Eiran didn't speak. He had realized his mistake—the man knew he loved stars and was now using it as bait.
"I can read your surface thoughts about me. Well, I can read anyone facing me and thinking about me. I know you are wary of my face."
The man's grin didn't falter. "I was a General in the army before I retired and established this place. It's... hard changing my ways!"
"Are you sure you will let me see the stars?" Eiran asked.
"You will see the stars every day," the Doctor reaffirmed.
Eiran raised his right stump, a gesture of agreement. The doctor extended his finger and touched it.
"I brought this for you. It will make movement easier." The doctor presented a large ball, larger than Eiran. It opened, revealing a soft bed inside.
"A relic that needs only a thought to move."
Eiran rolled and sat awkwardly. When he raised his hand, the ball came and touched him. He felt control settle under him. It lowered onto his bed, and he struggled to push himself up onto it.
"This is magical," Doctor Gerard said, his signature smile still present.
They moved as the ball drifted through the air, tumbling due to Eiran's low mastery, but he steadied it. They passed different doors and mechanical security systems. No humans were present until they reached the most heavily guarded location.
"The whole facility was built with this place at its center."
Inside the most fortified glass in the world, a large man lay. He had golden skin and glowing yellow hair. His eyes were closed, and his heartbeat was like a drum, rippling through the glass to reach them.
For the first time, Eiran saw Power. This man was the most powerful individual he had ever encountered. He could destroy that vile man as well as any enemy he faced.
The rank of his blood was also very high, almost matching Celestial Blood.
"Who is he?" A soft child's voice echoed in the Doctor's mind.
"You don't need to know. I retired because of him. He is my first patient. Unfortunately, I can't even get close to him."
"Why?"
"Well, he looks calm, but he's fighting something inside himself. An attack is destroying him from within. He's using his talent energy to suppress it, but he can't pull away from that. The moment he does, the attack may kill him."
The doctor explained further that his job was to keep the man's other bodily functions operating while supplying his body with nutrients.
"What about the other doctors?" Eiran asked. He couldn't be the only one brought here.
"Those with relevant talent, expertise, and clearance also come here. The reason I asked you to come immediately was because I amplified your healing powers toward him, and it showed negligible influence. Knowing that was passive makes me hope the real deal may work!"
"Alright. I can aid him, but not outright heal him!"
"Are you sure?" The doctor was somewhat surprised. He had expected the baby to say it was beyond him or something similar. If he had said that, the doctor would have gone on to groom him into a good doctor, raised in the facility with the hope of eventually seeing the stars.
Not that he wouldn't fulfill the child's wish, but he expected not just yet.
"Yes. But I'm... weak now. I don't think I have the strength to influence him properly," Eiran said.
"Don't worry about that. I have employed a professional Mother to check on you."
"Professional Mother?" Eiran was confused. Nannies were professional mothers, right?
"Yes. She has a relevant talent that allows her to create the exact food a child or baby requires. Let's go meet her."
It took time to pass through all the security back to the normal facility. A woman with an ample chest was waiting for them. She dressed modestly, she appeared both mature and utterly professional.
The moment she saw Eiran inside the drifting ball, her calm demeanor shattered. She came to him and exclaimed, "How adorable! How did you get a baby in your facility? Are you doing illegal experiments again? I will report you!"
"Calm down!" The doctor's smile faded as he commanded. She ignored him and picked Eiran up in her hands. A fond gaze covered him, and he felt an overwhelming sense of safety envelop him.
'She is strange!' Eiran managed to think before his survival instinct that forced hyper-intelligence upon him began to wane, and he reverted to a baby's mind.
Eiran's Celestial Blood kept him unnaturally aware—but in moments of safety, the infant mind reclaimed him.
"He is malnourished. He needs so many things. What have you been feeding him?" The woman flared, raising her voice against the man—something never seen inside the facility.
Gerard sighed and left—everything was already arranged. The fact that she was able to figure out the mysterious child's needs was a good sign she would do a good job.
As for reporting him, she was someone who would do it, but there were plenty of ways to stop her from doing that. One of which was using the baby against her.
Not in a threatening way—Doctor Gerard was smarter than to antagonize a baby with limitless potential, one from which he would benefit too.
---
The feeding was extremely successful. Mama Sophie's talent was one of a kind. She was capable of conjuring food or edible items that a growing child needed. She could also instinctively know the required ingredients to formulate food that would be beneficial to a growing baby.
In the case of babies, her talent stirred her mammary glands to produce milk with the nutrients required for optimal body development.
She was a Phase 1 Awakened, but her importance was so great that she had become humanity's treasure. Powerful families—nobles, royals, and government officials—had given unanimous agreement for her protection.
The reason was that if she nursed a child, either through breastfeeding or by formulating food for children, those children grew smart and strong, with a high chance of awakening high-ranking Talents.
She had been tested and confirmed by many people. Even Doctor Gerard had to pull some serious strings to have her secretly brought here, which was something she was used to by now.
Too much demand for her services made some people unable to wait for their turn.
A month passed just like that. Mama Sophie, the 30-year-old woman, was sitting by the side, tired, her talent energy drained to zero. Eiran was in his crib, laughing and smiling at the clanking of toys above him.
She tore her eyes from the book she was reading about medication and looked at the baby. 'He is strange. He's like a glutton—he's never satisfied until he sucks me dry!'
She sighed and went back to her reading when Doctor Gerard came in. She frowned and ignored him. The man didn't care and walked to the baby.
"Hey, Eiran. Are you awake? Can we talk?" He spoke softly, keeping his practiced smile on his face.
The baby immediately scrunched up and began to cry. "Waaa. Waaa. Waaa."
Mama Sophie flared. "Why do you keep doing that?" She took Eiran into her arms and nursed him to quietness.
The doctor sighed and turned to leave, but then she asked, "I have been meaning to ask you. Why didn't you use your means to regenerate his limbs?"
"We can't heal him," the doctor faced her and said. "We tried, but his body isn't responding." He turned and left, seeing she nodded in understanding.
When he was at the door, he said, "By now you know that baby is the most special child you've ever held in your hands!"
"Yes. He is insatiable. But his eyes," she stared at the calming red orbs, "they hold such wisdom. Let me adopt him!" she quickly said.
"Hell no. I have already done that. He is mine. I'm sending him home." The man smiled, and Eiran immediately burst into loud cries. The doctor quickly left.
***
Mama Sophie stood before the crib with red, teary eyes. "I won't tell anyone. Just let me take him with me," she pleaded.
Due to excessive breastfeeding of too many babies, her body had changed and aged. Her breasts had sagged from overuse, now only swelling slightly when producing milk. Now, she is younger. Her raven hair was longer, her skin smoother. Her body had adjusted well.
She was still a mature lady, one without fault, radiating an aura of motherhood and care.
"No. Too many eyes are on you. Once they get their eyes on him, he won't be safe. Even Mama Thorne, who settled in the stronghold, had to send him here."
"But you won't hide him from me, right?" she said.
"Of course not. He's a growing, bouncing boy. He needs your care!" the doctor said, holding back his eagerness for her to leave.
The last nine months, he had made a lot of plans for their healing project—something he always did whenever prospective help came. All his top doctors had aided him considerably in that.
"Hey, little Eiran," she kissed his forehead. "Don't forget about me, okay?" She stepped back as she held a relic that teleported her away.
'Finally. This woman scared me. Having every king and patriarch in the world mark her makes her extremely dangerous.'
He stepped toward the baby, who had grown. Eiran was now sitting up. On his stump, which had mysteriously begun to regrow slowly, was a handle that held some toys that made ringing sounds as he shook them.
Seeing the woman vanish, he was about to cry, but then something stirred in him and held him back. The sense of motherly protection was gone—he was now alone.
The toys fell silent in his hands. Eiran looked up, the warm presence of Sophie fading like a dream. Now, only the doctor remained.