Deviant: No Longer Human

The urgency in her message conveyed the need for immediate guidance on how to handle the situation.

"Senior Eleanor," Amelia murmured into her communication device, "He has awakened, but there\'s a lot he doesn\'t remember. He\'s physically changed, and I\'m not sure how to proceed. Should I inform him about everything, or do we need to take a different approach and also alter his memories?"

Eleanor, "..."

Amelia awaited Eleanor\'s response, her eyes briefly flicking back to the room where Wang Xiao sat, a mix of curiosity and concern etched on his face.

A deep sigh emanated from the other end of the telephone line. "Don\'t erase his memories; I would be there soon."

Amelia, relieved by the guidance, nodded to herself. "Understood, Senior Eleanor. I\'ll await your arrival."

________

[Hey, boy! Can you hear me!?]

As Wang Xiao observed the room, the aged equipment whispered tales of a bygone era, relics from the 2000s. In the midst of his contemplation, a sudden voice reverberated in his mind, prompting him to squint and scan the room in confusion.

[It\'s me! The Hell Spirit, remember!]

\'What hell spirit!? ....wait...\' Wang Xiao felt a flood of memories returning, the chaotic mosaic of his thoughts gradually giving way to clarity. \'Oh, I remember now... The little hell spirit...\'

[Good, now it\'s time for you to escape.]

\'Escape, but why? I don\'t even know where am I?\' Wang Xiao thought, his confusion palpable. \'And what\'s your name anyway?\'

[Hell spirits don\'t have a name; we have numbers assigned to us for identification.]

\'So I would call you Yin Yue; anyways, why are you suggesting me to escape?\' Wang Xiao inquired, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.

[The people you are dealing with are ancient and powerful; you won\'t stand a chance if they harbor bad intentions.]

Wang Xiao\'s eyes blinked in realization. \'How can I even escape? There are no windows, and the only door is the one where that woman, Amelia, must be standing.\'

[Yes, that\'s the problem!]

Wang Xiao sighed in frustration. \'So, no chances to escape. By the way, why did your voice suddenly change?\' he inquired, detecting the shift from a neutral metallic tone to a more feminine one.

Yin Yue\'s response echoed, [The name you gave was quite feminine; I adapted to it.]

Wang Xiao, with a skeptical look, muttered, \'Is that even possible...?\'

Yin Yue unraveled the peculiar nature of her existence, \'I didn\'t have any material body like humans, and my species lacks gender identifications. We multiply after gathering enough energy to increase our population. In hell, our kind is used to inhabiting the minds of deceased organisms, to toil eternally, enslaved.\'

Wang Xiao, grappling with the unearthly revelation, questioned, \'Hell... is it real?\'

Yin Yue teased with a mischievous tone, [Hehe, are you scared?]

Wang Xiao nonchalantly shrugged, \'Who cares.\'

Yin Yue chuckled playfully, [You seem like you do. Anyway, don\'t speak too much in front of them until you gather their intentions.]

Wang Xiao retorted with a wry smile, \'I know that much.\'

Yin Yue added with a hint of humor, [Of course, you know. You\'re used to tricking girls, but those are not little girls; they\'re grown-up women. They would eat you alive.]

"..."

Wang Xiao fell silent, absorbing the weight of his newfound awareness, amidst the new environment he found himself in.

_________

*Click*

The door swung open again, disrupting Wang Xiao\'s telepathic exchange with Yin Yue. As the door revealed Amelia and her companion, Wang Xiao found himself momentarily taken aback.

The newcomer possessed an ethereal beauty with hair resembling freshly fallen snow, skin as flawless as jade, and curves that seemed to defy earthly standards.

Wang Xiao, usually unaffected by such appearances, couldn\'t deny the allure these women held. As his eyes wandered, he found himself caught in a silent battle of maintaining composure.

Amelia, aware of the brief pause, introduced her companion, "This is Eleanor, our Senior."

Eleanor, with a faint smile, spoke, "Nice to meet you, young man. I\'m Eleanor, the head of the ethics committee and in charge of this village."

Wang Xiao, collecting himself, managed a nod. "Likewise, Senior Eleanor."

Eleanor\'s gaze lingered on him, a hint of intrigue in her eyes. "It seems you\'ve been through quite an ordeal. How are you feeling now?"

Wang Xiao, still processing the surreal encounter, replied, "I\'ve been better, but I guess I\'m alive."

Eleanor\'s lips curled into a subtle smile. "Survival is a good starting point. Now, let\'s talk about what happens next."

She turned to Amelia, who had been quietly observing, and said, "Amelia, can you give us some space?"

Amelia, feeling a bit awkward and undoubtedly curious, replied, "Yeah..." She turned around and left with a sigh. Eleanor could sense the young woman\'s curiosity, but some things were not meant for her ears.

At 31 years old, Amelia was considered young in a village where people generally lived around 150 years.

This was her first encounter with someone from the outside, and Eleanor chose not to reveal everything in front of her.

Once Amelia had left, Eleanor turned to the door and suggested, "Let\'s move to a more open place." With a mysterious energy, Wang Xiao felt his feet being effortlessly guided behind her.

In a breathtaking move, as they reached the hallway, both of them ascended into the air, defying the laws of gravity.

The world below transformed into a panorama of hidden wonders as they floated, leaving behind the confines of the building.

!!

Wang Xiao, feeling the brisk caress of air against his body, closed his eyes, his heartbeat resonating with the pulsating energy of the descent.

As they landed near a secluded river, the surroundings transformed—a picturesque scene unfolded below a cliff crowned by a majestic waterfall, the very source of the river.

Balancing himself, Wang Xiao stumbled slightly, his body still acclimating to its altered form.

Eleanor, observing his adjustment, smiled and gracefully reached out, catching his hands. "You\'ve grown quite a lot in the last few years, even surpassed me," she remarked, her gaze acknowledging the change in his stature.

"Yeah, good genetics," Wang Xiao replied, a tinge of discomfort in his tone, his independence momentarily compromised. The breathtaking scenery, however, served as a captivating backdrop, momentarily eclipsing any unease.