Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]-Chapter 30: Sick

Seraphina's Pov

The sound of the school anthem filled the auditorium as hundreds of voices joined in a unified chorus, and I stood there, looking around with an unamused look on my face.

Yuna's voice harmonized confidently beside me, but I kept my lips pressed tightly together. I hadn't bothered to learn the anthem yet, and even if I did know the words, there was no way I could bring myself to sing right now.

My body ached in a way I couldn't explain. Every muscle in my body felt tight and sore, as though I had been running for miles, even though I had done nothing more than get out of bed this morning.

My head kept throbbing with a relentless and sharp pain, and my stomach turned with a nausea that seemed to rise and fall. I took a slow breath and tried to stabilize myself, but even that felt like a difficult task.

"Are you okay?" Yuna's whispered, breaking through the loud singing. Her concerned eyes searched my face, and I knew in that moment that I must have looked terrible.

"I feel sick," I admitted, my voice hoarse.

My skin was clammy to the touch, and I could feel the sweat beading along my hairline.

Her expression softened, and she leaned closer to murmur, "Don't worry. As soon as this is over, I'll take you to the infirmary."

I nodded weakly, grateful for her offer, but I wasn't sure I could last that long. The only thing keeping me upright was sheer willpower and the knowledge that missing the general assembly was not an option.

The anthem ended, and Principal Astor's took the stage. Her commanding presence silenced the murmuring in the crowd, and she started waiting for whatever it was she wanted to say, while I barely paid any attention.

I had no energy left to listen, so I simply stood there, my knees locked and trembling as I tried not to think about how badly I wanted to sit down or, better yet, lie down.

"Brace yourself. This is going to take a while," Yuna whispered, a touch of humor in her tone that I couldn't share.

I managed a small, weak smile before closing my eyes for just a moment, trying to keep the dizziness at bay. The principal's voice started to feel like an annoying sound in the background, almost like the low buzz of a fly that just wouldn't go away.

Minutes felt like hours, and I blinked rapidly, fighting the urge to let my eyelids fall shut and surrender to the dizziness that was creeping at the edges of my vision.

My head drooped slightly, and I forced myself to stand taller, gripping the side of my skirt with shaking fingers.

"Electra Vale," the principal's voice cut through the room, snapping my attention back to the present.

My eyes flew open, and I instinctively looked up at the podium. Electra was standing off to the side, her posture perfect, and her eyes as cold and as calculating as ever.

The sight of her was enough to momentarily jolt me out of my pain. Why was her name called?

My heart skipped a beat, and I squinted at the stage, trying to make out the principal's expression.

Was Electra in trouble? I doubted it; she was the princess of Elmeria. Surely, there was nothing she could do here that would actually get her in trouble.

I tried to concentrate on the principal's words but started to feel dizzy again, and it left me struggling to understand what was being said. Then I heard her say that Electra herself would be coming up to announce who she had chosen.

Chosen for what?

I turned to Yuna, confusion clear on my face. "What's going on?" I whispered.

Yuna's eyes were wide. "It's the Revernyn Tournament. It's this huge event between all the schools in the kingdom," she explained. "Electra gets to pick the students who represent Elysium. For now, though, she's only announcing the five students to join her in the enchanted archery team."

Yuna paused, giving me a look that was half exasperated and half amused. "Honestly, there's no point in paying attention. She picks the same people every year—her minions, basically."

I nodded, starting to understand. So this was one of those routine announcements, then, with no surprises.

Electra took to the podium, and I couldn't help but look at her, even though it was also briefly. She looked even more beautiful under the stage lights, with her hair shining like melted gold and her eyes glinting with a mix of power and mischief. I felt something tug inside me—a mix of awe, fear, and other emotions that I still couldn't name.

Satisfied, I let myself relax a bit, letting the sound of her voice drown out without really listening. My head was pounding so hard now that I felt it might burst, and I desperately wished I could be anywhere else but here.

"I have considered many," I heard her say. "And today, I am pleased to announce the students who will join me in representing Elysium."

She began to list the names, and just as Yuna had predicted, they were the names everyone expected. I had tuned out completely now, thinking that whatever was going on now had nothing to do with me, but that was until all of a sudden, I heard it.

My name.

"And finally," she announced. "Seraphina Hook."

My heart stopped, and time itself seemed to stop as well. I heard my name echo in the room again, and for a moment, I thought I had misheard.

I looked up in shock, blinking to clear my vision, and Electra was staring straight at me from the podium, her expression unreadable.

I turned to Yuna, my heart pounding. "What... what's going on? Why did she call my name?" I asked, and my voice came out shaky and barely audible.

Yuna looked just as shocked, her mouth slightly open. "She just... she just named you as part of her archery team."

The words barely registered. Archery? Me? I'd never even touched a bow, much less shot one. This couldn't be happening.

I glanced back at Electra, who was still looking in my direction with a faint smile on her lips. My head started to spin faster, and my vision blurred as I struggled to process what was happening.

The room tilted sharply, and I reached out blindly for something—anything to steady myself—but there was nothing.

The last thing I saw before everything went dark was Electra's piercing eyes fixed on me, like she had just claimed something precious.

And then everything went dark.