Deviant: No Longer Human

As centuries passed, the once-abundant Aether depleted, leaving humanity in a gradual decline.

With each successive generation, humans grew weaker, teetering on the brink of extinction multiple times.

Abilities like psychokinesis, once innate, now required complex postnatal rituals to awaken.

The human mind dulled, senses became blunted, and the once-vibrant connection with nature and the elements faded into obscurity.

The concept of Guardians was nonexistent, replaced only by tales of mysterious figures who would emerge during times of great conflict to alter the course of events.

These beings, revered under various names throughout history, were whispered to be the consorts of Emperor Aegis, perhaps driven by a lingering guilt over their abandonment of Pangea in its darkest hour.

It wasn\'t until sixteen thousand years ago that the notion of Guardians took a more defined shape, when someone discerned the pattern of these interventions and bestowed upon them the title of "The Guardians."

This was not an official designation but rather a mythic construct, a narrative woven by the people of that era to explain the unexplainable.

These figures, elevated to the status of deities, became objects of worship.

During the 20th century, as the supernatural elements of the world began to resurface, a new group of deviants saw an opportunity to formalize and assume the mantle of Guardians—a title that had never truly existed beyond the realm of legend.

This move to institutionalize the concept of Guardians represented humanity\'s attempt to reconnect with its lost powers and heritage.

Yet, it also highlighted the evolving nature of belief and the human capacity to create structures of meaning out of the chaos of existence.

"..."

Wang Xiao\'s expression was etched with gravity as he confronted Aurora.

"How many years did you say?" His voice was tense, his eyes piercing.

Aurora, reclining casually, met his gaze with cool indifference. "200 million," she stated matter-of-factly.

Wang Xiao\'s lips curled into a disdainful mutter. "Old witch."

!!

"What?" Caught off guard, Aurora\'s lips quivered in surprise.

Wang Xiao pressed on, his skepticism evident. "How did you manage to live so long? And why are there only eight of you left, while the rest of the Pangeans perished? What happened to them?"

The questions hit Aurora like a relentless onslaught, leaving her momentarily speechless.

She had known divulging her secrets would invite scrutiny, yet the intensity of Wang Xiao\'s interrogation rattled her.

Aurora\'s response was a heavy sigh, a plea for simplicity in inquiry, "Only one question at a time, or I might find myself too bored to answer."

Yet, Wang Xiao, perhaps too caught in his thoughts, bundled his questions again, his curiosity unbridled, "Is that dragon behind you as ancient as you claim? How did you and it survive for so long? And why are there only eight survivors amongst you?"

"..."

Aurora\'s irritation flared, her lips twitching in frustration at his disregard for her request.

Exhaling deeply, she turned towards him, her eyes locking onto the dragon nestled behind Wang Xiao. "Aura," she began, her voice tinged with resignation, "I found her. Whether she\'s as old as me, I can\'t say. But our survival hinges on her scales, infused with aether. However, that well is running dry, and her time may be running out."

"I see..." Wang Xiao, nodding slowly, began to piece together the puzzle.

The Aether Aurora spoke of seemed to him the mystical thread that wove together the realms of hell and earth, a concept as fascinating as it was terrifying.

Aurora\'s lips pressed into a thin line, a hint of frustration coloring her response to his skepticism. "As for your other question, we weren\'t the only survivors. Many others did endure, but their fates were varied—some vanished into the mists of time, others met unknown ends.

Only we eight were bound by the oath, which kept us interconnected through the eons," she clarified, her voice carrying the weight of lost companions and bygone eras.

Wang Xiao found himself lost with disbelief and the monumental task of reconciling the vast, untold history Aurora presented with the known chronicles of his world.

The historian in him yearned to flip through the pages of an thick history book, confronting her words with the ink of the past.

Suddenly, their solemn discussion was pierced by distant shouts.

"There!"

"They\'re over there!"

"Look!"

??

Both Aurora and Wang Xiao, caught mid-conversation, jerked their heads toward the commotion.

Approaching their isolated edge of the island were two speedboats, slicing through the water, each carrying a crew of more than ten people.

While Wang Xiao\'s brow furrowed in confusion at their identity, Aurora\'s expression tightened, a storm brewing in her eyes. "They might be searching for Asmodeus," she said, her voice tinged with trouble, as if the very name summoned dark clouds on the horizon.

Yin Yue, ever watchful, chimed [They are deviants, strong in fact.]

Wang Xiao\'s eyes narrowed in disdain, not expecting such an interruption.

However, before he could process this new threat, the earth beneath their feet trembled violently.

"Earthquake?" he uttered, the word barely escaping his lips as the ground\'s rumble swallowed his voice.

Aurora\'s smile, bitter and laden with dread, shadowed her face. "Worse," she confessed, her two words painting a grim picture of the chaos about to begin.

Rooaaar!

Thud! Thud! Thudh!

The once-slumbering dragon awakened, its massive form rising with a series of earth-shaking thuds.

Stepping beside Wang Xiao and Aurora, its sharp eyes locked onto the water, a silent sentinel braced for the impending tumult.

The Deviants aboard the speedboats sensed the shift, their advance halted by the dragon\'s imposing presence.

"What\'s happening?" the first one called out, uncertainty lacing his voice.

"Doesn\'t matter! Keep going!" another barked back, determination overriding caution.

"But the—"

"Just keep going!"

Their dispute was cut short as the ocean beneath them darkened ominously, a shadow spreading across the water\'s surface like a stain.

Before they could react, the sea churned violently.

"Wha—!?"

Booooooom!

A colossal whoosh tore through the air as the water split apart, revealing a spiraling vortex beneath the ocean\'s surface.

The force of the whirlpool was insatiable, dragging everything in its vicinity into its maw.

"Argh!?"

"What\'s happening!?"

"Stop this!"

Their cries were swallowed by the whoosh of the water. In mere seconds, the speedboats and the Deviant were consumed by the spiraling abyss, leaving a void where they had once been.

But the true terror emerged in the aftermath, as a creature of unfathomable size revealed itself.

The beast\'s mouth, gaping and vast, stretched wider than any ship, a living wonder in the sea.