Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]-Chapter 63: Awkward

Seraphina’s Pov

I stood frozen in front of Yuna’s room, staring at the wooden door as if it held all the answers to the questions swirling in my mind.

My palms were damp, and my breath felt heavy in my chest. Yura had texted me only minutes ago, letting me know that they were in Yuna’s room, and now I was here, but I couldn’t bring myself to knock or turn the knob.

I glanced down at my bandaged wrists, the faint sting beneath the cloth reminding me of what had happened earlier. I could still hear Yuna’s screams in my head—how her voice had distorted into something primal and terrifying.

The memory of her snake-like form, thrashing uncontrollably as her other side took over, was permanently imprinted into my mind. She had looked me dead in the eye as she gripped my wrists, her strength overwhelming, and for a moment, I was sure she didn’t even know it was me.

I couldn’t shake the guilt that clawed at me. Yuna wasn’t herself then; she couldn’t control what happened, but here I was, mentally accusing her while the bandages reminded me that her lack of control had caused me pain.

How could I face her without her seeing it? Without her blaming herself? Worse, how could I face her when I wasn’t even sure how I felt anymore?

I took a shaky breath, trying to push away the guilt, the fear, and the strange mixture of emotions turning inside me.

My hesitation only grew as I thought about how different things might be from now on. Yuna had been my first real friend, someone who made me feel seen, and yet, here I was, standing outside her room, feeling like a stranger.

And then there was Electra. My cheeks flushed at the thought, my fingers tightening into fists at my sides. Why had I let her kiss me? Why hadn’t I pushed her away or said something? Worse still, why had I enjoyed it?

It wasn’t just the kiss; it was everything about Electra—the way she moved, the way she spoke, the way she seemed to have this inexplicable hold over me. I hated her, and yet I couldn’t stop thinking about her or stop myself from turning into a complete moron whenever she was close enough.

The guilt doubled as I thought about facing Yuna, knowing that I hadn’t just failed her as a friend—again, I had also betrayed her trust by even being near Electra, let alone letting her kiss me. I bit down on my lip, trying to push the thought away, but it lingered, stubborn and unrelenting.

Finally, I raised my hand to knock, but my knuckles barely brushed the door before it opened. Yura stood in the doorway, her expression neutral but her eyes sharp, as if she had been waiting for me to show up.

Her gaze flickered to my wrists, and I instinctively hid them behind my back.

"You’re here," she said simply, stepping aside to let me in.

I swallowed hard and stepped into the room, my heart pounding. Yuna was sitting on the bed, her legs tucked beneath her, her head resting against the wall. She looked pale and exhausted, her eyes closed as if she were trying to block out the world. The sight of her made my chest ache.

"Yuna…" I said softly, my voice barely above a whisper.

Her eyes opened slowly, and when she saw me, something flickered in her expression—relief, maybe, or something close to it. "Sera," she said, her voice hoarse. "You’re here."

I took a hesitant step closer, my hands trembling at my sides. "Yura texted me," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "She said you were back."

Yuna nodded, her gaze dropping to my hands. Her brow furrowed slightly, and I knew she had noticed the bandages even though I was trying to keep them hidden. She didn’t say anything about them, though, and I felt a strange mix of relief and disappointment.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, my voice soft.

Yuna sighed, leaning her head back against the wall. "Better," she said, though she didn’t sound convincing. "The shift... it took a lot out of me."

I nodded, not knowing what to say. The room felt heavy with everything that had happened earlier, and I wanted nothing more than to tell her it wasn’t her fault and that I didn’t blame her for what happened to my wrists, but the words felt stuck in my throat.

Yura cleared her throat, breaking the silence. "She needs rest," she said, her tone firm as she looked between me and Yuna. "That’s why I brought her here. She’ll recover faster in her own space."

Yuna shot her sister a tired look but didn’t argue. I glanced between them, unsure of what to say or do. The tension in the room was obvious, and I felt like an intruder despite Yuna being my friend.

"Yura’s right," I said finally, my voice soft. "You need to rest."

Yuna looked at me, her gaze searching. "I’m sorry," she said suddenly, her voice breaking slightly. "For earlier."

Her words caught me off guard, and my chest tightened. "You don’t have to apologize," I said quickly, stepping closer to her. "It wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t control it."

"But I hurt you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Her eyes flicked to my wrists, and I saw the guilt etched into her features.

I shook my head, my throat tightening. "You didn’t mean to. I know that."

She didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t argue either. The room fell into silence again, and I felt like I was forcing myself to remain here, despite how awkward it was.

Yura cleared her throat again, her sharp gaze landing on me. "I don’t mean to be rude, but if you’re not going to stay, could you leave now?" she said. "She really needs to rest, and with you here, looking like that, it’s going to be hard."

I nodded quickly in understanding, despite feeling slightly offended by her tone. "I’ll leave," I said, glancing at Yuna. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

Yuna gave me a small, tired smile. "I will."

Yura sighed but didn’t say anything else, and as I walked out of the room, I couldn’t help but get the feeling that things between Yuna and me would never be the same again. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm