"Obey all that he tells you," Dr. Emerin said, backing away so the medical team could give Dragan space.
Dragan stepped into the treatment bay, unsure of himself for a brief second. The room was quiet except for the steady beep of monitors and the occasional whir of scanning equipment. All eyes were on him—waiting.
He paused, closed his eyes for a moment, and breathed in deeply.
The pressure was real. They were expecting a specialist. And he couldn't freeze.
Think clearly. She's depending on you.
Opening his eyes, he moved with new focus. "I need a micro-capsule cam."
One of the assistants handed him a small diagnostic capsule—no bigger than a cough lozenge.
"Have her swallow this."
The capsule slid down her throat, and within seconds, it began sending live internal visuals to the smart lenses in Dragan's goggles. He scanned through the feed, adjusting the display overlay.
"Esophagus lining is about 60% burned," he reported calmly. "The acid spread was localized. Stomach walls are intact—for now."
He turned quickly to the supply unit. "Prep 10 ml of regenerative stem cell gel—classified STEM-7."
A nurse passed it to him. He drew the gel into a fine syringe and administered it carefully through a guided catheter.
"This compound will promote tissue regeneration. It's based on amphibian protein synthesis—not perfect, but it's our best shot."
He turned back to the visual feed. "We also need to reduce the inflammation and neutralize the acid residues left in her upper GI."
He reached for a second tool—a cooled dispersal injector—and filled it with a pH-buffered neutralizer, designed to safely absorb remaining acid particles without irritating tissue further.
"Injecting buffered neutralizing agents now," he said.
A soft hum filled the air as the dispersal unit did its job. Monitors began to stabilize. Her oxygen levels climbed. Her pulse slowed into a steady rhythm.
Finally, Dragan linked his gauntlet to her external nerve monitor. "She's still caught in a pain feedback loop. I'm reducing neural signals to prevent shock."
The med interface responded. Her tense body began to relax, and her vitals settled into normal ranges.
The room held its breath for another second.
Then—green across the board.
She was stabilizing.
Dr. Emerin let out a breath. "You just saved her, son."
Dragan stood still, not smiling—just relieved.
"She's not out of danger yet," he replied. "But she's out of the worst."
"Okay, come on, let me show you something," Dr. Emerin said, a glint of excitement in his voice.
Dragan followed closely, stepping through a corridor lit with crystal-blue wall strips that pulsed gently like a heartbeat. They stopped at what looked like a regular office door—nothing special.
Until the wall shimmered.
A soft hiss followed as the wall slid open, revealing a hidden library—a breathtaking space tucked inside the heart of the complex.
Dragan's jaw slackened slightly.
It was beautiful.
A glowing dome ceiling hovered above rows upon rows of shelves, curving like tree roots and branches, holding everything from ancient-looking scrolls to sleek digital books. Floating signs labeled sections like:
Science & Tech
Romance & Drama
Urban Action
Fantasy & Myths
Historical Archives
Vampires & Supernatural
Time Travel, Space & Reality Theories
The room was alive with light and quiet automation. Small bots zipped through the air, carrying books like winged librarians. Transparent lifts hovered silently to retrieve books from the highest stacks. The scent? A mix of polished metal and that nostalgic, old-book aroma.
Dr. Emerin pointed toward a hovering circular desk in the center. "You can call on Amaria-12 over there—she's an AI. Say any genre, mood, or keyword, and she'll fetch the best titles."
Before Dragan could ask anything, Emerin gave a small nod. "I'll be with you shortly," he said, stepping toward a sliding door across the room.
Now alone, Dragan wandered among the aisles, scanning the mix of quantum mechanics textbooks next to romantic vampire novels and graphic legends of alien wars.
He grinned. "This place is insane."
He reached for a sci-fi title when—
"Hey… are you new here?"
A soft voice behind him.
He turned—and his breath caught slightly.
It was Aurelia.
Wearing a light grey top, her hair tied loosely behind her head, she looked curious and calm. Not a hint of recognition in her eyes.
"Aurelia," Dragan said, blinking.
She gave him a small, polite smile. "That's my name, yeah. Sorry… do I know you?"
He froze. "…You don't remember?"
She tilted her head, still smiling. "Mmm… not really. I talk to a lot of people around here. Sorry if I'm supposed to remember your face."
Dragan hesitated, watching her closely. She was acting well—maybe too well. Was she pretending not to know him? Or had something changed?
But before he could say more, she grinned and offered her hand.
"Well… I'm Aurelia. And since I don't know you, I guess it's only fair to ask—do you wanna be friends?"
Dragan stared at her for a beat, caught off guard by the bold innocence in her tone.
He gave a slow nod, lips curling into a smile. "Yeah. Sure. Friends."
She smirked playfully. "Good. Now show me where the vampire section is. I've got a craving for fangs and drama."
As they walked off together, Dragan glanced sideways at her. She was humming—light, carefree.
But deep inside, he couldn't shake the question.
Does she really not remember… or is this her way of starting over?
—
He stopped by one of the hovering shelves and quietly said, "Put these jokes aside, I've missed you."
Aurelia turned to him, expression changing. She looked almost… unsettled.
"Missed me?" she repeated. "Do you… know me from somewhere?"
He stepped closer, gentle. "You remember… last time? In your house. The nightstand. The conversation we had… I've always thought about it."
She stiffened immediately.
"My house?" she said louder. "Wait… what were you doing in my house?"
There was a sharp edge to her voice now.
"I—Aurelia, I wasn't—" Dragan started, suddenly cautious.
"What are you saying?! You pervert!?" she barked.
She lifted her wrist and tapped her tech-watch in a frantic sequence. A silent pulse triggered.
Dragan froze.
Security alert triggered… she just contacted the guards.