After Death, Love Unveiled (Elara and Lysander)

Daphne was sprawled out on the table, looking half-dead, while a tum h of people hovered around her, trying to pamper her

She looked worn out, clearly uncomfortable, but no one seemed more on edge than Asher.

Asher was supposed to be Daphne's boyfriend, but he kept insisting to everyone that they were just friends"

Still, their names always popped up together at the top of every exam ranking. Asher was cold and distant with most people. but when it came to Daphne, he had this weird, protective streak.

To everyone else, they looked like they just fit-both smart, both successful. They seemed perfect together. in-both

But there was a third wheel in this mess: Elara. She was always there, lurking in the background, tailing Asher like some lovesick Puppy Shed sleepwalk through classes, but as soon as they ended, she'd be the first to grabs Asher whatever he needed -coffee, snacks, whatever.

And right now. Asher was doing it again. "Co grab some painkillers for Daphne, he barked not even glancing her way

Elara finally grasped that she had time-traveled, and she couldn't help but find the whole thing darkly amusing.

She stood there, a chaotic mess of emotions churning inside her. What the fuck did I do to end up in this shitstorm? Playing the clueless idiot in this pathetic excuse for a freak showe?" she fumed, the bitterness biting hand.

She thought back to all those times she'd run herself ragged for Asher, thinking it meant something, like it made her special to him. He didn't order anyone else around like this-pist herConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

But after everything she'd been through, after facing down life and death. Elara finally saw Asher's bullshit for what it was plain and simple.

Who the fuck do you think you are. Asher she thought, feeling something snap inside her.

When she didn't jump to it right away, Asher snapped, "What the hell are you standing around for? Got And hurry the fuck up!" He didn't wait for a response, turning back to Daphne, patting her back with this infuriating gentleness. Daphne glanced at Elara, then looked at Asher and said, "Isn't it a bit much to send her alone! I can go myself"

"There's no need." Asher waved her off, completely sure of himself. "She doesn't mind. Do you. Elara?" He shot her a look.

In the past, Elara would've forced a smile, eager to please him, afraid of pissing him off. Anytime they argued, she was always the one to apologize first, desperate to fix things.

But now, seeing the smug look on Asher's face, something inside her cracked open. A small, defiant smile tugged at the comer of her mouth-something she hadn't felt in years

In the school's plain cafeteria. the food was like gold-scarce and sparking fierce competition among students.

Whenever the lunch bell rang, grabbing a taste of those mouthwatering dishes felt like a race against time. A second's hesitation could mean losing out on the good stuff.

Back then. Elara was always the first to sprint into the cafeteria, grabbing two meals without a second thought-one for herself and the other for Asher.

Asher, the school's golden boy, spent every spare minute buried in his books, a sharp contrast to Elara, who often joked that her efforts would still land her in the average zone,

Day after day, she stood in line, buying his food and looking out for him like he was the sun in her universe. Her devotion quickly became the talk of the school, and soon enough, people started calling her Asher's "loyal simp

Things took a turn when Asher started getting close to Daphne, making Elara's two-meal routine feel downright awkward.

Asher didn't think twice about handling his portion over to Daphne, while Elara, feeling like a complete idiot, would silently offer hers too-choosing hunger over embarrassment

Now, as she picked up their meals, a classmate sneered, "Well, look who it is-the loyal lapdog fetching food for the young master again. But let's be real: your prince has his eyes on someone like Daphne. You don't stand a fucking chance Cugner)

Elara raised an eyebrow, "What the hell do you mean I don't stand a chance?"

"Seriously? Just the maid's daughter, clinging to the prince, dreaming of being a princess. Wake the hell up! You'll end up washing his clothes and changing his kid's dingers!"

Elara's heart sank, but she kept her cool. "Did Asher tell you I'm the maid's daughter?"

In reality, her dad was the richest guy in Brookfield, and Asher? Just the chauffeur's kid. She let him use her family's car because she liked him.

So now everyone sees Asher as the 'prince and I'm just the maid's kid?' she thought, disbelief swirling in her mind,

The student rolled their eyes. "What else could it be? Now hurry up and deliver the lunch to your prince, they laughed, their mockery ringing in her ears,

As she walked out of the cafeteria, the laughter followed her, a chorus of scorn at her affection and guts for pursuing someone like Asher.

Instead of heading back to class, Elara found a quiet spot by the flowerbed, Sitting down, she dug into both burgers,

It felt like ages since she'd enjoyed a meal in peace. Usually, she was scraping by, picking up leftover veggies from the market. Meat was a rare treat.

The cafeteria burgers were small but surprisingly tasty. It wasn't until slie polished off both that the gnawing hunger finally eased a bit.

By the time she stepped into the classroom, the bell had already rung loud and urgent.

Asher glared at her, anger flaring in his eyes. "You've got to be fucking kidding me. Why are you only getting here now? Where's the damn medicine?*

"What medicine?" Elara shot back, her tone icy-so different from the warmth she used to offer him.

There was a time when she'd do anything for him, giving him all of her love while he gave her nothing in return.

She'd foolishly believed that if she tried hard enough, loved him enough, he'd eventually come around. But now, with fresh eyes, she saw the truth-she'd been living a lie.

She'd learned that when she gave Asher everything, he didn't just take it for granted. No, he started thinking they deserved it, He convinced himself his shine was all thanks to everyone else's endless admiration. And he'd never truly appreciate what she did for him-until she finally stopped.

Asher's frustration spiked. "I told you to get ibuprofen for Daphine! She's feeling like shit, and you can't even handle that?"

She snapped, "Why the hell should I buy her medicine? What's she got to do with me?"

Elara glanced at Daphne, sitting at her desk looking pale and delicate. 'She's on her period, Elara thought bitterly. And I'm supposed to go fetch her meds? What am I, her fucking maid?

Daphine came from an ordinary background, but ever since she hooked up with Asher, her life had done a complete 180. He treated her like a queen, even handing over gifts that Elara had bought him.

To everyone else, Daphne seemed like this spoiled, perfect girl, but what they didn't know was that Asher and Daphine were Hiving off Elara's money and generosity, while treating her like she didn't matter. "Keep this attitude up. Elara" Asher snapped. "And don't be surprised if 1 start ignoring you. You'll be begging me to forgive

you.

Elara looked him straight in the eyes, completely unfazed. "Forgive me? For what? What exactly did I do wrong?"

Their confrontation had caught the attention of the class. Everyone was staring, shocked. This was the same Elara who used to bend over backwards for Asher, and now she was standing up to him.

For a moment, Asher was thrown off, remembering how she used to plead with him. His expression darkened. "Keep pushing, and don't even think about coming home with us after school" Before Elara's time travel, whenever he got mad and gave her the cold shoulder, she'd always come crawling back, apologizing

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within hours. But now, her defiance was something new, and it rattled him.

This time, he thought, 'even if she begs, I won't make it easy for her.