Deviant: No Longer Human

Soon, the eerie shadow dissolved, giving way to the figure of beautiful woman.

Eveline, perched casually on a tree branch, an apple in one hand, her legs idly kicking at the cool night air.

"Not bad..." she murmured, her lips twisting into a knowing smile. It wasn\'t just Wang Xiao\'s performance in bed—though perhaps that played a part—it was something more.

She noticed the subtle shifts in him, transformations she wasn\'t sure were spurred by his recent humbling session with Maliketh or by his awareness of the profound impact he had on those around him.

Wang Xiao, perpetually walking forward, seemed to still harbor the youthfulness of someone pretending to age before his time.

He had seemingly overlooked the fact that those he left behind would continue their lives without him...

Amelia was not alone; there was Wang Xueying, Wang Mei, Lian, and Linda...

He moved onward, seemingly oblivious to the impact he could have, a self-awareness he either lacked or consciously ignored until now.

Utilizing his official powers, he declared the area around Xianthera forbidden to humans, collaborating with Li Zhiming and Elara, the poison maiden he encountered in Romania— This was his first step towards recognizing and harnessing his own influence.

Perhaps Aurora\'s decision to leave Eveline close to Wang Xiao wasn\'t as whimsical as it seemed.

The woman\'s methods were cryptic, and even Wang Xiao remained unaware of her true intentions, delving into that witch\'s mind...

______

7:00 am, 1st January!

In another corner of the world, where the sun had already crested the horizon, an alone house stood, draped in shadows despite the daylight.

Inside, the rooms were decked out in festive garb, ready to ring in a new year, yet they were suffused with an eerie, tragic aura.

In the heart of this gloomy setting, on the ground floor adorned with lavish furniture and towering ceilings, a young girl wandered.

She was dressed simply in a plain, white long T-shirt with a round collar, paired with snug black leggings.

As she moved through the rooms, her expression was tinged with worry, her bare feet tapping a soft, rhythmic beat against the cold marble floors.

"Xueying, did you hear that noise? Where are Dad and Mom?" Wang Jiarong\'s voice trembled, breaking the heavy silence as she turned towards Wang Xueying.

Xueying was descending the stairs with a lazy yawn, her movements slow and languid.

Pausing mid-step at the question, Xueying looked puzzled. "What voice?" she asked, her voice groggy, fingers rubbing at her sleepy eyes.

"..."

"..."

Wang Jiarong, letting go of any expectation of useful information from her sister, swiftly started ascending the stairs toward the second floor.

Her voice, filled with urgency, trailed off as she darted past Wang Xueying, "Keep an eye out for Mom and tell me if you see her!"

"..."

Wang Xueying stood motionless, her face a blank canvas.

"What\'s the new drama with her today?" she mused, a soft sigh escaping her lips just as the doorbell shattered the morning quiet with its insistent buzz.

"Hm?"

"Who gets up this early?" she grumbled, annoyance creeping into her voice as she strode towards the entrance.

The cool floor tiles felt icy against her bare feet. Reaching the door, she turned the lock with a sharp click.

Click!

"Hey—"

Boom!

Before the visitor could finish speaking, Wang Xueying had already slammed the door shut in their faces, leaving the visitors stunned on the doorstep.

"..."

"..."

Zhao Chen paused and cast a questioning glance at his brother, Zhao Yang, a mix of confusion and concern etching his features— wondering what did he wrong?

Clad in a sleek black suit with a pristine white shirt peeking from beneath, he cradled a bouquet of vibrant flowers intended for New Year\'s greetings.

Coming to thier background, once Zhao Chen was deeply involved in a dark plan against Wang Xiao, orchestrated by Hao Zemin.

Hao, who had once pursued Wang Xueying at school and harbored resentment after being threatened by Wang Xiao, was driven by a thirst for retribution.

Zhao Yang, who was a year senior to Wang Xiao in junior high, harbored his own grudges stemming from a contentious episode with their English teacher, Lei Xie.

This dispute had escalated dramatically, culminating in a heated brawl with Wang Xiao.

Both Zhao Yang and Hao Zemin found a common confidante in Zhao Chen.

As Hao Zemin\'s closest friend and Zhao Yang\'s elder brother, Zhao Chen was reluctantly roped into their sinister conspiracy, plotting a dangerous fate for Wang Xiao at the edge of the cliff.

Three years had passed since the incident, and the relationships among them had transformed dramatically.

Hao Zemin had abandoned his pursuit of Wang Xueying, deterred by a blend of fear and regret.

Meanwhile, Zhao Chen had stepped into the void left by Hao, inadvertently causing a rift in his longstanding friendship with Hao Zemin.

"Brother, you should just give up," Zhao Yang chuckled, unable to suppress his amusement as he watched Zhao Chen face yet another brutal rejection.

Zhao Yang had not only outgrown Zhao Chen in height but also seemed years older than his actual age, his broad shoulders casting a large shadow.

His laughter rolled like thunder, resonant and deep, filling the space around them.

"Shut up!" Zhao Chen exploded, his face lined with frustration and embarrassment.

Whoosh!

With a swift motion, he spun around, his hands flinging the bouquet of flowers violently to the ground.

He then turned sharply on his heel and marched away, his brother\'s booming laughter echoing behind him like the roars of a giant.

"..."

As Zhao Chen stormed off, a sly, almost wicked smile curled the corners of Zhao Yang\'s lips—he had been secretly hoping for his brother\'s failure.

Just as he was about to laugh in a moment of enjoyment, his phone buzzed sharply in his pocket.

"?"

Pulling it out, he glanced at the new message and his smile quickly faded into a frown.

"Assembly near the home? So abrupt, why now?"

Zhao Yang\'s brows knitted together, his eyes flickering a fiery red for a brief moment before returning to their usual calm.

He let out a wry smile, tinged with irony.

"How am I supposed to convince this \'kid\'s\' family to lend me money to go overseas now? Did that bastard lose his mind? Why issue a summoning call out of the blue?"

Muttering to himself, Zhao Yang chuckled dryly before heading towards his home.

There was a mysterious aura about Zhao Yang now, as if he had undergone a transformation, not just him but perhaps everyone involved.

The very earth itself seemed to be shifting beneath their feet.

Something momentous was on the horizon, something that promised to alter the course of history forever...