Third-person POV

Electra and Irina entered Electra’s room, and Electra was just about to defend Irina’s comment on how she didn’t have common sense, but before either of them could speak, they would notice the figure sitting on the edge of Electra’s bed in the dark room, holding what looked like a bat. The air in the room felt different the moment they stepped in, heavier than usual, like someone had been sitting there for a long time waiting for them to arrive.

Electra’s words died before they could leave her mouth, her attention shifting immediately toward the figure, while Irina’s instincts kicked in faster, her hand already reaching for the switch without needing to think about it.

The lights came on, revealing the figure clearly, and that was when they would realize that it was Penelope sitting on Electra’s bed. She really did have a bat in her hand, her fingers wrapped tightly around it, and the look on her face was what made the moment settle properly. She looked furious, not the kind of irritation she sometimes showed, but something deeper, something that didn’t belong to the soft image anyone would have of her.

Even Electra, who had once thought Penelope looked too gentle to ever be intimidating, found herself staring for a second longer than usual, silently correcting that thought in her head. She had been wrong. Completely wrong.

Irina was the first to break the silence, her voice steady but edged with caution as she crossed her arms slightly and looked directly at Penelope. "What’s with the bat?" she asked. "Are we supposed to be impressed, or are you planning to swing it at us?"

Penelope didn’t answer right away. Instead, she slowly stood up from the bed, the movement almost slow enough to feel intentional, like she wanted them to watch her. The bat dragged lightly against the bed before dropping to the floor with a dull scrape as she straightened, and then she started walking toward them. Each step was calm, and the sound of the bat scraping across the floor followed her, filling the silence.

"Why didn’t you tell me?" Penelope asked finally, her voice low but clear, her eyes fixed on them without wavering.

Irina let out a small breath, already preparing to answer. "We..."

"Why didn’t you think to tell me you were going to the palace and take me with you?" Penelope cut her off immediately, her tone rising just slightly. "Or was I just not important enough to be included?"

Irina frowned slightly, her brows pulling together as she tried again. "Pen, we didn’t..."

"Didn’t think I deserved to know?" Penelope continued, not giving her space to speak, her steps closing the distance between them. "Or did you just decide it wasn’t my business?" Her gaze shifted briefly between Irina and Electra before settling again. "Aren’t we supposed to be friends? Don’t we do everything together?"

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Electra didn’t look bothered by the tension, but she didn’t look unaffected either. She simply watched Penelope approach, her expression calm, almost too calm for the situation.

"It wasn’t Irina’s fault," Electra said finally, her tone nonchalant, like she was stating something obvious. "I made the decision." She tilted her head slightly, her gaze steady on Penelope. "There was no need to bring you along. I didn’t think I needed you."

The silence that followed was immediate. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Penelope’s steps stopped. Her expression didn’t change right away, but something shifted in her eyes, something small but clear enough to notice. It wasn’t anger this time, it was hurt.

Irina turned to Electra instantly, her glare stern. "Just shut up," she muttered under her breath, her voice low but filled with warning.

Then she turned back to Penelope quickly, her expression softening just enough to try and fix the damage. "Don’t listen to her," Irina said, her tone calmer now, more controlled. "We didn’t know what we were walking into. We just left quickly before things got worse."

She took a small step forward, her posture less defensive now. "It wasn’t about you. It was about the situation."

Penelope didn’t respond, but her grip on the bat tightened slightly.

Irina continued, choosing her words more carefully. "And you know how she is right now," she added, glancing briefly at Electra before looking back at Penelope. "She doesn’t have her memories, and she doesn’t think before she speaks. She doesn’t know what’s right to say or not say."

Electra didn’t argue. She simply stood there, watching.

Penelope stared at them both, her face going blank in a way that made it impossible to tell what she was thinking. For a moment, the tension in the room seemed to pause, like everything had gone still. The only sound left was the faint scraping of the bat as she slowly dragged it across the floor again, her eyes fixed on nothing in particular.

Then, without warning, she moved.

She lifted the bat suddenly, and before either of them could react, she turned and walked back toward the full-length mirror standing against the wall.

"Pen..." Irina started, but it was already too late.

The bat came down hard.

The sound of glass shattering filled the room, loud and violent as cracks spread across the mirror before it broke apart completely. Pieces fell to the floor in a chaotic scatter, reflecting fragments of light in every direction.

Electra’s eyes widened slightly, the shock clear this time as she watched the mirror break, her mind trying to catch up with what had just happened.

Penelope didn’t stop. She swung again, and again, and each hit was harder than the last, the sound echoing through the room until there was nothing left of the mirror but shattered pieces covering the floor.

Irina didn’t move. She didn’t try to stop her, didn’t raise her voice, didn’t interfere. She just watched, her expression unreadable, like she had expected something like this to happen eventually.

When it was over, the room fell into silence again, broken only by the faint sound of glass settling.

Penelope lowered the bat slowly, her breathing steady, her expression calm in a way that didn’t match what she had just done. Then she turned and began walking back toward them, dragging the bat across the floor again, the sound returning like nothing had changed.

She stopped in front of Electra, her gaze locking on hers, her expression serious again.

"Stop looking down on me," Penelope said, her voice firm, clear, and without hesitation. "Just because I’m cute doesn’t mean I’m weak."

Electra didn’t respond immediately. She simply looked at her, her expression unreadable, but her attention fully focused now.

Then, just like that, Penelope’s expression changed, and a smile appeared on her face.

Bright, cheerful, and completely out of place.

She shifted her weight slightly, resting the bat casually against her shoulder as her eyes moved between Electra and Irina.

"So," Penelope said, her tone light, almost playful, like nothing had just happened, "are you two going to tell me what the hell is going on with the palace drama?"