Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]-Chapter 24: Anxiety

Seraphina's Pov

I was shaking. Literally shaking. The room I was currently in felt small and suffocating, and the memories of my old life in Aldoria hit me all at once.

My hands were shaking as I tried to make sense of why those girls had dragged me here, but my mind kept pulling me back to the past—back to those horrible days in my old school when I had felt just as helpless.

I remembered the older kids, the ones who seemed to take pleasure in tormenting me. To them, I was nothing but a privileged brat, the daughter of the Major General, someone who got special treatment while the rest of them had to endure everything school threw at them.

They didn't care that the "special privilege" wasn't something I would wish on anyone.

No matter how many times I tried to explain that the teachers and principal exempted me from things like school debates or public events because of my social anxiety and not because I was some spoiled kid, they never listened. They didn't care about the truth.

They only saw me as different, and different meant they had an excuse to hurt me.

I could still feel the way their eyes bore into me when they cornered me after school. How they would whisper insults under their breath, just loud enough for me to hear but not loud enough for any adults to notice.

It was always subtle—brushing past me in the halls with just enough force to knock my books out of my hands, tripping me up when no one else was looking, or leaving cruel notes in my locker that made my stomach churn with anxiety.

They never did anything that would leave marks—nothing I could show my father or report to anyone without sounding like I was being overly dramatic.

And I could never tell my father, anyway. Ironically, he was always so focused on maintaining the family's reputation that he didn't have time to hear about my "little issues."

I couldn't burden him with something so trivial, according to him, and even if I did, he'd simply call me weak and remind me for the thousandth time how embarrassed he already was to have such a weakling for a daughter, despite being one of the most powerful men in the Kingdom.

I didn't realize how much I had let those memories get to me until I found myself gasping for air. My breath came in short bursts, and my heart pounded too hard against my chest. I could feel the panic attack slowly creeping in, and I fought to hold it back, but the panic was stronger.

I needed to get out of here.

I glanced around the room, trying to find something—anything—that would help me understand why I had been brought here.

Why those girls, who I didn't even know, had chosen me of all people. I didn't want to believe it, but part of me feared this was just like Aldoria all over again. Some twisted, cruel prank to put me in my place and to show me that I didn't belong here, either.

The longer I stayed in this tiny, suffocating room, the harder it became to breathe. My chest felt tight, and every gulp of air felt less satisfying than the last.

The three girls who had dragged me here had locked me in without a single word of explanation and then left me behind.

I kept hoping they would return, maybe to tell me this was some horrible misunderstanding or even some twisted prank that had gone too far, but as time dragged on and they still hadn't come back, the sinking realization hit me—they weren't coming back.

Panic began to take over, and it made my lungs tighten. I had no idea why they had done this to me. As far as I knew, I hadn't offended anyone, even though I knew deep down that I was just one of those unfortunate girls who attracted attention in a negative way.

But then, I haven't even been here for long, and I have no special privileges here—nothing that would make someone single me out for something like this. I was just... me.

Quiet, invisible Seraphina, who had never done anything to anyone. So why? Why would they lock me in this dark, tiny room and leave me like this?

I pressed my back against the cold wall, my knees pulled up to my chest. Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision as frustration and fear hit me all over again.

The room was so small, and the darkness was almost consuming. It was as though the walls themselves were closing in on me and squeezing the air out of my lungs. I bit my lip to stop a sob from escaping, but it was no use.

The tears came, hot and fast, rolling down my cheeks.

"Help..." I whimpered, my voice cracking under the strain, but it was too soft.

Even in this moment of desperation, I couldn't summon the strength to shout properly. My voice was always so weak, so small, and even now, when I needed someone—anyone—to hear me, it was barely audible.

I wiped at my tears angrily, hating myself for being so powerless. For not having the courage to scream for help like a normal person.

What was wrong with me? Why couldn't I just raise my voice and demand to be let out of this horrible place? But no matter how much I tried, the words caught in my throat, and my breath hitched in a pitiful sob instead.

"Please, help me!" I called out again, but my voice still wasn't loud enough.

It felt like I was choking on the words. No one would hear me. No one was coming.

I had no idea how long I had been in here—half an hour, maybe longer. Time was a blur in the dark, and my body ached from sitting in the same position, but I was too afraid to move, too afraid that the panic would completely overwhelm me if I uncurled from this protective ball I had made of myself.

But what if no one found me? What if this was my punishment for daring to think I could fit in at this school? For daring to hope that I could have a normal life, free from my anxiety?

The door suddenly rattled, and my heart nearly leaped out of my chest. My eyes widened, my breath catching as I heard the sound of the lock turning.

I held my breath, half-terrified, half-hopeful. Was this it? Was someone coming to let me out? Or was it those girls again, back to torment me even more?

The door creaked open, and a figure stood in the doorway, silhouetted by the light from the hallway outside. I squinted, trying to make out their face through the blur of my tear-filled eyes.

"Seraphina?"

That voice—it was Electra. My heart skipped a beat. What was she doing here? Why was she the one to find me?

She stepped inside, her piercing eyes locking on mine. There was something in her gaze—something almost... soft? Concern? I wasn't sure if I was imagining it.

"Why are you here?" I croaked, my voice hoarse from crying.

Electra's expression was unreadable as she took a step closer. "Because no one messes with what's mine."

Her words sent a shiver down my spine, but before I could process what she meant, she reached out a hand toward me, her eyes never leaving mine.

"Come on," she said softly. "Let's get you out of here."