This chapter contains scenes of abuse and violence that may be disturbing to some readers
As Hide struggled to recall how he ended up in the facility, fragments of memory began to surface—hazy, painful flashes from a time long ago. He remembered now: the facility was a place where children were taken, used as tools for twisted experiments. Weapons in human form.
Few ever made it out alive.
A memory begins.
The cries of a newborn echoed through a small, dimly lit room.
"It's a boy," said the midwife, holding the newborn in her arms.
As the baby wailed, the midwife carefully wrapped him in a warm blanket and placed him in the arms of his mother, who was weeping with joy. She clutched the child tightly to her chest, as though afraid the world would take him away.
The midwife left to deliver the news to the anxious father waiting outside. Without hesitation, the man burst into the room, breathless, his eyes wide with wonder. There, he found his wife, glowing with warmth, gently humming to the child.
The man walked to her side, awe on his face as he looked at the baby.
"Honey, isn't he wonderful?" the mother asked, her voice trembling.
"Of course," the father replied, placing a hand on the child's head.
"Hide," the mother whispered, naming her son with a smile full of love.
Years passed.
At the age of seven, Hide lived in a grand mansion with his parents. It was a life of peace, warmth, and joy. He was deeply loved.
But there was something unusual about him. His left eye bore a strange mark—something unnatural, something sacred. It was known as the "God's Eye."
Legends told of its power, granting the bearer divine might, perhaps even the potential to become a god. Unlimited power, some whispered. But no one truly understood its full potential.
Many had tried to steal the eye, but they learned the hard way—it couldn't be taken. Any attempt to remove it destroyed it. Its power could only remain with the one born with it.
Hide's parents knew the truth about their son's eye. But they never treated him as a tool or a relic. They loved him as their child and protected him with everything they had.
Still, they understood the dangers. People would come. People would try to take him. For the God's Eye was a priceless treasure, and the world was full of greed.
Then, one night—it all ended.
"Mom? What's going on? Why are you bleeding?" Hide asked, half-asleep, his small body cradled in his mother's arms.
She didn't answer. Her face was pale. She carried him down a dark corridor and placed him in a hidden room behind the wall.
"Hide, listen to me. No matter what happens, do not come out. Do you understand?" her voice trembled.
"I… I understand."
She pressed something into his hand—a ring, cold and metallic.
"Keep it with you always. Never lose it. I love you."
She closed the door and concealed it, leaving Hide in darkness.
Through the cracks in the floorboards above, Hide could hear muffled voices.
"Honey—"
"I held them off… is he safe?"
"Yes…"
Hide's father sits down on the ground holding onto his side which seems to be bleeding. His mother rushed to his side.
Footsteps echoed. Several people entered the room.
"Well, Mr. Nubotomi, what a mess you're in," a cold voice said.
"Heh. Didn't expect you to send this many just for one boy."
"We were paid handsomely."
"You'll never find him. Even if you kill us both."
A cruel laugh followed.
"A child like that is easy to track. Especially one so powerful—and defenseless."
There was a moment of silence.
"Enough talk. End their suffering."
Bang.
Two thuds. Blood trickled between the floorboards, dripping onto the hidden room below.
Hide didn't scream. He didn't cry. He held his breath, clutching the ring with trembling hands.
"Find the boy. If he's not here, burn it all. Leave nothing behind."
"Yes, sir."
Hide curled up, motionless in the darkness, even as the sounds of destruction echoed above. The night dragged on endlessly. The only light came from the streaks of blood falling beside him.
He didn't move. He didn't sleep.
He only cried in silence.
Outside the mansion—
"No sign of the boy."
"Doesn't matter. Our job was the parents. Finding the kid was optional."
"Burn it down."
The fire spread quickly. Smoke filled the air. Hide covered his mouth, trying to breathe through the choking blackness, but exhaustion overtook him. He collapsed into unconsciousness.
The next morning.
Voices from above.
"Boss, there's a hidden room!"
"Then open it."
Hide stirred awake. The door burst open, light flooding in. A hunched figure stepped in and froze.
"Boss… it's a child. He has the God's Eye!"
Another man entered. The boss.
"Well, well, what do we have here? Looks like we just hit the jackpot."
"Grab him," the boss ordered.
The hunchback lunged. Hide tried to run—but he was too small, too weak. The man seized him by the arms and dragged him up.
"A feisty one," the boss grinned, inspecting Hide's eye.
"Shall I discipline him?" the hunchback asked.
"Later. Put him with the others."
Hide was shackled—neck, wrists, ankles. The heavy chains bit into his skin as he was pulled outside. His parents' bodies were unrecognizable, charred and crumbled. He screamed, but his cries were ignored.
They threw him into a caged cart, where other children sat in silence. One boy approached him.
"What's your name?"
"…Hide."
"I'm Kain. Nice to meet you."
Hide said nothing more.
Days passed. The cart traveled far, its destination unknown. They were fed just enough to survive.
Eventually, they arrived at a remote mansion.
Each child was led to the basement, locked inside individual cells.
The boss addressed the hunchback.
"We're done. Time to discipline them."
The hunchback chuckled eagerly.
"Where's the one with the eye?"
"Here, boss."
They entered Hide's cell.
"Name?" the boss asked.
"Hide…"
He lifted Hide's chin. "We'll need time to break this one."
"Shall I start?"
"No. You handle the others. I'll take care of him myself."
The boss handed Hide a cup of water. Desperate with thirst, Hide drank it all. Almost immediately, he felt dizzy.
Chains clanked. He was dragged to a private room connected to the boss's office. Through a window, Hide saw another child—naked, unconscious, unmoving.
His heart raced.
The boss leaned back in his chair.
"You're special, Hide. That eye of yours… it's going to make me a very rich man. But first, we have to make sure you're obedient."
Hide's head was spinning. The drug was taking hold.
"What's your name?" he asked, barely able to stay conscious.
"Balthier Frose," the man answered.
As Hide collapsed to his knees, Balthier approached with a twisted grin.
"This'll hurt at first. But you'll get used to it."
Darkness. A scream.
The next morning.
Balthier was gone.
Hide lay on the floor, naked, bleeding. Pain throbbed through his body. He tried to block out what had happened.
Outside, children were being loaded into carts.
Where were they going?
As years passed, Hide was beaten, abused, and broken. His sanity slowly faded.
Eventually, he was loaded into another cart. This time, the destination was different.
"Ladies and gentlemen," a voice echoed in the distance, "welcome to tonight's underground auction! Rare beasts, women, exotic goods—and our specialty: children!"
Backstage, Balthier stood over him.
"Time for your new owner."
Hide didn't respond.
Blindfolded, stripped, and chained, he was dragged behind a curtain.
"And now… our grand finale!" the auctioneer declared. "A ten-year-old boy named Hide. Behold… the God's Eye!"
The curtain opened. Light flooded in.
The crowd gasped as the blindfold was removed.
"Isn't he magnificent?"
Hide's vision blurred. Masked figures watched in eerie silence. Their whispers faded. The bidding began. The numbers climbed.
And Hide slipped into unconsciousness.
When he awoke…
He was no longer in chains, but he wasn't free.
Welcome to Eden's Garden—a facility for children with abilities.
They weren't students.
They were experiments.
From the upper floor, two figures observed.
"The boy has arrived."
"Yes. At last. Now we can study the Eye."
Another man entered the room.
"Sir, Subject 01 is in position."
The first man stepped to the railing and addressed the room.
"Welcome, Subject 01—Hide. We are the directors of Eden's Garden. I am Director Nagamoto. Behind me are Doctor Hojo and Doctor Aura."
The doctors turned and began to walk away.
But Hojo paused, lingering a moment longer.
"I hope you won't disappoint me, Hide-kun."