บท 107: Horsemen I

Hexamore Continent

Sector 77, Ioda Empire, Ioda City, Ioda

H.A.D.E.S. Underground Research Institution

January 6th, 1782, Sunday, 5:30 AM

The buzz of equipment permeated the antiseptic, brilliantly illuminated laboratory. Dr. Lawson, a man in his early fifties with thinning gray hair and steely blue eyes, carefully arranged the apparatus for the day's experiment. His white lab coat was spotless, contrasting dramatically with the negative feelings he had about his job.

In the center of the room, shackled to a metal table, was a small child identified only as #981. Under the intense lights, his flawless complexion appeared pale, almost transparent, and his wide eyes revealed a profound, unspoken anxiety. A little, floating black crown over his head glowed faintly and ominously.