Deviant: No Longer Human

Wang Xiao was momentarily floored. The concept sounded like something out of a fantasy novel. "What?" he couldn\'t help but express his disbelief.

"Don\'t overthink it," Aurora advised, seeing his confusion. "Just as you use your mind to manipulate objects, we have our domains of mastery. I\'m akin to plants, and Mimi to water. It\'s specialization, not dissimilar to your psychokinesis."

Wang Xiao\'s curiosity was piqued. "How so?"

Aurora glanced around before pointing to a distant rock. "How would you move that rock?"

"I\'d focus on it and lift," Wang Xiao explained, simplifying his process.

Aurora nodded. "Ever wonder how that girl Luna perceives it? I might not see what she does, but she has her unique perspective."

Wang Xiao was intrigued. "How would it look to her?"

Aurora\'s explanation peeled back layers of complexity that Wang Xiao had never considered. "She might see the particles responding to your focus. It\'s as if your brain resonates, communicating with atoms to initiate movement. You\'re not controlling them directly; you\'re communicating.

The better your communication, the more control you achieve," she explained, drawing a parallel between his psychokinesis and her communion with nature.

"I\'ve spent my life conversing with plants and trees, manipulating their atoms at will. Mimi possesses a similar depth of understanding with the ocean," Aurora continued, her connection to the natural world evident in her every word.

Wang Xiao, however, was fixated on a more immediate concern. "But how can she turn into water?" The thought of such a transformation was both fascinating and deeply unsettling.

Aurora\'s gaze grew serious, a mix of caution and wisdom in her eyes. "Attempting such a transformation now would be fatal for you. It requires extensive knowledge and precise control. Everything in this world, at its core, is made up of matter—atoms and particles. If you understand a form deeply enough to alter your own structure to match it, you can achieve that transformation."

"...Fire is a chemical reaction; water is a compound. You\'d need to change every part of your body into the same elemental composition as water."

Wang Xiao\'s mind raced at the implications.

The idea of altering his own atomic structure to mimic another form of matter was daunting.

\'Turn each part of my body into water? That\'s beyond my current capabilities,\' he realized with a mixture of disappointment and relief.

The prospect of such power was intriguing, but the inherent risks and the sheer depth of understanding required were sobering.

\'For now, I can barely tweak the simplest of particles without risking a catastrophic failure,\' he admitted inwadly.

The thought of meddling with his own physical makeup to the extent Aurora suggested was far beyond his current realm of possibility.

Aurora\'s revelation opened up new horizons of thought for Wang Xiao, expanding his understanding of what might be possible with sufficient knowledge and mastery.

Aurora\'s smile deepened, a clear indication she enjoyed the stir her words caused. "You might find Luna\'s abilities particularly useful. She perceives photons, or light, which could provide you with insights into manipulating energy more effectively."

Wang Xiao, puzzled by this revelation, sought clarity. "So, you\'re all Guardians, then? Which continent do you hail from?" He had already suspected Aurora to be a Guardian, but Luna being one had never crossed his mind, given her lack of overt demonstrations of power.

"Wrong," Aurora corrected him gently, her head tilting in a soft shake.

"Hm? Not Guardians, then what? Hell Spirits?" Wang Xiao ventured a guess, his knowledge limited to the beings he was already familiar with.

But as the words escaped him, his expression shifted drastically.

The existence of hell and its inhabitants was a closely guarded secret, that could pose an threat to his own existence.

Yet, Aurora\'s reaction was not what he expected. She offered a subtle smile, neither confirming nor denying his speculation. "Neither of those. But this Hell Spirit you mentioned, is it the name of an entity causing trouble recently?"

Wang Xiao\'s response was a silent, narrowed gaze.

Aurora, "Me and Mimi are Guardians, but not of this era," she clarified, suggesting a depth and history to their roles far beyond Wang Xiao\'s initial understanding.

"Which generation, then?" Wang Xiao\'s curiosity was piqued.

The notion of generations among Guardians suggested a lineage or a succession that was meticulously maintained, yet shrouded in mystery to those outside their circle.

Aurora, sensing the depth of his curiosity, turned to face him.

Her gaze, initially meeting Wang Xiao\'s, drifted towards the majestic figure of the dragon resting nearby.

"You see her? That\'s Aura, and she has been my companion for a very long time. However, the life energy sustaining her is depleting, and soon, she will pass away with it..."

Wang Xiao, taken aback by the solemnity of her words, chose not to interrupt, sensing the gravity of the moment for Aurora.

Though Aurora maintained a composed façade, a subtle tremor in the corner of her lips betrayed the sorrow that the thought of Aura\'s impending demise brought her.

As she redirected her gaze towards the stars, a particular constellation caught her attention. "That one there is called Draco. The brightest star, Eltanin, is near its head. I named it... after Aura..." Her voice trailed off, laden with unspoken emotions and memories.

??

"You named it?" Wang Xiao exclaimed with an unbelieving tone, his eyebrows arching in surprise.

Pfttt....

Aurora anticipated this reaction, yet she couldn\'t suppress the bubbling laughter that erupted from her lips.

She quickly clamped her hands over her mouth, but the laughter persisted, escaping in uncontrollable bursts. "Wang Xiao, I didn\'t mean it... That... happened..." Her words were punctuated by fits of giggles as she struggled to compose herself.

With each attempt to stifle the laughter, her face contorted in a futile effort to contain the mirth.

Wang Xiao, witnessing her struggle, decided he had seen enough.

He closed the distance between them and firmly grasped her face, covering it with his hand.

"Eh!?" Aurora\'s startled exclamation was muffled by Wang Xiao\'s hand.

As her laughter subsided, Aurora took a deep breath, her eyes wide with surprise as she felt his hand clenching tightly around her face.

"Heh? I thought you needed some help. Excessive laughter can kill people; be careful." His smile only added to the bewildering moment as he released her, leaving Aurora\'s mind reeling with a mix of emotions.

With an amused sigh, she shook her head, trying to regain her composure.