculous ones, but their intentions were good. They all just wanted Electra back.

Finally, when they all paused, looking at each other helplessly, Seraphina lifted her head.

"What about places?" she asked softly.

Irina blinked. "Places?"

"Yes," Seraphina said. "Did she... have a favorite place? Somewhere she went often? Somewhere she felt safe or happy?" She swallowed hard. "Maybe going there could remind her of something, or someone."

The living room went quiet after Seraphina’s question on whether or not Electra had a favorite place. For a moment, the girls simply stared at one another, each lost in thought, trying to remember all the little details Electra had ever shared, even the ones she’d been too proud to say outright.

Irina was the first to speak, lifting her gaze from the floor. "Okay, well... if we’re talking about places Electra actually liked being in, then we all know the palace isn’t an option. She hated that place with her whole chest."

Roxana snorted. "That’s an understatement."

"Yeah." Irina nodded. "But there is one place she always liked. Even if she’d never admit it easily." She paused for effect, her voice lowering. "It’s Elysium Girls High."

Seraphina blinked. "Really?"

Irina nodded confidently. "Yep. If there’s one place Electra was truly comfortable, it was school. She acted like she didn’t care half the time, but you should’ve seen her when she thought no one was watching. She felt safe there."

Roxana folded her arms. "Safe is one word. She mostly just liked intimidating people. Can’t say I disagree with the sentiment."

Irina waved her off. "She liked the freedom, no parents breathing down her neck, and no expectations. Just... Electra, being Electra."

Penelope added softly, "And she had people there, even if it was just us, who genuinely liked her, as well as a hobby she enjoyed. She was actually... happy there." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Seraphina felt her chest tighten. She’d never realized the place held that much meaning for her, but it made sense, though. At Elysium, students from all seven kingdoms studied side-by-side. Prejudice definitely existed, but it was still somewhat neutral ground. A breathing space.

Irina sighed before continuing. "If we’re going to try anything to trigger her memory, school is the best shot we have."

Seraphina nodded slowly, but her expression was thoughtful rather than relieved. "But... do you think they’ll let her in?"

Roxana raised a brow. "That’s the problem. Principal Astor might freak out. The whole school might freak out since Electra isn’t just Electra right now. She’s in phoenix form, and she looks like she stepped out of some ancient prophecy, not to forget the kingdom just tried to execute her a few hours ago. People see her as a threat."

Penelope fidgeted with a cushion. "A really beautiful, terrifying threat. With glowing eyes and a stare that can make someone forget how to breathe."

Irina nodded. "Exactly, and now, everyone’s phone has her picture. The kingdom will paint her as unstable, dangerous, and a walking weapon."

Seraphina exhaled slowly. "Still... there’s no harm in trying. We can go to Elysium tomorrow and speak to Principal Astor calmly and politely, like the civilized girls that we are." She rubbed her temples. "And then we’ll remind her that schools like Elysium, which accept students from all seven kingdoms, should not be swayed by Elmeria’s prejudice. Electra being part phoenix is not a crime, and neither is existing."

Roxana hummed in agreement. "In theory."

Penelope tilted her head. "But in practice?"

Roxana sighed. "In practice, they might slam the gate on our faces the moment they see her walking down the street."

Irina crossed her arms. "Well, obviously we’re not going to walk there with Electra glowing like a whole furnace. We’ll cover her up. Hoodie, glasses, and hair tucked in. Easy."

Penelope frowned. "Electra? In a hoodie? Walking quietly? Standing in line? Not threatening anyone?’

Irina winced. "Okay... maybe not easy."

Seraphina leaned forward slightly. "Still... considering how important that place was to her, we have to try. It’s better than doing nothing."

Roxana nodded, but she didn’t look convinced. If anything, she looked worried, really worried. After a deep breath, she said what the others were probably thinking but didn’t want to say out loud.

"And if it doesn’t work... if the school won’t let her in... if walking around Elmeria becomes too risky..."

She paused, and the room went completely silent.

Then Roxana finished quietly, "Then Electra might have to just leave Elmeria."