Deviant: No Longer Human

His vision blurred into nothingness, engulfed by a swirling, thick haze.

As clarity began to slowly seep back into his surroundings, an unexpected force collided with him from the front.

Hiss!

Luna crashed onto him, her weight forcing a sharp gasp from Wang Xiao as pain flashed across his face.

Thud!

They both toppled backwards, his back hitting the rough asphalt with a searing sting, the texture gritty and unforgiving beneath him.

Ka—Boom!

In that instant, his senses jolted as another thunderous boom echoed across the sky, streaks of lightning splitting the heavens, casting jagged shadows on the ground.

His mind, still buzzing, struggled to orient itself amidst the chaos.

Just then, a voice cut through the tumult, clear and resonant.

"What were you two even fighting against...?" Eveline descended gracefully, her figure slicing through the smoky air. Her eyes, wide and reflective, took in the surreal devastation around them.

They stood on a small, intact circle of highway, a surreal island of normalcy in a sea of destruction.

Beyond this tiny oasis, a vast crater stretched over a kilometer in diameter, the highway obliterated and transformed into a vision of apocalypse.

The surrounding landscape was charred and crackled with residual energy, ominous and charged with swirling dark velvet electric currents that danced menacingly across the blackened ground.

"..."

As Eveline noticed both Wang Xiao and Luna lying unconscious, her face grew grim. "What is this?..." She murmured, crouching beside Luna to inspect her right shoulder, where the hand was distrubingly absent.

Instead of a normal wound, it appeared as if shimmering dark sand like particles was actively consuming the flesh, radiating a sinister energy.

Eveline instinctively reached out to touch it, but her eyes suddenly widened in alarm, and she quickly withdrew her hand.

"!"

"This..." Her face twisted into an expression of deep concern and confusion. "What is this ominous substance?" Although she had a notion about its nature, the possibility left her cold with dread.

Her gaze involuntarily lifted to the thundering sky above.

Her eyes narrowed sharply, catching the last moments of Maliketh dissolving into dust, a sight that made her blink twice, her expression a complex mix of emotions.

"..."

In that moment, Eveline felt the weight of the situation pressing down on her, silently cursing Aurora for what deep rabbit hole she had thrust her into.

??

Then, abruptly she turned away from the grim scene on the ground to face another.

The air thrummed with the distant but growing roar of helicopters.

She spotted several approaching rapidly, leading the formation was a highly advanced military helicopter, its sleek matte black body shinning through the air with ominous aura.

"..."

Simultaneously, Eveline\'s gaze swept across the debris-strewn ground and caught sight of broken car parts.

Her eyes then narrowed as she detected a thermal signature in front of her.

Her face momentarily darkened with recognition of a body that should have been unrecognizable, trapped within the twisted wreckage of a car.

"Died... Huh..."

Surprised by her own reaction, Eveline\'s form disintegrated into dust, only to reappear instantly in front of the shattered remnants of an Audi.

The vehicle was torn apart, its once sleek structure now a heap of mangled metal.

As she reached into the wreckage, her hand glowing with a soft, golden light, her eyes betrayed a flicker of sadness—a rare departure from her usual indifference.

She peered inside at the bloodstained interior, her expression grim.

Whooooosh!

At that moment, tens of soldiers began to descend around her, rapidly securing the area.

Some called out to Eveline to step back, taken aback by the radiant golden glow emanating from her hand.

But their commands halted abruptly as heavy footsteps approached.

"PUT DOWN YOUR GUNS!"

______________

Binntal Valley, Switzerland!

Nestled among towering mountain peaks, the serene Binntal Valley basked in the golden glow of the first rays of sunlight.

The morning light filtered through the thinning mist, casting a warm, ethereal light on the scene below.

On the grassy ground, Wang Xiao and Luna lay motionless, an unsettling stillness surrounding them.

Eveline sat beside them, her posture relaxed yet she kept vigil.

The golden light touched her hair, reflection across her face, highlighting a mix of concern and determination in her expression.

The quiet was only broken by the occasional chirp of early birds and the distant rustle of leaves, hinting at the valley\'s awakening life.

Eveline\'s gaze was fixed on Luna and Wang Xiao, watching for any signs of consciousness.

The air was crisp, carrying the scent of dew and pine, a stark contrast to the grim scene of recovery.

"!?"

Slowly, Wang Xiao\'s eyelids began to flutter. His eyes, initially clouded with confusion, gradually focused on the shifting patterns of light and shadow cast by the rising sun through the leaves above.

The gentle rustling of the grass as a breeze swept through brought a semblance of peace, easing the tension in his body.

Eveline noticed the subtle change in his expression and leaned closer, her hand stretched to assist.

Slowly, signs of life returned.

His eyelids twitched, and gradually, his eyes opened, squinting against the bright light filtering through the towering trees.

"Where...?" His voice was hoarse, barely a whisper as Wang Xiao tried to piece together his fragmented memories.

"On Earth," Eveline answered softly, turning to him with a faint smile. "You\'re alive, at least for the moment."

Wang Xiao\'s eyes snapped open wide. "That guy!" He attempted to sit up, his movements sluggish and painful.

"What guy? The one who ambushed you two?" Eveline\'s eyes widened in surprise as she watched Wang Xiao turn around slightly frantically, scanning their surroundings for any sign of the attacker.

"It\'s Maliketh, that\'s his name," Wang Xiao managed to say, his gaze still sharp and searching. Before he could move any further, Eveline gently pressed her hand onto his shoulder, urging him to be still.

"He\'s long gone, and you\'re in Switzerland," Eveline reassured him, her face etched with a complex mix of relief and concern. "Besides, if he were here, you wouldn\'t stand a chance."

Wang Xiao froze, his eyes briefly flickering with the memory of the last explosion, as intense as a live nuclear detonation.

"The place where you were found... the whole island was wiped out, devoid of life. No one was alive except for you two," Eveline added, her voice low and steady.