Hannibal's story begins in Eastern Europe at the desperate end of World War II. For many it was no longer a conflict of nations but one of individual survival--at any cost. A young Hannibal watches from only steps away as his parents die violently, leaving his cherished young sister in his care. This horrific moment will soon pale in comparison to the atrocities he is forced to witness, that will change him forever. Alone and without any means of support, Hannibal is forced to live in an oppressive Soviet orphanage that once served as his family's beloved home. However, using his wits, he flees to Paris to find his uncle; and while Hannibal discovers that he has died, the uncle's beautiful and mysterious Japanese widow, Lady Murasaki welcomes him. Even her kindness and love cannot soothe the nightmares and sorrows that plague him. Showing a cunning aptitude for science, he is accepted into medical school, which serves to hone his skills and provide the tools to exact justice on the war criminals that destroyed Hannibal's life, and haunt him day and night. This quest for revenge will ignite an insatiable lust within a serial killer who was not born, but made.