Sapphire of Espionage

Chapter 4: 06

The next day dawned with a small offering of comfort: bread with jam. "Hmm, this is so good," Ian mused, the sweetness a pleasant surprise. Kaida, less taken by the sugary spread, shared, "I guess so, but I'm not one for sweet stuff, you know."

Ian's curiosity piqued, "Then what do you prefer on your bread?" Kaida's mind wandered to her farm days, "Well, growing up on the farm, I had bread with cheese and a glass of milk. It was so creamy."

"That sounds good," Ian acknowledged, then ventured further, "What's your favorite food in general?" "Meat," Kaida stated simply. "Meat?" Ian echoed. "Yup, any meat. Chicken, beef, pork, lamb..." she listed.

"Lamb? How can you eat such an innocent animal?" Ian couldn't hide his surprise. Kaida's response was matter-of-fact, "Meat is meat, buddy. Now tell me about you, what's your favorite food?" Ian's love for food was vast, "I can't decide. I just love food so much."

Kaida nodded, "Nothing is more important than food." Ian, struck with an idea, suggested, "Hey, I was thinking. How about we make another request to get a ball?" Kaida had to remind him, "First of all, you only get to make one request a month..."

"Damn," Ian muttered. "Secondly, you won't get the same rewards as last time," Kaida added. Ian's frustration was evident, "This place is worse than hell." Kaida agreed, "Yeah, we're going to have to wait until next month to request another thing."

Ian refused to be disheartened, "Tch, we're not going to stay in here for a month. My mom is busy searching for me and will find us and rescue us." Kaida's thoughts were less hopeful, a sentiment Ian picked up on using his telepathy, "I wish I could say the same."
---
The masked man's entrance was swift, his hands firm as he grabbed both Kaida and Ian, their hearts sinking in unison. "This is bad," Ian whispered, the weight of their predicament settling in.

They were ushered into a lab, seated, cuffed, and blindfolded. The scientists' voices were muffled, but the mention of the Master's presence sent a ripple of unease through the room. Enthrallix, draped in red and masked, commanded an air of authority that demanded respect from all present.

"What do you have for me, Dr. Matthew?" Enthrallix's voice was deep, resonant.

"A new subject, a psychic," Dr. Matthew responded, his tone clinical.

"Interesting," Enthrallix mused, his interest piqued.

"Master, it seems like transferring the whole power from their brains and bodies at once, and permanently, isn't going to work," Dr. Matthew explained, his words careful.

"What do you mean by that?" Enthrallix's patience was thinning.

"What I'm trying to say is... The powers are a part of them, and cannot be entirely transferred to you," Dr. Matthew admitted, bracing for the reaction.

"I don't want to hear that. Find a solution," Enthrallix demanded, his voice brooking no argument.

"I do have a solution," Dr. Matthew offered, hopeful.

"I'm listening," Enthrallix said, a note of curiosity in his voice.

"You keep these kids for 10 years as your power sources," Dr. Matthew suggested, his proposal hanging in the air like a dark cloud.

"That's your solution?" Enthrallix's skepticism was evident.

"Yes, according to my research and experiments. Taking power from them once will cause the power to last temporarily in your body. And that's not what we want, do we?" Dr. Matthew reasoned, his logic clear.

"Absolutely not," Enthrallix agreed, his resolve firm.

"So, my hypothesis is that the human brain is going to be more active until teenage years. And they're still children, which means you'll be using them as your power sources for the next 10 years, and then after that, we release them," Dr. Matthew explained, laying out his plan.