CHAPTER 33: TYPE OF FLAMES

I found it hard to open my eyes. My throat felt dry, my lips cracked, and every breath stung a little. The doctor standing beside the bed kept talking, asking questions I couldn’t fully process.

"My lady," he said gently, "if you could tell me when your flame first awakened... I might be able to understand what’s happening between you and Lord Lucian."

I parted my lips, the words scraping their way out. "A week... I think it was a week ago..." My voice sounded weak even to my own ears. I wasn’t sure if he heard me right, but I knew I spoke.

He leaned in slightly, adjusting his glasses. "A week ago? That’s before the wedding."

I barely nodded and answered with blinking weakly. "It... it happened when I was cold," I murmured, my thoughts drifting back. "He... Lucian... maybe because he was near. Everything felt freezing, so I tried to warm myself. And then..." My voice trailed off.

The memory came clearer now, the way the air around me had turned white, how my skin had burned from within, like something long asleep had suddenly remembered how to breathe.

The doctor frowned slightly, writing something down. "So it awakened as a reaction to his frost?"

I blinked slowly, unsure how to answer. "Maybe, I don’t know..." I whispered. "It felt like it wanted to protect me."

Just as the doctor was scribbling something in his notes, a sudden ding! echoed in the air beside him.

A bright, holographic blue screen blinked into existence, sparkling obnoxiously, followed by an overly cheerful voice.

"Good morning, Miss Vale! You’ve officially survived the most dramatic wedding night in history!" Maya chirped beside the doctor as if I hadn’t just brushed shoulders with death.

I groaned softly, turning my head slightly. "Maya..." I muttered, my voice rough and weak. "Can you not sound so happy right now?"

"But you’re alive! That’s a big deal!" Maya replied, her voice practically sparkling. "I was worried when your flame dimmed for a moment."

The doctor blinked, clearly confused, glancing around. "My lady, are you... talking to me?"

I sighed, eyes half-open. "No... I’m talking to my headache..." I sighed, "What time is it?"

"Two in the morning," the doctor answered, glancing at his watch.

"One fifty-nine and two seconds," Maya corrected immediately, her tone robotic yet smug.

I squinted at the glowing blue screen beside the doctor’s head. "Seriously?"

"Ah, yes, my lady... it is already two in the morning. You’ve been unconscious since the cere—"

I raised my hand weakly, cutting him off. "I’m not talking to you..."

"You are... not talking to me?" The doctor blinked, glancing around the room where no one else stood. His brows furrowed as unease slipped into his tone. "Err... my lady, forgive me for asking, but since you woke up, have you... heard any voices or strange sounds?"

I frowned faintly. "You mean besides yours?"

He cleared his throat, trying again. "Voices that are not mine. If yes, I need to run a few tests. It’s possible the binding from the wedding vows may have caused some... side effects."

Maya gasped dramatically beside him. "Excuse me! I am not a side effect!"

I groaned, turning my face to the other side of the pillow. "Oh, wonderful. Now I have two headaches."

"Correction," Maya replied cheerfully, "I’m a fully optimized emotional support and mission management system! And you’re welcome!"

The doctor blinked again, completely at a loss. "Are you in pain, my lady? Should I increase the dose of your painkiller?"

I dragged my gaze toward him, blinking slowly. "I’m fine. Just... suffering from a severe case of too much talking."

Maya beeped in protest. "Talking helps with recovery!"

"Not when it’s you doing the interacting," I muttered under my breath.

The doctor tilted his head, clearly worried now. "You seem... disoriented, my lady. I think I need to increase—"

"I said, I’m okay. Totally fine." I raised a shaky hand to stop him. Slowly, I dragged myself up, but the doctor quickly stepped forward to help, adjusting the pillows behind me so I could lean against the headboard.

"Who are you?" I asked once I’d caught my breath. "A doctor, right? What’s your name?"

"Ah..." He straightened his posture and smoothed out the front of his white coat. "I’m sorry, my lady. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Darian Fennix... Doctor Fennix. I specialize in dragon physiology." He smiled, looking almost proud of himself.

I nodded, managing a faint smile in return. "Nice to meet you, Dr. Darian..." I swallowed dryly, my throat feeling like sandpaper. "May I ask you something?"

"Of course, my lady. It would be my pleasure," he said, his tone eager, though beside him, Maya’s emoticon flickered into a flat, annoyed face.

"I assume you’re a phoe...nix?" I guessed, my voice hesitant.

He nodded instantly, his chest puffing up a little. "Indeed! Born and raised within the third flame enclave of the southern range. Our bloodline carries pure regenerative fire... very useful in the medical field, you see."

Maya beeped softly, her digital face shifting into a flat, unimpressed expression. "Translation: he heals really fast and likes to brag about it."

I stifled a weak laugh. "Noted."

Dr. Darian blinked, clearly hearing only my side of the conversation again. "My lady, do you feel any dizziness or confusion?"

The hologram pulsed, pretending to look innocent.

"No," I replied quickly. "Just... mild irritation." My eyes flicked toward Maya’s hovering blue screen before turning back to the doctor. "So, if I ask you about my flames, can you like... answer them?"

"Ah, yes, of course," he said, instantly brightening as if I’d just asked about his favorite subject. "Your flame is... how do I say this... very extraordinary. I haven’t seen one like yours in a very long time." He smiled warmly, his curiosity barely contained. "What do you want to ask about your flames, my lady?"

I hesitated, my fingers curling slightly over the blanket. "What kind of flame is it, exactly? I mean, yours is regenerative, right? But mine..." I paused, trying to find the right words, "it feels different, like it’s protecting me, blocking out every external element instead of healing any... thing?"

He was quiet for a while after my question, his expression shifting from curiosity to something more cautious. Then, after a thoughtful pause, he asked carefully,

"My lady... if you don’t mind me asking... your parents... are they your biological ones?"

I blinked, caught off guard. "Wha–what do you mean? Of course... They are my parents."

He waved his hands frantically, his face paling. "Ah—no, no, my lady, please don’t misunderstand! I didn’t mean it like that!" he said quickly, clearly flustered. "It’s just—your flame, it doesn’t behave like any ordinary phoenix lineage. It’s... different."

"Different how?" I asked, my voice low, a strange unease crawling up my spine.

Dr. Darian opened his mouth to answer, his brow furrowing as if searching for the right words. "It’s hard to explain, my lady. Your flame... it doesn’t—"

The door suddenly swung open with a sharp click.

Lucian stepped in, his presence immediately chilling the air. The faint frost that followed him crept across the edge of the floor, silencing whatever Dr. Darian was about to say.

"Lord Lucian..."