Chapter 64: What Triggered Her [I]

Starlight’s roommates couldn’t follow them out because class was still ongoing. They could only watch helplessly as Mikhail carried her out of the training hall. She buried her burning face deeper against Mikhail’s shoulder as he carried her through the academy corridors, mortified beyond words. If the crowd in the training hall had been humiliating, this was somehow far worse.

The fact that she was currently clinging to a werewolf prince like some helpless damsel made her stomach twist in embarrassment.

"This is so embarrassing, please just put me down." Starlight muttered, her hands pushing weakly against his shoulders. "I can really walk by myself. I’m not going to collapse again."

"Judging by how shaky your voice still is, you don’t sound remotely fine to me," Mikhail said, his chest vibrating beneath her cheek as he kept up his steady, unhurried strides. "Just hold on tight and enjoy the ride until we reach the infirmary. And there’s absolutely nothing embarrassing about being held."

Starlight groaned and pressed her face even deeper into his chest, as if hiding there could somehow erase the entire ordeal. Why was this happening to her? Thank goodness classes were still in session, if even one student had managed to snap a picture of Mikhail carrying her through the hallways, AsterBuzz would have exploded with rumors before the hour was over.

Actually, who was she kidding?

She was willing to bet someone in Combat Class had already taken pictures. Not only of Mikhail carrying her, but also of her embarrassing hyperventilation episode in front of everyone.

"Ugh." She groaned again.

The academy gossip pages were going to have a field day with this before the day was over.

As if sensing exactly what was going through her head, Mikhail glanced down at her head and smirked slightly, his mood noticeably improving.

After several more minutes of Starlight’s pure embarrassment, the infirmary finally came into view. Mikhail nudged the glass door open with his shoulder and stepped inside without slowing down. A few startled heads immediately turned in their direction, without missing a beat, he carried her over to the nearest vacant bed and set Starlight down gently on the mattress.

The second her feet touched the floor, she scooted away from him as though he had been carrying some highly contagious disease.

Mikhail didn’t even seem offended by the reaction. Instead, he turned toward one of the stunned-looking medical staff members and called out, "Stop gawking and come over here. Check on her. She collapsed during combat training."

Starlight glared at him, her cheeks flushing hot with annoyance. One of the attending doctor hurried over, bowing slightly to Mikhail. "What seems to be the problem, Your Highness?"

"I’m fine. Nothing is wrong with me," Starlight said quickly, trying to sit up properly.

"I think she had a panic attack," Mikhail said at the exact same time, completely ignoring her attempt to downplay what had happened.

​"It was just an accident," Starlight added immediately, trying to brush it off.

The doctor turned to look at her, her expression softening with gentle concern. "Miss Dawson, panic attacks aren’t accidents," she said gently.

"They don’t just happen for no reason. Something must have triggered it, but the most important thing right now is making sure you’re alright." The doctor pulled a low stool closer, placing a digital blood pressure cuff around Starlight’s upper arm while sliding a small pulse oximeter onto her fingertip.

The machine hummed softly as it took its readings. At the same time, the doctor pressed two fingers against the side of Starlight’s neck, checking her pulse the old-fashioned way to make sure her heart rate was settling.

She pulled a small flashlight from her pocket and checked Starlight’s pupils before jotting a few notes onto her clipboard.

"Is it... is it possible for someone to suddenly have a panic attack when they’ve never had one before?" Starlight asked, watching the numbers flicker across the monitor before looking up at the nurse, her chest tightening.

The question made Mikhail glance at her.

"Yes, it is very possible," the doctor replied calmly, loosening the cuff around Starlight’s arm. "A panic attack is simply the nervous system going into overdrive. It usually happens when a person is exposed to a sudden severe stressor, a suppressed traumatic memory, intense emotional distress, or an environment that the brain perceives as a threat. Even if you’ve never had one in your life, if something triggers that deep fight-or-flight response, your body will react automatically, regardless of whether you’ve experienced a panic attack before."

Mikhail took a step forward, his brow furrowed thoughtfully as he looked from the monitor back to the nurse. "Excuse me, doc could—"

Before he could finish, his phone suddenly vibrated heavily inside his training gear pocket. He pulled it out, glanced at the glowing screen, and his jaw tightened slightly.

"Sorry, I’ll be right back. I need to attend to this," he muttered, casting one last lingering look at Starlight before stepping away toward the infirmary doors.

I hope you never come back, Starlight thought as she watched him walk through the glass doors.

"You know, Miss Dawson, I’ve never seen Prince Mikhail worry this much about anyone before," the doctor said, adjusting the monitor as she scribbled down Starlight’s vitals on her clipboard. "When he carried you through those doors, he looked completely terrified. I’m honestly surprised His Highness is capable of making that kind of face, and I must say, you’re one lucky girl."

Starlight wrinkled her nose in genuine disgust.

What exactly was this woman talking about?

Lucky girl, my ass.

~~~

Mikhail had barely stepped out of the infirmary when he spotted a familiar figure striding down the corridor toward him. The moment Eden saw him, he quickened his pace and closed the remaining distance between them.

"Did you get it?" Mikhail asked, skipping any greeting. Understanding exactly what he meant, Eden gave a short nod.

As soon as Mikhail had ensured Starlight was safely in the care of the medical staff, he had fired off a quick, urgent text to Eden, tasking him with securing the CCTV footage from the Training Hall. He needed to know what had happened back there, to uncover the exact trigger that had caused her to break down like that.

"You need to see this," Eden said.

The seriousness in his tone immediately caught Mikhail’s attention.

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