Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]-Chapter 360: Space

Third-person POV

Seraphina took a slow, steady breath as Irina pushed open the door to Electra’s bedroom.

The door creaked softly, the sound echoing in a way that made the space beyond feel untouched and frozen in time. The room hadn’t been used in weeks, long enough for the air inside to feel still, like it had been holding its breath, waiting for its owner to return. As they stepped inside one after the other, Electra included, Seraphina felt a strange tightness in her chest. This room had always been Electra’s, not just a place she slept, but a place that carried her presence in every corner.

Irina was the first to speak. "Do you feel anything?" she asked gently, glancing at Electra. "You’ve stayed in this room more than anywhere else for the past ten years. If anything can bring back your memories, it should be this place."

Electra didn’t answer right away. She stood just inside the doorway, her hands relaxed at her sides, her eyes slowly moving across the room. Her gaze was calm, almost distant, and after a moment, she shrugged slightly.

"We’ll see," she said. Her voice held no hope or disappointment, just a calm curiosity.

She took a few steps forward, her shoes soft against the floor, and began to really look around. The room was massive, easily twice the size of the one she had shared with Seraphina the night before. High ceilings arched above them, painted in soft ivory tones, and tall windows lined one wall, draped in curtains that let sunlight spill freely into the space. The bed was large and neatly made, its dark wooden frame carved with subtle symbols of Elmeria. A desk sat near the window, covered in neatly stacked books that hadn’t been touched since her absence.

Everything was orderly.

Electra turned slowly, taking it all in, her expression unreadable. "I used this room alone?" she asked.

Irina nodded. "Yes. You always have."

Electra glanced at her, raising a brow slightly.

Irina continued, "You’re the only student at Elysium Girls High who has a room to herself. It was... a privilege, one that came with being the princess of Elmeria."

Electra hummed softly in response, not impressed, and also not bothered. She gave a small nod and turned her attention back to the room. Her fingers brushed lightly against the edge of a bookshelf as she walked past it, as if testing whether the place would react to her touch. It didn’t.

Seraphina watched her closely, searching her face for any sign of confusion, recognition, or emotion, but there was nothing, just that same blank calm that had followed Electra since she woke up without her memories.

After a moment of silence, Seraphina cleared her throat. "Do you want someone to stay with you?" she asked. "At least for now. To help you out."

Electra turned to face her fully this time. "Help me with what?"

The question wasn’t sharp or defensive. It was genuine.

Roxana, who had been leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, let out a small sigh. "A new semester started a few days ago," she said. "The school’s packed. New students, old students, and a lot of the old ones..." She paused, clearly choosing her words. "They don’t like you."

Electra frowned slightly. "Why?"

Roxana straightened, pushing off the wall. "That’s a long story."

Electra tilted her head. "And what does that have to do with me? Is there a reason I should care?"

Roxana looked at her like the answer should have been obvious. When it clearly wasn’t, she sighed again. "We can’t just let you wander around campus with no memories while more than half the school hates your guts. It’s not safe, and before you ask, no, you’re not allowed to use your powers on other students."

That got Electra’s attention. "I’m not?" she asked.

"No," Roxana said firmly. "Well, Astor made that very clear, didn’t she? Did you already forget so quickly? Any use of force, magical or otherwise, and you’re out. No excuses."

Electra considered that for a moment. "So you’re saying I need a guard."

Roxana snorted. "Don’t call it that."

Irina stepped in quickly, sensing the tension. "She just means someone to keep an eye on you, help you adjust, and make sure you don’t... accidentally make even more enemies."

Electra’s lips twitched slightly, like she found that idea amusing. "Sounds exhausting."

"It is," Roxana replied without hesitation. "Which is why you shouldn’t pick me. I don’t have the patience."

Penelope, who had been quietly inspecting one of the framed photos on the wall, finally turned around. "She’s not wrong," she said lightly. "Roxana loses her temper faster than anyone here."

Roxana shot her a look. "I’m standing right here."

Penelope smiled sweetly. "Exactly."

Electra watched the exchange with mild interest. There was something strange about it, about all of them. These girls clearly knew her well. They spoke to her with familiarity, irritation, and concern, and yet she felt nothing in return. No bond, no history, just faces and voices attached to names she had been told to remember.

She remained where she was, standing near the center of the room now, her attention drifting from face to face. They were all watching her too closely, like they were waiting for her to choose correctly, as if there was a right answer hidden somewhere in her head that she simply hadn’t found yet.

Seraphina shifted on her feet, clearly uncomfortable with the silence. She took a small breath. "So," she said carefully, "do you want someone to stay with you? It’s just for now. Just until you get used to being here again."

Electra didn’t respond immediately.

She turned away from them and walked a few steps closer to the window. Sunlight spilled over her shoulders, catching in her blonde hair, making it glow faintly. Outside, the school grounds looked peaceful, with students moving in the distance, laughter drifting faintly upward, and life going on as if nothing had changed.

She stared at it for a moment before speaking. "Can I be honest?" she asked quietly, without turning around. "In the way I want to be."

Roxana let out a short laugh. "Haven’t you been brutally honest since the moment we found you?"

Irina shot her a sharp look. "Roxana."

"What?" Roxana muttered.

Irina turned back to Electra. "Say what you need to say."

Electra finally turned around, leaning her back lightly against the window frame. Her expression was calm and unreadable, but there was something tired in her eyes now. "I’m not trying to be ungrateful," she said. "I know you’ve all been helping me. I know that, logically."

She paused, choosing her words with care. "But right now, all of you are overwhelming me."

The words hung in the air.

"All of you," Electra repeated, meeting their eyes one by one. "You talk to me like you know me. You expect me to react like someone I don’t remember being. You keep explaining who I was, what I did, what people think of me... and I don’t have a place to put any of it."

She tapped a finger lightly against her temple. "There’s nothing here, no memories, and no feelings attached to any of it. Honestly, it’s all just noise."

Irina swallowed. "We’re just trying to protect you."

"I know," Electra said simply. "But you’re protecting a version of me that doesn’t exist to me yet."

The room went silent again.

Seraphina took a hesitant step forward. "So... what do you want, Electra?"

Electra exhaled slowly. "I want you all to leave. Give me space."