Hide opened his eyes to find himself standing in a vast, white room—empty, silent, and endless.
"Did I die?" he murmured to himself. "So I guess this is it… huh. I should've expected to die instead of escaping."
He looked around the empty void, the whiteness stretching infinitely in every direction. For a moment, he tried to remember something—anything—and then a memory flickered before his eyes.
"Hide-kun, will you make me a promise?" a gentle voice said.
"Sure," Hide replied.
The scene formed around him—the memory of the beach, the night sky full of stars. Sona stood beside him, her hair fluttering in the breeze, her eyes soft.
"Promise me that you won't die," she said quietly. "Promise you'll be there for me."
"I promise," Hide said.
The memory faded, leaving Hide smiling faintly to himself.
"That's right… I can't break that promise. Sona would kill me if I did." He looked up into the white sky. "Don't worry, guys. I'll be there soon."
The white room dissolved.
Hide gasped for air and opened his eyes again—this time to devastation.
Eden's Garden was gone. The entire facility was in ruins, nothing left but scorched earth and shattered metal. The explosion had leveled everything.
He groaned as he pushed himself upright. His leg was fractured, his ribs cracked. His body was covered in gashes and burns, but he didn't care. He started walking—limping—through the wreckage, leaving a faint trail of blood behind him.
His regeneration wasn't working properly. He had burned through too much energy during the fight with Niles and Nagasaki. His steps grew slower, his breathing heavier.
He stopped near a tree, leaned against it for support, and collapsed.
Darkness claimed him again.
Some time later, a faint voice spoke above him."Well, look at that. You're still breathing."
A figure stood on the road, their shadow falling over his body. "I guess you're the one who survived that blast," the voice continued. "You sure took quite a hit there."
The figure lifted Hide over their shoulder and carried him away.
When Hide awoke again, he was lying in a small hut. His wounds were bandaged, the air smelled faintly of herbs and smoke. Near the fire, someone was cooking.
"So, you're finally awake," the figure said without turning around.
Hide didn't answer.
"That's fine," the person continued. "I'm the one who found you along the road. You were half-dead, bleeding out. If I had to guess, you're the one who survived that explosion near Eden's Garden."
The person turned slightly, revealing a woman with long, dark hair tied loosely behind her back. Her movements were calm, deliberate.
"Honestly," she said, "with an attack like that, you should've been vaporized. Guess you're tougher than you look." She handed him a small bowl. "Here. Eat."
Hide took it and hesitated before tasting the broth. It was bitter but warm. The woman sat down beside him, eating her own share in silence.
After a few moments, Hide spoke. "Why did you save me?"
She looked up at him and smiled faintly. "Because I couldn't just leave someone to die on the road. Even if you looked half-dead, I knew you were still alive."
Hide studied her. There was something unusual about her—something that didn't belong to an ordinary traveler.
"So… your name is Hide, right?" the woman asked.
Hide's eyes narrowed. "How did you know my name?"
"I heard it," she said casually. "During that fight. The one with the boy flying in the sky. You could say I have good ears." She grinned slightly. "Name's Izumi. So, Hide-kun, mind telling me how you survived that explosion?"
Hide thought for a moment before answering. "I'm not really sure. But… there was a promise I made to someone. I guess I couldn't break it."
Izumi leaned back and chuckled softly. "A promise, huh? Guess that's one hell of a reason to live. Still… I'd say those eyes of yours had something to do with it."
Hide looked up sharply. "You saw through the illusion."
Izumi nodded. "Hard not to. Your left eye—it's not ordinary."
Hide exhaled, releasing the faint illusion that hid his powers. His God's Eye glimmered faintly in the dim firelight.
Izumi's eyes widened in awe. "That's… incredible. I've traveled the world and never seen anything like it."
"You've heard of it before?" Hide asked.
"Of course. Legends say the one who bears the God's Eyes holds the power to become a god—or be consumed by it." She paused. "If you can't control that power, it'll eat you alive."
Hide frowned. "Then teach me. How do I control it?"
Izumi's grin returned. "Heh, bold of you to ask. Alright, I'll train you—but I warn you, it won't be easy. I'll put you through hell, but if you survive, you'll come out strong. Maybe even strong enough to surpass me."
Hide raised a brow. "And what makes you so sure you're a good teacher?"
Izumi smirked. "You doubt me, huh? Guess I'll have to prove it."
She stood and whistled sharply. The sound echoed strangely, like it didn't belong to this world. The air shimmered, and something massive stirred behind her.
"Now then," Izumi said, "you may think it's just a normal whistle—but it's not just me and you here. There's someone else."
The ground rumbled. A shadow moved across the floor, and from the dim light stepped a colossal beast—part lion, part wolf, its mane burning faintly like mist and fire.
"This is Bashoman," Izumi said proudly. "My companion. A creature from another dimension that follows me wherever I go."
Hide's eyes widened. "That's… incredible."
"Now do you believe me?" she asked.
Hide nodded slowly. "Yeah… I believe you."
"Good," Izumi said, crossing her arms. "Then once you're healed, training begins. I'll warn you now, you'll wish you were back in that facility by the time I'm done with you. But if you survive, you'll be a warrior worthy of your gift."
Hide looked down at his bandaged hands and smiled faintly. "Fine. I'll take that chance."
Izumi grinned. "That's the spirit."
That night, the two shared stories under the dim light of the hut.Izumi told him of her travels, of monsters and ruins, of the friends she had lost and the people she had saved.
In return, Hide spoke—haltingly—of his past. Of Eden's Garden, the experiments, his friends, and the promise he had yet to fulfill.
By the time the fire burned low, the two understood each other a little better.For the first time in a long time, Hide felt a quiet peace—a fragile hope that maybe, just maybe, he could keep his promise after all.