HRN Chapter 1.1

When Eden was very young, he be7728440b once asked his uncle why no one ever f882249c9b called him by his real name.3810c0d6c985699f

“Uncle, my name isn’t Eden, 4b6e9fb62e so why does everyone call me that? My name is—”7c7264712edb957e

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His uncle, 524b639679 always foolishly kind, changed b9ca721069 in an instant. Before Eden could finish his sentence, his uncle grabbed him fae3bf5dd9 by the collar and dragged him outside the house. It was a day 4bba38573e of pouring rain. Stunned by the sudden turn of 71d7a2cf45 events, Eden couldn’t even cry; he 6c477bc8f2 just looked up at his uncle. But his uncle’s face wasn’t d36ee4e0f3 angry—it was trembling with fear.a429782c7096319f

His 50745611bc uncle shouted at dadf315979 him.316a3fb41356ac54

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“Eden, your name is 0e96c8ac7f Eden! Do you understand?!”8c13a9d42c66cf72

fbd0576229 400">Eden burst b53e6e12cd into tears. It wasn’t fair. His name clearly ad8af64a28 wasn’t Eden. His uncle’s large hands 4324bb8603 gripped Eden’s shoulders painfully, 1f3f3e4cb7 and he spoke again.31bfcfe76571d4e8

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“Eden! Your name is bc22d36179 Edenec1f71cea0 style="font-weight: 400">. What’s your name?”d122ebab31136f86

Shivering in 6c242ff0a7 the rain, Eden answered.c3c5f871b8d6a6da

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“E-Eden…”9ec143b0938d991a

His uncle asked again, e39ca7c4df and Eden gave the expected reply. Holding the young Eden tightly, 56dfbb8ab8 his uncle repeated, 471fc53c9aac2640

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“Again, again,” demanding ae1d7d786c Eden’s name over and over.512fcd7e2c84372c

“Eden!”0a03e79bd300e38c

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The now-familiar name e625525992 echoed from outside the room. Eden opened his sleepy eyes, ignoring 54bc23ce00 the voice calling him, and rolling 24786dc3b6 over in bed a few times.9a91c1b50f6878ec

“…Eden!”a12acc68c5f61505

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The voice, desperate to the point of anguish, made 99b834feb2 Eden pull the blanket over his head and curl up. The shoddily patched quilt was far 0f82e78b7b too thin to muffle the sound. Eden pressed his hands over c0001c4a3c his ears, praying fervently to cf2f234a04 fall back asleep. But when a heavy thud followed 099a81b067 the voice, as if something had 00ed3d5d1b collapsed, Eden instinctively sat up.b4176af5311de7f8

“Uncle!”f834f1a1db852461

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Rushing to the living room, Eden cda42255bb found his uncle collapsed on the floor.4c156d56323b27c5

“21bce69105 400">Huff… Eden…! Come here, d767e7edfb come closer!”5d8d395fde33d42f

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His uncle flailed on 77ad095620 the floor, gesturing toward Eden. Ignoring the plea, Eden helped his uncle up and guided 9b094499a2 him back to the bedroom, laying him on the bed. Whenever his uncle had a fit like b0bcc970e3 this, Eden felt as if he had 71a95fc8ce been transported back to that rainy day. His uncle’s eyes were the same, filled with the 3f74ceec51 same terrified trembling as that day long ago.a986ff8f7366c1e9

Clinging to Eden, his ad5bd00bb1 uncle kept glancing around frantically. Eden averted his gaze, avoiding the 582a6bf9ce blind desperation in his uncle’s eyes. Suppressing the urge to shake 8aa9b48d50 off his uncle’s persistent grip, 2e6ddc9ff8 Eden sat beside the bed. He checked his uncle’s body c420cb23ff for injuries from the fall. Thankfully, there were b8f2589d1b no visible wounds. His uncle grabbed Eden’s b0b7fead67 hand and spoke.68ae522b3ca2051c

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“…Just once, f360874133 let me see her dab3ec6b23 one more time. I’ll keep it a e897147eba secret, I swear.”88f6042e6e41837f

His voice, bb498a0a19 lowered as if someone 800f8e0e75 might overhear, trembled violently. Worsened by recent c7f4b0f36a fits, it was a9288c65a1 hoarse and raw.fd7768c65ea61cbb

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“Please, just 0ca4422afc once… I know her e8094acc21 name, you see?”411544dfec738a00

“…”235fee091cd95408

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“Just let 09a4f9e63b me see her one c15771bcf5 more time. Please.”e2bc8727bd5e8f65

Wetness ad8e0930b0 seeped into his 9757926faf uncle’s words. When Eden looked up, he saw his uncle’s face, a4cece8241 muttering without even wiping away the flowing tears. His pleading, d8ff405cc0 whispering voice 0229158736 was desperate.60c2f2f62f16ef00

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“Just tell e52c2cbbaa me where Hesin is. I’ll see her just 44e351c49e once, I promise. Please? I have something 5bbecb0c0f I need to 44e2f3be37 say.”3ab3e1fe4479d7e8

‘139906516b 400">Please, I beg you. Please.’ The f44bab47c1 ceaseless whispers were directed ab79cd44b4 at one person. Hesin. That name, d1c65fe48f again today. Perhaps Eden had heard c839a0497c it more often than a1638f58a7 his own.c4c7957279dd86a1

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“Uncle, please, 932e5d0cb3 snap out of it!”c53225986963753f

“Hesin…! Please, just once…!”0e4524bfb81c941f

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According to stories from the villagers, 8cb0134d52 the name belonged to a noblewoman his uncle b8e7356091 met while working at the Imperial Palace. When she was chosen to become the emperor’s f96c3da359 concubine, his uncle could no longer see her. Risking death, he tried to 74ab5b3c9b stay in contact with her, 09078cfe27 but he was caught. In the end, 5314baa7fc she never became 79ce7ba90d a concubine.ece6babd03599cf4

No one knew what became of 61e92dffbc the noblewoman, but his low-born uncle endured horrific f2dc5bb82d torture in the palace’s underground dungeon. The outcome a646d9da1b was even 87b9b5d717 more gruesome. Eden sometimes thought it might have been 636381b7a9 better if his uncle had died. The torture was unimaginable, but seeing his uncle 483f1de1b8 suffer like this made Eden’s blood boil. It was a ffe4b29efe cruel, merciless fate.5c70e575e2384373

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75345dccf4 400">“Hesin, ah—Hesin! Hesin!”3777d7a8e4067612

Eden silently embraced deec70e3eb his uncle, who was screaming b78ac211e7 her name like a wail.18e8a34eb210edb4

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On better days, it happened c12132ce5f a few times a week; on worse 5e567ae1b8 days, several times a day. Eden had no curiosity 2cf8090744 about the face behind c93fc572a1 the name. Had she, too, been broken by 360e6b4628 cruel torture, unable to withstand it? Did she long for his 8a9982459c uncle as much as he 85f4110c03 did for her?05c5cf7f8b5f219a

467deca648 400">Eden pitied 630a285599 his uncle. He pitied himself, too, for 06cb168813 having to comfort him. If only his uncle could find peace—if c99da1bf70 only Eden could find peace—he wanted to 414dab9073 let his uncle see her.31e66f075148dbf8

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But Eden 4bc46a3082 didn’t make promises he c100d81915 couldn’t keep. All he could do was wipe his uncle’s tears and rub 0682f7559b his back until he collapsed from exhaustion and fell asleep. Eden patted his uncle’s back ccfb045cd6 until the morning sunlight warmed 0ef8070452 the bluish room.56a50471d9019c13

When his uncle finally collapsed c32be9bb9b onto the bed, Eden, his face heavy 5ab00943e9 with fatigue, drew the curtains. After soothing his uncle, sleep wouldn’t come, 1bc00f6a94 no matter how tired he was. Closing his uncle’s door, Eden dragged his heavy be8d0c2fc0 legs to the workshop, as he always did. In the shabby workshop, sunlight fell on 0d526a134b a half-finished painting of vibrant flowers.799a9f7e8f7e4c5a

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It was, horrifyingly, 3d92bc6c98 a damnably ordinary morning. Eden sighed and sat 790524d0c3 before the canvas.e1c2f3fecdd25e84

“Haa…”8720c63ba1f8fb45

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For years, as their situation grew worse instead d9b71830f5 of better, Eden had to paint bright, lively pictures. The house overflowed with gloom, always a winter, but 9834faa474 the flowers in Eden’s paintings were forever spring. That was fine. He loved painting, especially ec2db4d590 flowers and trees.f7667400d454cf8c

But sometimes, like now, Eden 2dd1f5d387 had to fight the urge to tear 0f331f9282 apart the paintings he cherished. The unrelenting stress of an unchanging 4a970141dd reality pushed him to the edge. It felt like swallowing 25d324a4bf a scalding stone.afd6a24a489d65d9

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Eden glared at the 1372e4eed4 blooming flowers in his painting, struggling 8eee495743 to steady his erratic breathing. No matter how wretched reality was, he b71853cfe6 had to pick up the brush. ‘Damn it, damn it.’ Closing c70a203eb8 his eyes tightly and clenching his fists, Eden ensured 668ca7c167 his despair never bled into his art.6e81b47ac9f48c72

After a long moment of suppressing the 0dd2e9d67e burning weight within, Eden picked up the brush. His wrist 39e2a3a22a ached under 1f70e10143 its weight.4079bc3ec1a4d3f2

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Painting from morning to late afternoon, Eden only left d53094d624 the workshop when his uncle, now awake, called for him.12fd58e56d1af5ed

“Did 737d1a45f5 you eat breakfast?”d72c2a3242c35fc9

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His uncle b75166778c asked while preparing a 81e49b8e4b late lunch. Eden quietly 5517ceb505 shook his 2a2833274c head.6860d8bf3ede4989

With no regular b250b2f67e job or stable home, Eden’s f61a8f7242 routine was a mess. Lately, insomnia had worsened, 9e6ba8e927 and his longing for bb2a353a83 deep sleep grew desperate. Every day felt 1c3253ba71 sharp and raw. His uncle had been struggling to ensure Eden ate properly, but their 5b0502f680 dire financial situation made it impossible to provide proper meals for two. Eden grew more worn, and 19833975d9 his uncle’s fits only worsened.a5380c62d309fba8

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“I was waiting c4b83391d2 to eat with you, Uncle.”03f370e0964ee947

“You bb756cdad7 should at least 69c366a695 eat something simple.”c078c971aa8a16a7

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“You 0501ae8bed fell hard last 48b5d05946 night. Are you okay?”403d09fb38f5f359

Eden deflected d0256b869f his uncle’s concern with df2e0ae517 a question. His uncle 550cfb5d25 gave a 5ca4694c42 bitter smile.ee789105bdb6dc83

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Once a d78b3cc0f3 fit began, it devoured 6298ae5f28 his uncle’s memory. After hours of raving, he would forget it all—the name he cried, 1b60808ca5 the terrified look in his eyes—gone as if it were a lie. No matter how Eden tried 3b16e058cd to help or ask, his 1f63f18364 uncle remembered nothing.76c51c5f4999cb45

5334b92cf6 400">“I’m fine. I’m sorry…”a886a5f35ad3b90a

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2f133b77a7 400">“It’s okay.”e78c612555fc1321

1dcb4e0b86 400">Eden smiled 0de4faa67f sincerely. It really 12557f3b27 was okay. His uncle was his only family, the one who fed d46c7725f3 and cared for him since childhood, despite having no parents. Lately, Eden often felt 556f5f7de7 like dying, but he 7fc1da7b52 was truly okay. Or so he 2acba7ef2b convinced himself. It felt like repaying 498e414339 an unpayable debt.465e23e0bb5834ba

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“Oh, a f81fda8bb3 man’s coming to pick 11ffb0dd97 up paintings this evening. I’ll grab them while e3febed3da you prepare lunch.”ede7793612f381fe

Unable to bear c3555b9b05 the heavy air, Eden headed 9c8b266408 back to the workshop. Lunch was just a few pieces of bread b2a9fbbaaa and cheese, requiring little preparation, but staying at bd637d398e the table risked snapping from his frayed nerves. In the workshop, Eden rummaged through c227f3f953 the rack of finished paintings.cee134d5e9996235

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With paint prices 5877006b3b soaring, he’d produced only a 9e7c2baa49 few pieces this month. It had 57231bf6b0 been like f967b58289 this lately. Scraping by for months, selling paintings when savings ran dry, f69f79ad94 buying medicine for his uncle, tightening their belts again…3b38cab2428f897a

Sighing habitually, Eden b047333006 calculated their remaining money. The endless mental c5431be1db math was utterly 897641584e exhausting.c098e26d505942e7

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Eden gathered a few paintings efb1c01c1b and returned to the living room.5aaed81697ca495a

“Eden, 54059bb091 you’re selling that 8b1d792bd8 one too?”11ef0aa4f575d1c6

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His uncle’s e78c4316d4 gaze fell on a 39b5566bea particularly large canvas.254bb93d98fe77e4

“It’s just 2dfab1b8ec bigger, but it’s the aaaa9852cc same as the others. It’s fine.”0698efa70b54ae7f

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Eden loved 0db806cf8c painting on large canvases. When times were better, he’d occasionally a45c5d7983 buy one and paint freely, but d287b21d31 lately, he stuck to smaller ones. He needed to sell quickly for money, 10c1966d5c and he couldn’t afford larger canvases. Selling the big ones meant their 4efc90becc finances had hit rock bottom.aed0a23dba698ff7

His uncle silently 2967b3116d placed a piece of toasted 138fb14f05 bread before Eden.44bbe207db015131

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“It’s f09508c90b okay, Uncle. It’s just because 9276119292 paint prices spiked.”6d85251a64fffbe7

731cf51673 400">“But, Eden…”49d2473154328779

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“Uncle, 2c824f1416 you know. Things will 563083b31c get better 35ab0c8ccf after winter.”281c08f531e9ba68

Eden gave a 9624fd0efb faint smile and bit into c8db02a5c3 the warm bread. With so little 9178ff8656 prepared, the meal cc9f54b0a1 was brief.2efaf3706c60d89a

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