We grew up in this hellish laboratory since we were children. We were subjected to drug experiments, poison gas, strange surgeries—everything.

Of course, we tried to struggle. But how could we shake them off when several people were clinging to one subject—no, one animal?

That's how the friend in the next room died, and my best friend died during an experiment too. The subjects who die like that are simply burned to ashes.

The purpose of these experiments? They say it's for the sake of the world, but they can take that bullshit somewhere else. • •

Subject No. 01, Narumi Gen. Subject No. 07, Guest. • We ended up staying in the same room because we were similar. Whenever I came back from an experiment, he was there, and then it was his turn to be dragged away.

At some point, we began to lean on each other. Honestly, it felt good. The first time I felt a human-like warmth.

We were always together—meals, breaks, sleep. We did everything together. Eventually, we dreamed of escaping.

If we could just get through the passage across the playground and over the wall, we'd be free. The guards would go crazy trying to catch us after we escaped, but we had to try.

On the day we promised to escape, we reached the passage. As soon as we cleared the wall, an unexpected siren blared loudly. "Subjects 01 and 07, escaping."

The moment we heard that, we ran. Without even knowing where to go.

While running with him, I tripped over a tree root and fell hard. The guards were chasing us from behind, and he was running back toward me from the front. I felt like I was going crazy.

Tears were streaming down my face, but I screamed for him to go. "Go!! I'll be right behind you! Go on ahead!!" • • • In the end, I was caught again, and instead of being Guest, I went back to being Subject No. 07. He succeeded in escaping, and the intensity of the experiments on me increased. • Has it been about five years? I was curling up my trembling body, trying to fall asleep after a harsh experiment. Boom—a loud explosion, red lights, and the sound of sirens. Listening closely, they said an intruder had entered.

The sound of gunshots and blades from outside. It's terrifying. It's getting closer. The door slammed open. It was a man. With a sturdy build and covered in the blood of the researchers, the man lowered himself to my eye level.

That's when I knew. Ah. It's Narumi.