Bab 6: The Birth of Shadow Garden
The night sky was clear, dotted with countless stars that seemed to stretch into infinity. The moon, half-hidden behind drifting clouds, cast a silvery glow over the forest outside the Kageno estate. It was a peaceful night—calm, serene, and unremarkable to most. But for Cid Kageno, it was the beginning of something extraordinary.
He stood at the edge of the forest, his figure shrouded in shadow. His expression was calm, but his mind raced with plans, possibilities, and ambitions. His recent raid on the Diabolos Cult's outpost had been a success, and with it, the first whispers of his new identity—Shadow—had begun to spread. But this was only the beginning.
Tonight, he would take the next step. Tonight, he would lay the foundations for Shadow Garden—the organization that would fight the unseen battles of this world, the group that would stand as a shield against the darkness and a blade against the corrupt.
But to do that, he needed more than just himself and Alpha. He needed more people—more allies who could help him in his quest to dismantle the Diabolos Cult and protect the world from the shadows.
And tonight, he would begin recruiting them.
---
Standing beside him in the darkness was Alpha, her blonde hair illuminated by the faint moonlight. She had been the first—the first person Cid had saved, the first person to swear loyalty to Shadow. She had been afflicted by the Diabolos Curse, on the verge of losing herself to the darkness. But Cid had intervened, and in doing so, he had earned her undying loyalty.
Since that day, Alpha had grown stronger under Cid's guidance. She had learned to control the curse that lingered within her, channeling the dark energy without letting it consume her. But more than that, she had come to believe in Cid's vision. She believed in Shadow.
"Are you sure about this?" Alpha asked quietly, her voice carrying a note of hesitation. "Bringing more people into the fold… it's risky. What if they don't understand? What if they turn against us?"
Cid didn't answer right away. His gaze remained fixed on the forest ahead, his thoughts focused on the task at hand.
"We don't need them to understand everything," he said at last, his voice calm and measured. "All we need is their loyalty. Once they see the power of Shadow, once they believe in the legend, they'll follow."
Alpha nodded, though the concern in her eyes didn't fade entirely. "And what if the wrong people find out? What if the Diabolos Cult gets wind of what we're doing?"
A small, confident smile tugged at the corner of Cid's lips. "Let them. The more they fear us, the more powerful we become."
Alpha didn't respond immediately, but after a moment, she sighed, shaking her head with a faint smile. "You always have a plan, don't you?"
Cid's smile grew wider. "Always."
With that, he turned to face her fully. "It's time to begin. Are the others ready?"
Alpha's expression grew serious, and she gave a sharp nod. "They're waiting. I've explained as much as I could without giving away too many details. They're… eager to meet you."
Cid's gaze darkened slightly. This would be the first true test of Shadow Garden. He had no intention of revealing his true identity as Cid Kageno to these new recruits. As far as they were concerned, they would be meeting Shadow, the mysterious leader who had already begun to make waves in the underground world.
"Good," Cid said, his tone decisive. "Bring them here. It's time for them to meet their master."
---
The forest clearing was dimly lit by the pale light of the moon, the trees standing like silent sentinels around the gathering. The air was thick with anticipation as Alpha led the first group of recruits toward the center of the clearing, where Cid stood waiting, his figure barely visible in the shadows.
There were four of them in total—four young women, each with their own unique talents and backgrounds. Alpha had carefully selected them, identifying those who had suffered at the hands of the Diabolos Cult, those who had been cast aside by society or who had nowhere else to turn. They were outcasts, survivors, and in many ways, they were just like Alpha had been before Cid had saved her.
The first recruit was Beta, a sharp-eyed girl with long, silver hair that shimmered in the moonlight. She had been a noble once, but her family had fallen from grace after her father was implicated in a political scandal. Left with nothing, she had been forced to survive on the streets, using her intelligence and cunning to navigate the dangerous world of Midgar's underbelly. It was there that Alpha had found her, offering her a chance to be part of something greater.
The second was Gamma, a girl with short, black hair and an air of quiet confidence. She had been a skilled merchant, running a small but successful business in the capital. But when the Diabolos Cult had targeted her business as part of their scheme to launder money, she had been forced to flee for her life. She had lost everything—her livelihood, her reputation, her future. Now, she was here, ready to rebuild her life under the banner of Shadow.
The third was Delta, a girl with wild, untamed red hair and fierce, predatory eyes. She had been a street fighter, known for her raw strength and ferocity in battle. She had no formal training, no noble lineage, but her sheer power and instinct had made her a force to be reckoned with. She had been abandoned by her family, left to fend for herself in the slums. Alpha had seen the potential in her, the raw talent that could be honed into something formidable.
The fourth and final recruit was Epsilon, a young woman with flowing blue hair and a serene, almost ethereal presence. She had once been a healer, using her magic to tend to the sick and injured in a small village on the outskirts of the kingdom. But when the Diabolos Cult had come to her village, seeking to capture her and exploit her powers, she had been forced to flee. She had lost everything—her home, her family, her purpose. But now, she had found a new purpose in Shadow Garden.
As the four recruits approached, their eyes wide with a mixture of awe and trepidation, Alpha stepped forward to address them.
"You've all been brought here because you believe in the same thing I do," Alpha said, her voice steady and commanding. "You've all suffered at the hands of the Diabolos Cult. You've all lost something. But tonight, that changes. Tonight, you become part of something greater."
The recruits listened intently, their gazes flickering toward the shadowy figure standing in the center of the clearing—Cid, though they didn't know him by that name. To them, he was simply Shadow, the man who had saved Alpha and the one who would lead them to victory.
Alpha gestured toward Cid, her voice filled with reverence. "This is our leader. This is Shadow. He's the one who will guide us, the one who will show us the path to victory."
Cid stepped forward, his movements slow and deliberate, his presence commanding. The recruits watched him with wide eyes, their expressions a mixture of awe and fear. They had heard the rumors, the whispers of a mysterious figure who operated in the shadows, taking down the Diabolos Cult one outpost at a time. And now, here he was, standing before them.
"I am Shadow," Cid said, his voice low and resonant. "And you are the first members of Shadow Garden."
He let his words hang in the air for a moment, watching as the recruits absorbed the weight of what he had just said. This was more than just an organization. This was a movement. A cause.
"You've all suffered," Cid continued, his tone steady. "You've all lost something because of the Diabolos Cult. But tonight, you gain something greater. Tonight, you become part of the fight to bring them down."
The recruits exchanged glances, their expressions filled with determination. They had been broken, cast aside by the world, but now they had found something to believe in.
"We operate in the shadows," Cid said, his eyes scanning the group. "We fight from the darkness, unseen and unstoppable. No one will know who we are. No one will see us coming. But they will feel our presence. And they will fear us."
A shiver ran through the group as Cid's words settled over them. The recruits were no longer just survivors. They were warriors, bound by a common cause, united under the banner of Shadow Garden.
---
In the days and weeks that followed, Cid and Alpha began the process of training the new recruits. It was grueling work—physically, mentally, and emotionally. Each member of Shadow Garden had their own strengths, but they also had their own weaknesses, their own scars from the past.
Beta was brilliant, her mind sharp and quick, but she lacked confidence in her own abilities, haunted by the failure of her family's fall from grace. Gamma was resourceful and pragmatic, but her trust had been shattered by the betrayal of those she had once called allies. Delta was a powerhouse in battle, her strength and ferocity unmatched, but her lack of discipline made her reckless and unpredictable. And Epsilon, while gentle and kind, had been shaken by the horrors she had witnessed during the Diabolos Cult's attack on her village.
Cid knew that in order to create a truly formidable organization, he would need to hone each of these recruits, shaping them into the weapons they were meant to be.
Alpha, already skilled in combat and magic, took charge of the physical training. She drilled the recruits relentlessly, pushing them to their limits and beyond. Under her guidance, Beta learned to channel her intelligence into strategy, using her mind to outthink her opponents rather than simply reacting. Gamma, meanwhile, honed her business acumen, learning how to navigate the world of politics and commerce, skills that would be invaluable in funding Shadow Garden's operations.
Delta, with her raw strength, was taught to control her power, to focus her energy in a way that maximized her effectiveness in battle. And Epsilon, with her healing magic, was trained to master the art of battlefield support, learning how to keep her allies alive and fighting no matter the odds.
But while Alpha handled the physical training, Cid focused on the mental and emotional aspect of their development. He knew that strength alone wasn't enough to fight the battles ahead. Each of these women had been broken in some way, and it was his job to rebuild them, to give them something to believe in.
He would meet with them individually, speaking to them as Shadow, not as Cid. He would offer them words of encouragement, wisdom, and guidance. But more than anything, he would instill in them the belief that they were part of something greater. That they weren't just individuals fighting for their own survival, but members of a legendary organization that would change the world.
And it worked.
Over time, the recruits grew stronger, more confident. They began to trust one another, to rely on each other in ways they never had before. They were no longer just a group of survivors—they were a team. A family. And Cid, as Shadow, was their guiding light.
---
Months passed, and the legend of Shadow began to spread. Whispers of a mysterious organization operating in the shadows reached the ears of those in power, though no one knew exactly who they were or what they wanted. All they knew was that wherever the Diabolos Cult appeared, so too did the shadowy figure known only as Shadow, dismantling their operations with precision and ruthlessness.
And as the legend grew, so too did Shadow Garden.
More recruits joined the cause, each one carefully selected by Alpha and the original members. Some came from noble families, disillusioned by the corruption they saw in the world. Others were commoners, victims of the Diabolos Cult's experiments or betrayals. But all of them shared one thing in common—a desire to fight the darkness.
By the time winter arrived, Shadow Garden had grown into a formidable force, with operatives stationed across the kingdom, gathering intelligence, dismantling cult outposts, and protecting those who couldn't protect themselves.
But despite their growing power, Cid knew they were only scratching the surface of the true enemy. The Diabolos Cult was vast, its influence reaching deep into the highest levels of society. There were still countless battles to be fought, countless lives to save.
And Shadow Garden would be the ones to fight those battles. They would be the ones to turn the tide.
As Cid stood in the training grounds one evening, watching Alpha and the others sparring in the moonlight, he felt a sense of pride swell within him. They had come so far, and yet their journey was only just beginning.
This is only the beginning, Cid thought, his gaze fixed on the horizon.
The legend of Shadow Garden was still in its infancy, but already, it was becoming a force that the world couldn't ignore.
And soon, the world would tremble before the name Shadow.
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
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