Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]-Chapter 308: Not about trust

Electra’s POV

I steadied my breath, eyes narrowing on the tiny enchanted orb zipping through the air like a mischievous insect. Just one clean shot, and I’d prove to Irina, and maybe even to myself, that I wasn’t losing my edge.

Over the last few days, Irina hasn’t shut up about how my overconfidence was slowing me down and how she wasn’t confident I’d do great at the tournament, and even after assuring her time and time again that I was doing just fine, she claimed she wasn’t seeing it, and honestly, I wasn’t feeling it either.

The bowstring creaked slightly as I pulled it back, ready to let the arrow fly.

"Electra!" Roxana’s voice broke through my focus, sharp and urgent.

I cursed under my breath and let the arrow go anyway. It whistled past the orb, missing by less than an inch before vanishing into the trees behind it. The orb let out a shrill hiss and disappeared with a pop, as if mocking me. I lowered the bow slowly and turned in Roxana’s direction.

Deena was beside her, shoulders hunched, eyes on the ground even from several yards away, and my jaw immediately tightened at the sight of her.

It had been days since I told Roxana and Penelope to find Deena and bring her back. We needed her, unfortunately, and her skill was necessary for the enchanted archery team if we wanted any real chance of winning, but apparently Deena had taken leave from school, disappearing without any explanation.

I clenched my teeth, irritation prickling under my skin at the mere sight of her. "Bring her here," I called out.

Roxana wasted no time, tugging Deena along by the arm until they stood in front of me. I shot a look at Yura, who was hanging back a few feet away, eyes wide and curious.

"Whatever you see or hear now," I said to her flatly, "mind your business."

Yura blinked, clearly startled, but gave a shaky nod before backing away further, bow still in hand. I turned my attention back to Deena, who looked even smaller than I remembered.

Her head was down, her dark hair falling over her eyes like a curtain, hiding whatever expression she wore.

I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could get a word out, Irina suddenly stepped forward. She’d been practicing next to me in silence up until that moment, and I hadn’t even realized how close she’d moved.

Without warning, Irina slapped Deena across the face, and the sound of it was so loud, it echoed in the clearing. Deena fell to the ground with a soft gasp, clutching her cheek and staring up at Irina with wide and teary eyes.

For a long second, Deena just sat there, as if her body was still trying to catch up with what had happened, while Irina stepped aside without a word, keeping her expression unreadable. I didn’t even need to ask her why she did it, because it was more than obvious that she had been holding that slap in for a long time.

Slowly, Deena pushed herself off the ground, brushing her skirt down with shaky fingers as she stood on wobbly legs. Her gaze flicked to Irina briefly, fearful, but then settled on me, her lips tightening like she was forcing herself to speak.

"Did you bring me here just to humiliate me again?" she asked, her voice trembling but trying to sound brave. "Haven’t you punished me enough already, Electra? You made sure everyone hates me, and no one will even talk to me. They move seats when I walk in, and I even got kicked out of my room. What more do you want from me?"

The corner of my lip curled, not in amusement, but disbelief. Her words made it sound like I’d woken up one day and decided to ruin her life out of boredom. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"You say that like I made you a target for fun," I said flatly, arms folding across my chest. "Like I had nothing better to do than destroy you."

Deena’s jaw clenched, but she didn’t respond.

"You betrayed me," I said, my voice low but steady. "You went behind my back and worked with my mother, my own mother who you knew loathed me, to take my life on her orders. You stood there and listened when she told you what to do, and you agreed. I trusted you, Deena. You weren’t just in our group, you were one of us, and you agreed to help kill me."

She opened her mouth, but I raised a hand. "Don’t bother. I didn’t call you here to hear your latest excuse. I’ve heard them all already."

Deena’s shoulders slumped slightly. Her hand lifted to rub the side of her face where Irina’s slap still burned red.

"Then why am I here?" she asked, her tone uncertain, like she was preparing herself for another blow.

I let a slow smirk rise to my lips. "Because I’m offering you something," I said simply. "A chance and a choice."

Deena’s brows furrowed. "What kind of choice?"

"To earn your place back by my side."

Her entire body stiffened, and for a second, she didn’t say anything. Yura, who had been silently watching this whole time, shifted uncomfortably nearby, probably trying to make sense of the strange turn of events.

I continued, letting the words hang long enough to make Deena think.

"I’ve heard," I said, tilting my head slightly, "that things haven’t been easy for you lately. That the same students you once bullied while with me won’t even let you blink without dumping on you. I’ve also heard that you’ve been getting cold stares and getting cursed at everywhere, and you’re even struggling to keep up in class. You also eat lunch alone. Sounds... familiar."

Deena’s throat bobbed as she swallowed.

"You don’t get to play the victim," I went on. "But I’m not heartless, and I know how Elysium works. Once you lose your circle, it’s like bleeding into open water. So you’ve got two options, Deena. Keep swimming alone until you drown... or find your way back."

Her eyes flicked to Roxana, then to Irina, both standing a few feet behind me. Neither said a word, but their body language was clear, they weren’t thrilled by the offer.

"Why now?" she asked, her voice small.

"Because I don’t have time to be petty," I said bluntly. "And because I need you."

That startled her. Her brows lifted slightly, her lips parting.

"I need you back on the enchanted archery team," I clarified. "You should know by now that the tournament is coming up, and unfortunately, you’ve always had sharp eyes and steady hands, even if your loyalty is... questionable. I need a fifth, and there’s no one else that fits. You’ve been trained, and you already know how we work. That makes this easier."

"You’re asking me to join the team again?" she repeated, like she didn’t believe it.

"I’m offering you the chance," I corrected. "But don’t get it twisted, Deena. This offer that I’m making isn’t anywhere near forgiveness, and this isn’t forgetting. It’s simply a necessity."

"And if I say no?"

I met her gaze evenly. "Then you walk away, and you keep living in that shadow you carved out for yourself, but I don’t think you want that."

She hesitated, and the silence that followed was filled with tension. Roxana’s eyes narrowed slightly, her arms crossed. Irina looked ready to throw another slap if Deena so much as blinked wrong, and Yura... well, she still looked like she wasn’t sure what she’d walked into.

"I..." Deena finally spoke, her voice softer. "If I say yes... what does that mean? That everything’s fine again?"

I laughed, sharp and quick. "No. Nothing’s fine. You’ll be watched very closely. Every move you make, every word you speak, and if I get even a whiff of betrayal again, you won’t get a third chance."

Deena nodded slowly, biting the inside of her cheek. "I get it."

"Do you?" I asked, stepping a little closer so she could hear the steel behind my words. "Because this isn’t an opportunity to have things go back to how they used to be. You get to fight beside me, not because I trust you, but because I need results. That’s all."

Deena nodded again, this time more firmly. "Understood."

I watched her carefully. There was hesitation in her eyes, yes, but there was also something else, a clear hunger for belonging, and maybe, just maybe, a trace of regret.

"Good," I said, straightening. "We start tomorrow. Two p.m. sharp. Don’t be late."

As I turned back toward the training field, Irina stepped closer, her voice low but unmistakably annoyed. "Are you sure about this? I know we need her and all, but I don’t trust that she’s not going to screw us over on your mother’s instruction."

"I also don’t trust her, Irina," I said honestly. "But I’m not doing this out of trust; I’m doing it to win, and if she does anything funny at all, she’ll be getting an arrow straight to her chest."