Deviant: No Longer Human

He continued, "I also learned about it from mercenaries who referred to it as Fairy Island. They claimed to have pinpointed its location in the remnants of Antarctica."

Aurora tilted her head, a flicker of confusion crossing her features. "Remnants of Antarctica?"

Wang Xiao, momentarily puzzled himself, quickly corrected, "Ah, I meant the remnants of Atlantis. Just a slip of the tongue."

Pftt...

Aurora couldn\'t suppress a smile, amused by his mistake. "A slip of the tongue, or perhaps your mind is too cluttered? Try not to get too distracted."

Wang Xiao nodded, puzzled by her surprise. "What about it? Why does that surprise you?"

Aurora\'s expression suddenly shifted to one of concern. "You mentioned that they located it in Atlantis, but that\'s fundamentally impossible, given that the Chronomasters existed many civilizations after Atlantis was destroyed... Unless..."

"Unless some have survived..." Wang Xiao filled in the silence with his conjecture.

Aurora nodded, her face etched with a grim intensity. "Perhaps... But they would likely be long gone by now. Very few individuals I know of are still alive besides the eight of us. Even those I remember who should be alive aren\'t from that era but from the modern human era that began around 10,000 years ago. Some from the Greek era might still be around."

Wang Xiao\'s eyes lit up with keen interest. "From the Greek era as well?"

"Are you interested?" Aurora\'s eyes sparkled mischievously, noticing his sudden enthusiasm.

Wang Xiao nodded, his curiosity piqued.

After all, who wouldn\'t be fascinated by the Greeks?

Aurora\'s smile carried a veil of mystery, initially leaving Wang Xiao puzzled until she changed the subject.

"I doubt that anyone from the Chronomasters, the Atlanteans, or any of those ancient civilizations could still be alive. But if they are... they must be incredibly well-hidden..."

She paused, contemplating further implications. "And if we entertain that possibility, then some Pangeans might still exist, which is almost laughable. We were directly involved in the demise of many. Most Pangeans found themselves isolated, ultimately meeting their end at a singular moment in history—either through conflict or sacrifice.

We eight survived due to our vast knowledge and the mutual support we could rely on, a safeguard they lacked."

Wang Xiao raised an eyebrow, "It sounds like you\'ve had a hand in such matters as well?"

Aurora responded with candid honesty, "I have, and not all those actions were justifiable. It was only after the dust settled that we realized how isolated we had become in this vast land—reduced to just eight from millions..."

In response, Wang Xiao placed a hand on her shoulder, \'mimicking\' what he understood to be a comforting human gesture in such moments.

Though he found her sadness somewhat perplexing and unnecessary, he recognized the importance of ensuring Aurora remained an ally.

After a moment\'s reflection, Aurora continued, "I believe some Atlanteans might have endured, safeguarding records of the world\'s events in the depths of the sea. However, by now, they would likely have perished."

Wang Xiao nodded in acknowledgment of her thoughts, yet unlike Aurora, he harbored doubts about her assumption, his suspicion casting a shadow over the history.

Wang Xiao\'s agreement was tinged with a shadow of doubt, a stark contrast to Aurora\'s certainty.

Could it be that some of them still lingered among the living?

Or had they all truly vanished into the mists of time?

The very thought sent a chill down his spine, the implications of either possibility shadowing over him like specters at dusk.

Compelled by a surge of curiosity, he ventured to ask about the so-called tunnel to hell, a question that seemed to petrify Aurora momentarily.

!!

Her reaction, stark and unguarded, piqued Wang Xiao\'s curiosity further.

However, Aurora\'s clarification sent a deeper shiver through him.

"That place is not known as the tunnel to hell... but as the \'Graveyard of Gods.\' Do you know why?" Her smile was laden with a profound sorrow.

Wang Xiao could only shake his head in lack of understanding.

How could he possibly know such a thing?

Aurora\'s voice dipped into a cautionary tone, "It\'s a place that predates the Pangeans, predates even our most ancient ancestors. Anyone who dared enter... never returned. It\'s aptly named the graveyard of gods because those who venture inside either never come back or return only in death... twisted and shattered, much like a legion of forsaken beings.

The criteria for survival, if any, are utterly random."

She continued, her words painting a grim history, "Until the last century, I was certain that escape from that place was an impossibility. Only a brave few ever dared to enter, and they vanished without a trace, never to be seen again."

"But the humans of the last century defied those odds, casting millions into its depths..."

"The likelihood of survival is abysmally low, and yet, only a handful out of millions have ever returned. Never before have I witnessed a civilization so recklessly send its own into such a pit of despair, all in the name of experimentation."

"In the past myths, that place was deemed forbidden. Gods who entered were lost forever. Yet, unlike those ancient tales, you\'ve sent millions in a single, dreadful gamble."

"Your people breed, seemingly for the sole purpose of one day casting them into this abyss..."

Wang Xiao\'s surprise was palpable, "Creating babies?" The concept seemed alien, almost dystopian.

Aurora confirmed with a heavy heart, "Yes, there are laboratories established in that region designed to farm humans. As soon as they reach the appropriate age, they are dispatched into the abyss..."

!!

A shiver ran down Wang Xiao\'s spine at this discovery!

Laboratories farming humans not out of cruelty, but as part of a grand, dark design.

The mere concept was enough to unsettle him deeply.

What fate awaited those born within such confines?

What chance would they have to seize control over their destinies, to step beyond the shadows of predetermined doom?

The notion of such profound helplessness was haunting.

Could he, in another twist of fate, have been one of them, forever barred from the wider world?

Seeking to pivot from the grim topic, Aurora shifted the conversation to other civilizations, each with their own tales of rise and fall:

The Solar Children....