Chapter 18: Cat & Mouse

    Third-person Pov

    Electra finally moved away from Seraphina''s face, creating some much-needed distance, and Seraphina let out a breath she hadn''t realized she was holding, her body relaxing slightly as the tension of Electra''s nearness dissipated.

    Her heart was still racing, her pulse pounding in her ears as she tried to get a grip on her emotions.

    Calm down, Seraphina, she told herself. Calm your heart.

    But just as she was finding her composure, Electra''s voice cut through her train of thoughts. "Tell me about yourself, Sera," she said, her tone casual.

    Seraphina blinked, caught off guard. "What do you want to know?" she asked, trying to buy herself a moment to think.

    It was an odd request, and no one ever asked her about herself—not in the way Electra just had.

    Electra''s eyes remained fixed on her. "Everything," she replied simply, as if that were the most reasonable request in the world. "I want to know everything about you, Seraphina. I''m curious."

    Seraphina couldn''t help but let out a dry, almost bitter laugh. She shook her head, staring down at her hands in her lap.

    "There''s nothing to know," she replied. "To be honest, I still don''t understand why you find me interesting. There''s really nothing interesting about me like you claim."

    For a moment, the only sound in the room was the faint ripple of water as Electra shifted in the bath, and Seraphina didn''t dare look up.

    She didn''t know what she had expected from this interaction, but she certainly hadn''t expected Electra to be so... curious. It didn''t make sense.

    She had spent most of her life in the shadows, unnoticed and insignificant. Why now, of all places, did someone like Electra, the most powerful and feared girl at Elysium, care about her and think she was interesting? That just made no sense.

    The soft splash of water broke her thoughts as Electra slowly lifted her head from the tub, her piercing gaze now fixed on Seraphina. "Why do you think that?" she asked. "Why do you believe there''s nothing interesting about you?"

    Seraphina shrugged, her eyes still glued to her hands. "I don''t know," she murmured. "I just... I''ve never been someone who stands out. I''ve never done anything remarkable. I''m just... me."

    Electra chuckled as she leaned back in the bath, watching Seraphina with a gaze that seemed to penetrate all the walls Seraphina had built around herself.

    "I don''t involve myself with people I don''t find interesting," she said, her tone as matter-of-fact as ever. "And I''ve decided that you are interesting, whether you believe it or not."

    Before Seraphina could respond, Electra continued, her voice lower, almost teasing. "If you stick by my side, you might find out just how interesting you really are. You just haven''t had the chance to see it yet."

    Seraphina finally looked up, her eyes meeting Electra''s. There was something in the way Electra spoke—something almost hypnotic in her words.

    It was almost as if she was offering Seraphina a glimpse into a different world—one where she wasn''t invisible, but at the same time, the promise in Electra''s words felt dangerous.

    Being near her meant entering a world that Seraphina didn''t understand, a world that could consume her if she wasn''t careful.

    Electra sighed, her expression shifting into one of impatience. "Since you can''t figure out anything about yourself today, Seraphina, I''m going to give you an assignment," she announced. "Next time we talk, you''ll have to tell me at least one thing about yourself that''s interesting."

    Electra''s fingers brushed against Seraphina''s as she took the towel from her, the touch sending a jolt of electricity through Seraphina''s body.

    She risked a quick glance upward and found Electra smirking at her, that same mischievous glint in her eyes.

    "See? That wasn''t so hard, was it?" Electra teased, wrapping the towel around herself and stepping out of the tub with ease.

    Seraphina didn''t respond, her throat too tight to form words.

    Electra didn''t wait for Seraphina to catch up before walking out of the bathroom, leaving her in a dazed state, and Seraphina quickly followed behind when she noticed.

    Seraphina hoped that this was finally the end of their meeting and that Electra would simply let her go.

    She could still feel the heat from Electra''s touch lingering on her skin, and it was making her think things she''d never considered before—thoughts that made her heart race and her cheeks flush.

    Staying here any longer felt dangerous, not just because of Electra''s reputation but because of the strange and unfamiliar feelings she was stirring in her.

    Once they reached the bedroom, Electra walked toward the door, and Seraphina followed hesitantly, her mind racing with questions about what Electra intended to do next.

    She still couldn''t quite read Electra''s expressions, but the way Electra looked back at her with that sly, amused smile made her feel like a mouse being toyed with by a cat.

    At the door, Electra paused and turned to face Seraphina. "Unfortunately, I have princess duties to attend to soon," she said with a sigh, "so I''ll have to send you back to your room."

    Seraphina was instantly relieved to hear that she could finally leave. She wasn''t sure how much longer she could handle being alone with Electra without completely losing her composure.

    "Thank you," she murmured. "Thank you for... inviting me."

    Just as she thought the ordeal was over, just as she was about to step past Electra to leave, something unexpected happened.

    In an instant, Electra''s hands were on her, and Seraphina felt herself being pushed backward until her back hit the door.

    Her eyes went wide, but before she could even process what was happening, Electra''s lips were on hers.

    It was soft at first—a touch, a brush of lips—but the intensity of the moment rendered Seraphina completely frozen.

    She couldn''t move, couldn''t breathe, and her heart pounded in her chest, every nerve in her body alive and buzzing.

    Electra kissed her deeply, confidently, as if this had been the intention all along, and Seraphina''s thoughts scattered. This—this wasn''t supposed to happen, and yet, as the seconds ticked by, she couldn''t move, couldn''t pull away.

    Her mind screamed at her to do something, but her body wouldn''t respond.

    When Electra finally pulled back, her eyes were dark, filled with an intensity that made Seraphina''s pulse race even faster. Their faces were still close—too close, and Seraphina was acutely aware of Electra''s body still pressing against hers.

    She could feel her own breath, ragged and uneven, mingling with Electra''s, and the entire room felt like it was spinning.

    With a low, almost seductive whisper, she leaned in even closer and said, "Goodnight, Seraphina."