Third-person POV

After yelling in a fit of rage and telling everyone to shut up, Jella turned sharply on her heel. The cameras were still rolling, the reporters were still shouting over one another, and the pressure of all their eyes on her had become too much. She did not care about dignity or control anymore. All she wanted was to get away from that podium, from the questions, and from the growing tension that felt like it was closing in on her from every side.

She began to move quickly, almost stumbling in her haste as she tried to push past the guards and make her way out of the chaos. Her breathing had become uneven, her chest rising and falling too fast, and the fear she had been trying so hard to hide was now starting to show in every movement she made. The reporters noticed immediately, and like a swarm, they surged forward, their voices growing louder and more aggressive, throwing questions at her that she could not answer and did not want to face. Microphones were pushed forward, cameras tilted to follow her every step, and flashes of light went off repeatedly, capturing every second of her retreat.

Electra stood still, watching it all unfold with a small, almost amused smile on her face. There was something strangely satisfying about the sight in front of her, about seeing Jella lose control so publicly after everything she had tried to hide. The way she moved now, frantic and desperate, was nothing like the composed queen she had presented herself as just moments ago. It made everything clearer and simpler, and for Electra, it confirmed something she had already known.

She let out a laugh as her eyes followed Jella’s attempt to escape the situation she had created for herself. The reporters rushed after Jella without hesitation, their need for answers stronger than any sense of order, and the entire scene quickly turned into chaos.

Electra turned away from it, her attention shifting back to the servant girl sitting on the straw mat. The girl looked weak, her body still trembling slightly from everything she had been forced to say, and her breathing was uneven, as though even staying conscious had become a struggle. For a moment, Electra simply looked at her, her expression softening just slightly in a way that did not match the coldness she had shown earlier.

With a small, almost gentle smile, Electra spoke, her voice calm and quiet compared to the noise surrounding them. "You can rest now," she said.

The girl’s eyes flickered faintly, as though she was trying to respond, but she did not have the strength to say anything. She simply sat there, her gaze unfocused, her body barely holding on.

Electra stepped closer and raised her hand, placing it gently over the girl’s head. For a brief second, nothing happened, and then, slowly, almost silently, the change began.

The girl’s body started to break apart in an almost peaceful manner. Her form began to dissolve into ash, her skin turning grey as it crumbled, her body losing its shape as though it had never truly been solid to begin with. There was no struggle, only a slow transformation until there was nothing left of her but a small pile of ash resting on the straw mat.

Electra watched the process without emotion, her hand lowering once it was done. The moment passed quickly, but it left behind a stillness that stood in contrast to the chaos happening nearby.

She turned her head slightly, her gaze finding Irina, who had remained where she was, watching everything in silence. There was no shock in Irina’s expression, no visible reaction to what had just happened, only an understanding of the kind of person Electra had become.

Electra’s eyes shifted briefly to Irina’s hand, the one she had stabbed earlier, and she tilted her head slightly as she spoke. "Have you recovered from the pain yet?" she asked, her tone casual, as if she were asking about something insignificant.

Irina rolled her eyes almost immediately, her expression flat. "I’m fine," she replied, her voice carrying a hint of irritation. Then she crossed her arms slightly, her gaze narrowing as she looked at Electra. "What are you going to do now?"

Electra shrugged lightly, her attention drifting back toward the chaos ahead. "For starters," she said, her voice calm, "I need to put a stop to this noise."

She didn’t elaborate, but she didn’t need to. The reporters were still shouting, still pushing forward, still trying to get past the guards who were struggling to hold them back as Jella tried to escape. The situation was getting worse by the second, and it was clear that if nothing was done, it would spiral even further out of control. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Without another word, Electra moved.

In the blink of an eye, her form changed, her body shifting as her phoenix nature took over fully. Flames flickered briefly around her before settling, and her wings burst free, large and powerful, stretching out behind her as if they had always been there. The air around her seemed to shift, the heat rising just enough to be felt, and for a moment, everything slowed.

One of the reporters noticed first. "Turn the cameras!" she shouted, her voice loud with excitement and disbelief. "Get that...get her!"

The words spread quickly, and within seconds, more than half of the cameras that had been focused on Jella turned toward Electra instead. Lenses adjusted, microphones shifted, and the attention that had been chasing Jella moments ago was now fixed entirely on Electra.

She ignored them.

With a single movement, she lifted off the ground, her wings carrying her upward with ease as she flew toward Jella. The motion drew even more attention, more gasps, and more frantic movement from the reporters below.

Jella saw her, and the moment her eyes landed on Electra in the air above her, everything inside her seemed to drop. Her heart pounded hard against her chest, her breath catching as the reality of the situation hit her all at once.

"Stay away from me!" she shouted, her voice rising with panic as she stumbled backward. "Don’t come near me!"

Her words came out rushed, almost desperate, and as she looked up at Electra, her fear twisted into something else, something darker.

"You’re a monster!" she yelled, her voice breaking slightly. "An abomination! You shouldn’t even exist! Stay away from me, you monster!"

The guards who had been surrounding her hesitated for only a moment before they made their choice. The sight of Electra in her form was enough to break whatever resolve they had left, and one by one, they stepped back, then turned, then ran. They didn’t look back, they didn’t try to hold their ground, they simply fled, leaving Jella completely alone.

That realization hit her just as quickly as everything else.

She was alone with no guards and no protection.

Her breathing became faster, her eyes darting around as if she was looking for a way out, but there was none. There was nowhere left to go, nowhere left to hide.

Electra stepped down slowly, her wings folding back as her feet touched the ground in front of Jella. The movement was calm, almost effortless, and it stood in contrast to Jella’s panic.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Electra simply looked at her, her gaze steady, her expression unreadable, and the silence between them felt heavier than anything that had happened before.

Then she spoke. "This is your last chance," Electra said, her voice firm, breaking through the noise around them as if it didn’t exist.

Jella froze.

"To confess to everything you’ve done," Electra continued, her tone steady, leaving no room for misunderstanding. "And do it without having to go through any pain."

There was no anger in her voice, no shouting, no visible emotion, but that only made it worse. The calmness of it, the certainty, it made it clear that she meant every word.

Electra took a small step forward, closing the distance between them just enough to make Jella flinch. "I won’t ask twice."