Deviant: No Longer Human

Despite his regrets, a subtle pride crept into his voice as he spoke of her.

He had the power to decide on the missions she would be assigned and ensured she was constantly under watch.

"You did what you deemed fit; there is nothing to regret," Wang Xiao responded, offering an unusual reassurance.

Li Zhiming chuckled softly, the sound tinged with melancholy. "If only it were that simple..."

Wang Xiao, "..."

Why wasn\'t it simple?

The weight of their previous conversation still lingered, but Wang Xiao shifted focus, perhaps a bit too abruptly.

"...Any idea where Gabriel is right now?" His thoughts had already pivoted to strategy, mulling over future moves.

After all, once Luna was healed, he might well take it upon himself to eliminate Gabriel.

Li Zhiming shook his head, his expression somber. "No idea... But he was last seen heading towards Frostholm..."

"!"

Wang Xiao\'s eyes widened for a second. "Towards the tunnel to hell?"

Li Zhiming nodded. "For now, there is nothing to worry about. The security is tightened, and the chances of any human infiltrating that place are impossible."

"He is not human," Wang Xiao stated flatly.

"Huh?" Li Zhiming\'s confusion was evident.

Wang Xiao, instead of elaborating, reached out mentally to Yin Yue. \'You were correct, Yue. The hell spirit controlling Gabriel is indeed aiming for the tunnel to hell. What now?\'

After a brief pause, Yin Yue responded, her voice echoing within his mind. [...I think... We can only wait... Or do you want to go and investigate?]

Wang Xiao\'s faint smile barely touched the corners of his mouth, a hint of wry amusement in his gaze. \'I don\'t have time to face an army of hell spirits. It\'s better if they are aiming to break the barrier, or might just want to return home. Let the concerned people worry about it.\'

Yin Yue fell silent. If anything, she wanted to remind him that he was one of the concerned parties.

But then again, he was right.

Venturing alone against such formidable foes could lead him to serious injury again, even if he emerged victorious.

Li Zhiming didn\'t add any more words.

Moments later, a black Apache helicopter touched down near them, its blades slicing through the air with a buzzing whir.

He quickly boarded, leaving the situation in Wang Xiao\'s capable hands.

Currently, Wang Xiao himself desired some peace.

The last thing he wanted was to spend the next few days crusading against supernatural forces.

With a final glance at the departing helicopter, he turned and headed towards the mountains where Eveline and Luna were waiting.

There, in the tranquil solitude away from the chaos of his duties, he hoped to find a brief period of peace.

____

Chirp....

Chirp....

29th December, 2024!

As dawn broke, Wang Xiao\'s eyes fluttered open to the first gentle rays of the rising sun filtering through the window. His eyelids moved slowly at first, then abruptly widened.

Whoosh!

Reacting instantly, his eyes shot wide open as his hand darted forward to intercept a foreign object hovering in front of him.

"What\'s the time?" he asked, catching Eveline slightly off guard.

His fingers had been absentmindedly tracing lines across his face, but they paused as he unexpectedly captured her soft hand, bringing her movements to a halt.

Wang Xiao\'s gaze locked onto her face, his head comfortably nestled on her thighs—a position he had found to offer a deeper sense of safety and rest during the night.

Eveline\'s lips curled into a smile at his sharp instincts. "It\'s only morning, but you can go back to sleep; a surprise is waiting for you."

"..."

\'What kind of surprise?\' Wang Xiao\'s eyes narrowed slightly, scrutinizing her expression for any hint of what she meant.

However, Eveline, ever mysterious, offered no further details.

With a mixture of curiosity and resignation, Wang Xiao rose to his feet, stretching his limbs languidly, only to notice Luna still encased within her healing cocoon.

Wang Xiao\'s frown deepened. \'How much longer will she need to heal?\' He was unsure of the extent of her injuries and could only guess that it might take weeks.

With a heavy sigh, he made his way towards the imposing structure of Gaia\'s Facility, encircled by the high-security perimeter, his mind racing with thoughts of what awaited him inside.

_____

Boom!

The sound bommed sharply, signaling Wang Xiao\'s arrival at the military base.

He was initially headed for the underground sector when his attention was abruptly diverted.

Tucked away in a shadowed corner, Rebecca was deep in conversation with a soldier, their heads bowed in serious discussion.

Catching sight of Wang Xiao, Rebecca\'s eyes flickered towards him.

"!"

She subtly pointed toward the rear of the compound, her lips moving in silent articulation, words lost in the distance between them.

??

Perplexed, Wang Xiao halted, squinting in the direction she indicated.

It took a moment for him to piece together her silent message—she wasn\'t pointing him toward the usual underground haunts but rather towards the hospital that sprawled prominently on the surface of the facility.

With a final, confirming glance at Rebecca, clarity struck. The item or person he was searching for was now housed within the hospital, not buried in the depths below.

"..."

Feeling a vague sense of unease, Wang Xiao redirected his steps towards the hospital building.

Tap...

Tap...

His boots clicked against the concrete, the sound sharp in the crisp morning air.

Ascending to the second floor, he stepped into a long, deserted corridor that seemed to stretch endlessly.

The usual clutter of his thoughts cleared, leaving him in a state of eerie calm.

The corridor was eerily silent, amplifying the sound of his own breathing and the steady thud of his heart.

The fluorescent lights overhead cast a sterile glow, throwing long shadows that danced quietly alongside him.

Wang Xiao moved with a purposeful stride, his senses heightened, the weight of his footsteps echoing solemnly through the hallway.

He passed by hospital staff and soldiers, his intense focus rendering them mere blurs in his peripheral vision, until—