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

Seraphina's POV

I wandered through the school garden, my footsteps slow and aimless as I tried to sort through the storm of thoughts in my mind.

I was tired.

Tired of thinking, of questioning, of searching for answers that always felt just out of reach. The voice that had caused Electra and me to switch lives had thrown our entire existence into chaos, but now, when I desperately needed it to reappear, it was nowhere to be found.

"Show yourself, dammit," I muttered under my breath, my hands curling into fists.

I didn't know what I was expecting—maybe some cryptic answer that would only give me more questions, maybe a puzzle I'd have to decode—but something was better than nothing.

I needed answers.

How was I supposed to save Electra? What had my mother been meant to do all those years ago when Electra was born? If her mother had died before mine could fulfill whatever role she was meant to play, then was it all doomed from the start?

Was Electra doomed from the start?

The thought made my stomach twist painfully.

I exhaled sharply, fighting back the frustration burning my throat. It wasn't fair. Not to Electra, not to me. She was getting worse—coughing up blood, growing weaker by the day—and all I had were guesses and theories.

I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing back the sting of tears. What am I supposed to do?

Then, as if the universe had finally decided to acknowledge my plea, a voice spoke from behind me.

"You must be Lady Aurora's daughter."

I spun around so fast my vision blurred for a second. My heart pounded violently in my chest, a mix of fear and shock paralyzing me in place.

Standing before me, as if she had always been there, was a woman.

A woman with long, golden-blonde hair cascading down her back in soft waves. A woman with sharp, regal features, and piercing blue eyes that looked both kind and unbearably sad.

A woman I had seen before in my dreams.

"Solara."

The name escaped my lips in a whisper, barely more than a breath. Electra's mother. The woman who had died giving birth to her.

Solara smiled faintly, tilting her head slightly as she studied me. "So, you know who I am."

I swallowed hard, my mind scrambling to process what was happening. Was she a ghost? An illusion? A vision sent to taunt me with the truth I had been so desperately searching for?

"How...?" My voice cracked slightly. "How are you here?"

Solara exhaled softly, almost like she had been expecting the question. "I am here because you called me."

I stared at her, my pulse still erratic. "I—called you?"

She nodded. "Your heart was searching for answers, and I have been waiting for the moment when you would be ready to receive them."

A wave of emotions crashed into me all at once—relief, hope, desperation.

"Then tell me," I said quickly, stepping forward. "Tell me what I need to do to save Electra. She's dying, isn't she? And I don't know how to stop it."

Solara's blue eyes darkened slightly. "She was never meant to live this long."

My breath caught in my throat. "What?"

"Electra was never meant to survive," Solara said softly. "A child like her—half-human, half-phoenix—was never supposed to exist. From the moment she was conceived, fate was already against her, and it's unfortunately my fault."

My head was spinning. "But she did survive. You made sure of it, didn't you?"

Solara's expression softened. "I tried."

"Tried?"

She sighed, a shadow of regret passing over her features. "I fought against fate itself to ensure she was born alive, but in doing so, I took from her what should have been her true nature. I weakened her spirit, her body, to keep her tethered to this world."

I clenched my fists. "And now it's catching up to her."

Solara nodded solemnly. A heavy silence settled between us, my mind racing through every possible solution, every possible way to fight against what she was saying.

"But my mother," I said suddenly. "She was supposed to help, wasn't she? You asked her to do something—something that never happened because you died before you could bring Electra to her."

Solara's gaze flickered with something unreadable.

"Yes."

Hope flared in my chest. "Then tell me what she was supposed to do! If my mother was supposed to save Electra, then maybe I can do it instead!"

Solara hesitated. I stepped closer, desperation lacing my voice. "Please. If there's any way to keep her alive—"

"It's not just about keeping her alive," Solara interrupted gently. "It's about giving her a chance to live. Right now, Electra is merely surviving. She is bound by an existence that was never meant to last. The only way to truly save her is to restore what was taken."

I swallowed hard. "And what was taken?"

Solara's eyes bore into mine. "Her fire."

The words sent a chill down my spine. "Her—her fire?"

Solara nodded. "Electra is a phoenix, but she is incomplete. I took away her true essence, her full power, in order to keep her alive, but without it, she is deteriorating."

"So how do we give it back?" I demanded.

Solara's expression turned solemn. "That is where your mother was supposed to come in."

My heart pounded. "What did she have to do?"

"She was supposed to be the vessel through which Electra's fire was reignited."

I blinked. "Vessel? What does that even mean?"

Solara took a slow breath, choosing her words carefully. "Your mother was meant to become the bridge between Electra's human and phoenix sides. She was supposed to awaken the dormant fire within her and allow her body to fully embrace what she is."

The pieces were starting to click together in my mind, but there was still one massive problem.

"But my mother is dead."

Solara's lips pressed into a thin line. "Unfortunately."

I inhaled sharply. "So then—what now? If she was supposed to be the one to do it, and she's gone, then does that mean Electra is doomed no matter what?"

Solara studied me for a long moment.

Then, finally, she said, "Your mother is gone, but her blood still flows through you."

I froze."You're saying..." My throat went dry. "You're saying I have to do it, but how am I a vessel?"

Solara stepped forward, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Seraphina," she said softly, "you are my daughter's last chance."

I let out a shaky breath. "I already know that, and I want to help. But how do I do that?"

Solara's fingers tightened slightly. "You must awaken the fire within her, but doing so will require something from you as well."

My stomach churned. "What do you mean?"

Solara's eyes met mine, unwavering. "To restore what was taken, a balance must be struck. You will have to offer something in return."

A lump formed in my throat. "Offer what?"

Solara hesitated for the briefest moment before saying, "Your own life force."

The world seemed to tilt under me. "What?"

"Not your life," Solara clarified. "But a part of your essence. Your energy, your spirit—it must be shared with Electra in order to rekindle what has been lost."

I stared at her, my heart hammering in my chest.

This was it. The answer I had been searching for, and it terrified me.