It wasn’t only due to the researcher’s sadistic tendencies that he kept Cherry awake throughout the procedure, hearing his subjects scream in pain and terror was just a bonus for him.
However, according to the notes that Kain read, the subjects needed to be awake due to the intricate connection to the soul, spiritual power, and consciousness the embedded star space would need to make with its new host. Establishing and breaking these connections is easiest and safest when the subject is awake. However, once the connection has been initially established, the test subject can rest.
However, unlike the Doctor, Kain had no such sadistic tendencies, and with the help of Bea he was able to keep Cherry awake while removing the object implanted into her.
As Kain prepared for the procedure, Serena stood by Cherry’s side, holding her small hand gently. Cherry’s breaths were shallow and rapid, her sweat-soaked hair sticking to her pale skin. Even if she wasn’t in pain, it was still a horrifying experience to be cut open.
From what Kain had read, there were two objects inserted into Cherry, one in the chest and another in her head.
Locating the small glowing orb located close to her heart was the easy part. However, this glowing orb was mainly responsible for the stabilization and amplification of the connection between the artificial star space and the host.
The main object needing to be removed was located at the base of Cherry’s brain, close to her brain stem.
Thankfully, there was a shaved and evidently surgically altered part of Cherry’s skull, practically forming a bullseye to the location where the artificial star space was embedded.
When Kain finally exposed the artificial star space embedded in Cherry’s head, the sight was both bizarre and horrifying.
The artificial star space was translucent, its form a complex, ethereal network of faintly glowing threads, as though spun from liquid starlight. The structure pulsed faintly, radiating a weak, otherworldly light that dimly illuminated the surrounding tissue.
It appeared as if it was being absorbed into her very mind. The edges of the network of threads blurred and shifted, seeping into Cherry’s flesh and merging unnaturally with her brain.
The veins and tissues near the star space had already started to change, their color taking on a faint luminescent sheen as though infused with its power. The artificial structure was firmly nestled in the center of her head, interwoven with the nerves and pathways that carried spiritual energy through her body.
The most unsettling part, however, was the movement. The object seemed alive, writhing faintly as though aware of Kain’s desire to remove it, and it was trying to guard against him. Occasionally, small tendrils of glowing material reached inward, attempting to anchor deeper into Cherry’s brain.
Kain couldn’t help but be reminded of the invasive nature of many parasites, despite the lack of life in the orb. Looking at the artificial star, space Kain couldn’t help but feel as though it was unnatural and evil.
Kain grit his teeth, steadying his hand as he prepared to extract the artificial star space. With each pulse of light from the object, Cherry’s body twitched involuntarily, her brows furrowing in discomfort despite Bea’s influence. “Hold on, Cherry,” Kain whispered softly, his voice strained but gentle. “I’ll get it out, I promise.”
Thankfully, they caught it early enough, and Kain, after struggling for close to half an hour, was able to fully dig it out, despite it doing its best to fight against him.
Cherry was then put to the side and watched over by Queen, while sipping on a special rejuvenating cocktail made from Queen’s life-attribute royal jelly.
Kain then looked to the other unconscious children, most likely Cherry would be the easiest one to remove the foreign objects from…
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It was exactly as Kain thought. After waking up each child, they would often scream in panic and fear, thinking that he was one of their kidnappers intent on continuing to torture them.
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It’s only after a long period of time that Kain would be able to calm them down, with a lot of help from Cherry and Serena—whose face served to disarm the children.
After explaining what needed to be done and why, he was able to eventually remove all of the artificial cores from the other 6 children that were taken from the containers.
Although, after calming them down, and severing all of the connections between the artificial star space and its host, a connection that had more time to deepen in the other children compared to Cherry, the sun was beginning to rise the next morning.
The warm golden morning light almost acted as a symbolic halo of hope and healing as it illuminated the faces of the children, now free of the invasive devices that had been tormenting their bodies.
Though their complexions remained pale and their bodies weak, the oppressive aura surrounding them had lifted, replaced by a sense of peace.
After performing the first urgent operation on Cherry, while Kain was reading the notes to prepare for the more difficult following procedures, Serena had also contacted her family, Dark Moon College, and the more local Starfire College.
Therefore, during the period that Kai was urgently operating on the children to remove the devices as swiftly as possible, investigation teams had been sent out by both schools in order to track down any other personnel related to this horrifying case—particularly the 6-star beast-tamer that had been lured away by Balins previously.
However, the news they got back was grim. The mysterious organization responsible for the experiments seemed to have cut all ties to the abandoned laboratory. Their trail vanished like smoke, the investigators finding no leads to follow.
Even more troubling, another lab was discovered in a neighboring city that had also had several cases of missing children—it was completely abandoned.
Unlike their operation, no children were recovered, and the facility had been cleared out so thoroughly that it offered little hope of uncovering further information.
Kain read the report over Serena’s shoulder, his jaw tightening. “It’s like they’ve sacrificed a limb to save the body.”
Serena nodded, his expression dark. “They’re covering their tracks. Whoever these people are, they’re organized and resourceful. And this isn’t the end of it. Not by a long shot.”
The room fell into a tense silence. Their victory while saving Cherry and the others was only a small one. The children they had saved were lucky, but many more may never return home.