Chapter 276: The Imitation
Third-person POV
Seraphina was done. So done.
Her legs were aching terribly, her throat was dry, and as for her patience? It was long gone. She had been walking for what felt like hours, trying to find Electra, but it was as though the forest was playing games with her by twisting the paths, reshaping the trees, and whispering strange things in her ears like it had a mind of its own, which she now knew it did, but knowing didn’t make it any less mind-boggling.
No matter how fast she walked or how determined she was, something was always blocking her path. A root would rise just as she was about to run, those stupid branches would start to sway and tangle together, refusing her entry, and the most maddening part was the eerie calm that settled around her, like the forest itself was breathing, watching, and waiting for her to experience an epic failure.
She’d thought being stuck in a glowing, celestial forest was bad enough, but then she talked to the tree, and the tree had a lot to say to her, not in a riddle or some poetic nonsense.
No, it told her straight: "Electra has ten minutes to find you as she’s been sent on a test, and while she’s on this test, you’re not allowed to move too much because you don’t belong here yet. If she fails, you’ll become a part of this place permanently, so do hope she finds you in time."
Just like that, no sugarcoating, no nothing.
At first, Seraphina had felt relief that Electra was alive, and that she was most likely searching for her which simply meant that there was hope, but the tree hadn’t stopped there.
According to the tree, Electra wasn’t allowed to feel anger, fear, or desperation. Not even a trace, and if she does feel any of these emotions, the path to her would vanish, and the test would be over.
That was when Seraphina’s stomach dropped.
"Seriously?" she muttered now, brushing a strand of hair out of her face as she sat on the mossy edge of a boulder. "You tell a girl who practically lives off rage and impulsive decisions to keep her emotions in check? That’s like telling the wind to stop blowing."
She leaned forward and buried her face in her palms. The tree had forbidden her from moving too far, but it hadn’t said she couldn’t think or stress herself out over all the possibilities, because right now, the only thing she was feeling was immense stress. She didn’t want to be stuck in this weird place for the rest of her life with talking trees being the only thing that she was alive around her, but right now, there was a possibility that this could end up being her fate.
What if Electra got close and slipped up, or worse, what if Electra already had?
Seraphina really didn’t want to lose faith. She really didn’t, but she knew Electra, and Electra didn’t handle pressure well, especially not when someone she cared about was involved.
She was the last person to give such a task to, so Seraphina couldn’t help but continuously think that what if Electra failed?
"No," Seraphina said aloud, standing abruptly. "No, I can’t think like that."
She paced in a tight circle, the dirt unfet her feet unusually warm for such a peaceful-looking place. Every tree she passed seemed to lean closer, like it was eavesdropping. She kept expecting something, anything, to leap out and tell her time was up, but the minutes dragged on, silent and excruciating.
"Okay, Seraphina, take a deep breath," she told herself. "Just breathe, and wait for Electra. She’s definitely coming, and she’s going to get through this."
Still, the doubt crept in. What if they were playing with her? What if the tree had lied, or twisted the truth like everything in this realm seemed to be?
She pressed a hand to her chest, her heart beating like it was on the verge of exploding. "Electra," she whispered, almost like a prayer. "Please don’t get angry, please don’t panic. Just find me."
Suddenly, a breeze swept through the trees, and it was not a normal breeze, not like anything about this place was normal, but this one felt different. Warmer and more focused, like someone had cracked open a door and the wind from a completely different side had slipped through.
Seraphina turned sharply, her breath catching. The fireflies above her flickered once, then began to swirl strangely, and then she took a step back, her eyes scanning the trees.
A pulse rolled through the air, not the wind or a sound this time, but a feeling, like something alive was pushing toward her.
"Electra?" she whispered again, her voice trembling.
She heard another pulse, this time stronger, and the leaves rustled, causing a strange glow to come from them. Seraphina’s hands curled into fists, and even though she didn’t know if it was Electra or not, she really hoped it was because if it wasn’t...
She didn’t get to finish the thought.
Her heart leapt when she spotted the familiar figure from a distance, a flash of blonde hair catching the light, and she didn’t even bother to stop to question it. Without thinking, she broke into a sprint, her lungs burning and her voice rising in a cry she hadn’t dared to utter until now.
"Electra!" she shouted.
The figure stopped, and then slowly turned, and as soon as Seraphina saw the face, she knew she hadn’t been mistaken. It was her, it was Electra. Her face was drawn with exhaustion, but her eyes widened in pure relief as soon as they locked with Seraphina’s.
Seraphina didn’t slow down, and as soon as she was close enough, she launched herself forward, straight into Electra’s arms, and wrapped her tightly in a hug, her voice trembling with joy.
"I can’t believe you found me," she breathed, burying her face in Electra’s shoulder. "I was so scared. I didn’t know if you’d be able to find me in time or if you’d be okay—"
Electra didn’t hug her back the way Seraphina would have expected in this case, or even ask her how she was, and if she was fine. Her arms were around Seraphina, yes, but they were tense. Her whole body was stiff, and her breathing sounded strange. It wasn’t relief or happiness she was radiating, it was panic.
"We need to go," Electra whispered quickly, and urgently. "Now. This place, it’s not safe for us. We need to get out of here."
Seraphina frowned and pulled back slightly, trying to read Electra’s expression. "What are you talking about?" she asked slowly. "You found me, didn’t you? That means the test is over, right? Whoever’s behind this... shouldn’t they let us go now?"
Electra shook her head, gripping Seraphina’s wrist tighter. "I can’t explain it," she said through clenched teeth. "But we have to get out of here. Now, Sera."
Seraphina planted her feet, resisting the tug. "Wait, no. Why are you acting like this?"
Electra’s eyes flickered, like something behind them was getting closer and closer, even though Seraphina couldn’t exactly see anything yet. Her jaw tightened, and her grip on Seraphina’s wrist trembled ever so slightly. "We don’t have time. Please, just come with me," she begged.
But something was wrong, and Seraphina could feel it. She couldn’t explain what it was exactly, only that everything around them, the trees, the sky, and the strange warmth in the air, suddenly felt off, almost like this was still part of the test, and the worst wasn’t over like she wanted to believe it was.
"I’m not going anywhere," Seraphina said slowly, keeping her voice calm despite how much she was panicking internally. "You’re scaring me, Electra. What’s really going on?"
Electra opened her mouth, but no words came out. Instead, her lips quivered as if something inside her was breaking, and when she looked down at their joined hands, her fingers clenched even tightly around Seraphina’s wrist.
Seraphina could feel her wrist burning where Electra continued to grip her, and the warmth that she usually felt whenever Electra touched her was gone, and had been replaced by something colder, more desperate, and a lot more aggressive. And in that moment, the only thing she was almost certain of was that this person couldn’t be the same Electra that she knew.
"I said let go of me," Seraphina snapped, her voice trembling with more than just fear. There was confusion, and irritation.
"Seraphina, please, just listen," the fake Electra hissed, and her voice was too high, and too strained, almost like she didn’t know how to properly mimic Electra’s tone. "You need to come with me now."
Seraphina dug her heels into the ground to retain her balance while yanking her arm back again, but the creature’s grip only tightened, and the force behind it was unnatural, more than Electra had ever used.
Panic surged through her, but she pushed it down, narrowing her eyes as she stared directly into the girl’s face. The resemblance was perfect—hair, eyes, even the small curve of her lip when she spoke—but the way her eyes moved... they were too wild, and too unstable.
Electra never looked at her like this.
"You’re hurting me," Seraphina said quietly.
The girl blinked at her, no recognition, and no flicker of guilt, and that was when it really clicked, and she confirmed what she already suspected.
"This isn’t you," she whispered, yanking her wrist free with sudden strength. "You’re not her. You’re not Electra."
The imposter froze for a heartbeat, her eyes widening, and then narrowing, and the mask she wore cracked ever so slightly.
"What the hell are you?" Seraphina hissed, stepping back, fists clenched at her sides. "How dare you wear her face, speak in her voice, and try to drag me away like I’m some toy?"
The imposter’s mouth twitched, then slowly, a grin stretched across her face. Not Electra’s grin—the real Electra’s smile was teasing, and mischievous but genuine. This was something else entirely. Just twisted, and vile.
"Oh, Seraphina," it purred. "You’re smarter than you look."