Deviant: No Longer Human

"!"

There, before a large, elegantly framed vanity mirror, her mother, Xinyue Zhilan, was absorbed in applying makeup.

Dressed in a sharp, grey suit that signified of her profession as a lawyer, Xinyue\'s posture was the epitome of grace.

Her hair was slicked back into a perfect bun, projecting the image of strict professionalism.

"Mom?" Wang Jiarong\'s voice cracked with uncertainty, breaking through the calm silence of the room.

"..."

Xinyue continued her makeup routine without pause, her hands moving with practiced precision.

She delicately dabbed concealer over a discolored mark on her cheek, her expression unreadable in the mirror\'s reflection.

Stepping closer, Jiarong\'s heart thudded with growing concern.

She could see now—a faint, angry handprint marred her mother\'s otherwise pristine complexion, barely hidden beneath layers of expertly applied cosmetics.

"Why are you covering that up? What happened?" Jiarong\'s voice was soft but insistent as she reached out and gently grasped her mother\'s wrist, stopping her mid-gesture.

"??"

Xinyue paused, her eyes meeting Jiarong\'s in the reflection before lowering her gaze.

"It\'s nothing, dear. Just a small accident," she murmured, attempting to resume her makeup with her free hand.

!!

Jiarong tightened her grip slightly, her worry intensifying. "Mom, this doesn\'t look like \'nothing.\' Who did this to you?"

Xinyue sighed, setting the brush down and turning to face her daughter.

Her face was a mask of forced calm, but her eyes betrayed a storm of emotions. "Jiarong, it\'s complicated. I don\'t want you to worry about these things. Focus on your studies, okay?"

"But how can I not worry!?" Jiarong\'s voice trembled with emotion.

"You always tell me to stand up for what\'s right. How can I ignore this when it\'s happening to you, right in our home?"

Xinyue looked into her daughter\'s earnest eyes, the façade of composure cracking slightly.

"I\'m handling it, I promise. Let\'s not make this bigger than it needs to be." She forced a smile, her usual resilience shadowing her momentarily softer expression.

Wang Jiarong, "..."

She had only returned from Beijing for the New Year, but upon her arrival, she discovered that things had deteriorated far beyond the state she left them in last time.

\'What the hell is happening!?\' Wang Jiarong felt an overwhelming urge to clutch her head in frustration.

A deep, simmering anger rose in her heart towards her father, Wang Jiahao, if only for a fleeting moment.

Feeling defeated like so many others before her, she retreated to the solitude of her own room.

Looking ahead, she knew she would soon be heading back to university, clinging to the hope that the situation at home wouldn\'t spiral further out of control.

But as adults around her regressed into childlike behaviors, what option did the children have but to ignore?

This response only perpetuated the cycle, trapping everyone in a loop where the adults continued their petty squabbles, endlessly acting like children, while the children themselves drifts further apart in their lives, struggling with forming their own families and dealing with the emotional fallout of their upbringing...

As this pattern repeats itself, the consequences ripple outwards, affecting generations.

The children, witnessing the unresolved conflicts and immaturity of their elders, often carry forward a blueprint of dysfunction into their own adult lives.

They may find it challenging to trust, to commit, or to handle conflicts diplomatically, having never seen these modeled constructively— ultimately living a life filled with void!

In a situation like this, the institution of leadership is much needed—someone who can step up and resolve the tension, as the current institution has become dysfunctional.

The siblings left behind to their young age, still possessing the mentality of children, can do nothing but get dragged into the loop.

Previously, this loop did not exist; in such situations, Wang Xiao would have stepped up and resolved issues, which led to many psychological changes due to his early exposure to the world, changes that could never be undone.

It\'s ultimately the situations that shape people, as those people choose to respond to the situation in their own ways.

He decided to fill the role of the absent leader and bring harmony, which resulted in the loss of his childhood and the suppression of extreme emotions, living in a constant state of control.

He could have avoided it all if he had had the freedom, but the only thing that grants freedom in this society is resources, which are often secured with.... money.

Resources, particularly wealth, often afford individuals the freedom to step away from unhealthy relationships or oppressive situations...

This capacity to choose one\'s own path is a fundamental aspect of personal autonomy.

However, society frequently underestimates the importance of such resources, tending to overlook how financial independence can be crucial in enabling individuals to make choices that preserve their well-being and dignity.

Anran and Wang Xiao, both left to deal with their issues before a certain age, responded differently to their different situations, eventually becoming who they are now...

The loop around Wang Xiao was broken by the introduction of Eveline, allowing him to start caring less about things.

For Anran, it was broken the moment he stepped into her life—this is why he is everything to her, and she is willing to give up everything to have him.

He freed her in her eyes

He gave her the feeling she had never experienced before...

Similarly, Josephine and Seraphina\'s loop was broken with his introduction into their lives.

The influence that Wang Xiao had with his role of \'rebel\' in society remained unexplored by him.

Perhaps his presence even managed to break the loop of—

______

"What?"

In an unrecognizable, shadow-drenched location, Wang Xiao\'s eyes flew open, a surge of panic filling them as he realized he was submerged in water.

"!!"

With a gasp, he bolted upright.

Splash!

Water cascaded off his head, splattering loudly as he frantically scanned his surroundings.

He found himself confined within a narrow, coffin-like container barely matching the length and width of his body, filled nearly two feet deep with chilly water.

"..."

As the disturbed water settled, rippling gently around him, Wang Xiao wiped his face with cold hands.

His eyes strained against the darkness that enveloped him, catching only the faint glimmer of light that filtered down from a small circular opening above, its source shrouded in mystery.