Chapter 38: Chapter 38: strange body

"I’m not possessed," Amelia said flatly, crossing her arms.

Skye threw her hands up, her expression exaggerated. "Oh, of course you’re not. You’re just casually snapping reinforced handles and night-strolling into dangerous men’s bedrooms for the aesthetic. My mistake. Silly me."

Amelia started toward the door, but Skye blocked her with an arm across the frame. "Nope. Change into a proper gown first. Madame could appear around any corner, and if she sees you looking like you just lost a fight with a laundry basket, I’m the one who’ll get the lecture. So for my sake, please."

Amelia reluctantly changed into a plain, modest gown, the fabric soft. Then she followed Skye down several flights of stairs. They eventually stopped in front of a set of double doors. A medical bay. She had been living in this mansion for over a month and still kept discovering entire sections she didn’t know existed. The thought was almost funny in a depressing way.

Inside, everything was sterile white and sharply lit. The air smelled of antiseptic and something faintly herbal. An elderly woman with sharp eyes and an air of absolute authority stood waiting, her hands clasped behind her back. She looked Amelia up and down once, then offered a crisp smile.

"I am Dr. Claire. Enchanted lycan physician. The best one you’ll ever meet, frankly. Most of the others are just glorified herb-mixers with fancy titles."

Skye snorted. "And the most humble, clearly."

Claire shot her a look, unamused. "Unlike some people, I actually earned my arrogance."

Skye suddenly pointed at Claire’s shoulder. "Spider."

Claire yelped and spun in a full circle, slapping at her own clothes with frantic hands. When she found nothing, she straightened slowly, eyes narrowed.

"You are a menace. A walking, talking, white-haired menace."

The entire exchange was so absurd that Amelia almost forgot why she was there. This was not the grim, terrifying atmosphere she had expected. It felt almost... normal.

Claire finally turned her full attention back to her, her expression sobering. "I heard you’re possessed. Checking for spiritual hitchhikers happens to be one of my specialties."

"I’m not possessed," Amelia repeated, her voice firm. "I just... newly experienced sleepwalking. It would be nice if there’s a cure for it."

Claire stared at her with complete seriousness, her eyes unblinking. "Do I look like some kind of witch to you? Sleepwalking doesn’t have a single neat little cure. Or are you volunteering to be my first experimental subject?"

Amelia quickly shook her head, her eyes widening.

"Good." Claire pointed to the examination table. "Go lie flat."

Amelia obeyed. The surface was cool beneath her back, the sterile smell of antiseptic filling her nostrils. She stared up at the white ceiling as Claire moved to stand beside her, her presence giving off a calm aura.

The older woman closed her eyes for a moment, her breathing deepening. Then she began to chant.

The sound was rhythmic and strangely melodious, each syllable carrying a hypnotic, supernatural resonance that seemed to vibrate in the air itself. The chant slipped past Amelia’s rational defenses and sank straight into her mind, wrapping around her thoughts like silk. Their eyes locked. Amelia tried to hold on to her thoughts, but the pull was too strong. Her eyelids grew heavy. Within moments she drifted into a deep, unnatural sleep.

Skye shifted her weight from one foot to the other, arms crossed, her impatience barely contained. "How long is this going to take?"

Claire’s chanting cut off just long enough for her to snap, "Be quiet. Some of us are trying to focus."

She resumed the low, melodic sounds. Skye could only watch the subtle shifts in the doctor’s expression—curiosity, then surprise, then something closer to fascination. The minutes stretched.

Finally Claire stopped. She opened her eyes and looked down at the sleeping girl with a complicated frown.

"This... isn’t something I was expecting."

Skye stepped closer. "Is she possessed?"

"No." Claire shook her head slowly, her eyes still fixed on Amelia’s face. "But her body is remarkably different. There are layers here I’ve never encountered. For one thing, the memories of her past life—or lives—are still present, only suppressed. That’s what caused the sleepwalking episode. The suppressed self was trying to surface."

Skye blinked, her brow furrowing. "What do you mean, past life?"

"Everyone has one," Claire said matter-of-factly. "When a soul is reincarnated, the memories are wiped clean so the person can begin an entirely new existence. In Amelia’s case, those memories were never erased. They were intentionally left intact. That is not an accident. Someone—or something—intended for her to carry them." She paused, studying Amelia’s face with renewed intensity. "I can’t see the full picture yet, but I can tell you this much: whoever she was before, her existence was not ordinary. It could be something closer to that of a goddess."

Skye let out a short laugh, shaking her head. "Okay, now you’re definitely exaggerating."

"I am completely serious this time." Claire glanced at her with an unwavering expression. "Where in the world did the devilish brothers manage to find such a rare woman to marry?"

Skye’s mouth twisted into a dry, mocking smile. "More like the rare woman wandered into their territory like a lost puppy and got herself collared."

A new thought flickered across Skye’s face. She tilted her head, her green eyes narrowing. "Do you think... she knew the devilish brothers in those past lives?"

Claire’s eyes widened slightly. "Woah. I never considered that." She looked back down at Amelia, thoughtful now. "But it’s possible. This could be a twist of fate." Her curiosity faed into something more serious. "The men need to know about this immediately"

Skye stepped a little closer, lowering her voice to a near-whisper. "Can you do something for me first?"

Claire’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What is it?"

"I don’t think Amelia will last as their wife for long. Six months at the highest, if she’s lucky." Skye’s voice was careful. "I’d like some kind of... measure. Something that could speed the process along when the time comes."

Claire stared at her for a long, heavy second.

"Are you asking me to give you something that can control her autonomy? Something that turns her into a convenient scapegoat the moment it becomes useful?"

Skye didn’t answer immediately. Her jaw tightened.

Claire’s voice hardened. "What exactly did this girl do to you that makes you want to ruin her like that?"

Skye looked away, her gaze fixed on the far wall. "You wouldn’t understand."

Claire studied her in silence, clearly tempted to press further, but in the end she only exhaled through her nose. Her shoulders relaxed slightly.

"Fine. She’s also a ticking time bomb in her own right. She doesn’t want to be here. She could turn on any of us at any moment. Putting her on some kind of leash might actually be the safer option." She glanced back at the sleeping girl. "I’ll see what I can do."

Skye’s shoulders loosened slightly, a breath of relief escaping her. "Thank you. And... I hope you won’t mention this part to the brothers."

"I swear I won’t."

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