Deviant: No Longer Human

"!!"

"Haaaa!"

Buried in the comfort of his plush bed, Wang Xiao was lost in deep slumber until suddenly, his eyes burst open, and he began to sweat profusely.

Gasp!

He gasped for air, his breaths ragged and desperate, as he jolted upright in a state of panic.

"Hm? Finally awake..."

A soft voice floated through the dimly lit room, barely more than a whisper but distinctly clear.

His eyes, wide and alarmed, were fixed on the wall, unseeing.

He remained oblivious to Eveline\'s presence on a nearby stool, her hand resting lightly on his shoulder, until the fog of his fright lifted.

Turning slowly, he met her gaze, filled with concern and a quiet question.

"...What happened?" His voice cracked as he spoke, shivering as he felt an icy chill seeping into his bones.

Eveline\'s eyes flicked downwards subtly, prompting Wang Xiao to frown and look towards his neck.

"What\'s this...?" His fingers traced the contours of a peculiar pendant—a sleek black chain from which dangled a small crystal glowing a fierce red, ensnared by a metallic claw as if it were a precious trophy.

"That\'s the Amulet of Protection. It\'s strange he gave it to you," Eveline murmured, her voice tinged with bewilderment and a trace of unease.

"Gave it to me? Who?" Wang Xiao\'s confusion mounted, his mind shrouded with fog.

What on earth was happening around him again?

Could they not let him sleep in peace, just this once?

"Dream..." Eveline murmured, her gaze intensifying as she stared at the pulsing red crystal.

"What? ... How do you know about that?" Wang Xiao\'s eyes narrowed suspiciously at her. Had she manipulated his mind this time?

"..."

As his gaze turned sharply towards her, Eveline nonchalantly shrugged, "Don\'t give me that look. I don\'t know the details of your dream. I\'m referring to the \'one\' who gave you the Amulet. He\'s known as Dream."

"!"

Wang Xiao arched an eyebrow in confusion, "What\'s this all about now?"

With a dismissive flick of her wrist, Eveline turned away, her eyes drifting out towards the window. "...The man who bestowed this upon you was once known as Morpheus. Now, he goes by Dream, aptly named for his ability to infiltrate people\'s minds and conjure illusions so vivid they can kill... In fact, he can assassinate someone within their own dreams..."

"!!!"

Sensing Wang Xiao\'s growing tension, Eveline allowed a faint smile to creep across her face, "Though this habit of his has led many to pursue his demise, he has always managed to escape death by clinging to this peculiar item... This amulet... it\'s what has kept him alive for millennia... Without it, he would be vulnerable to his pursuers, even outside of their dreams..."

Wang Xiao, momentarily speechless, followed a pattern once set by Aurora: he swiftly pulled out his smartphone and started fervently searching for \'Morpheus.\'

"..."

"..."

Minutes ticked by as he scrolled through the information, his forehead creasing with tension until he finally exhaled a deep, audible sigh of relief.

Delicately, he lifted the amulet from around his neck, holding it tightly in his grasp.

"He\'s a god? Like an actual deity from the myth?" Wang Xiao whispered to himself, his mind filled with the surreal notion that he might be experiencing his first genuine encounter with a figure from ancient Greek mythology.

Eveline nodded, her expression tinged with bewilderment as she eyed the glowing amulet, "You should keep it close. I don\'t know his reasons, but if he gifted this to you, it\'s likely meant to aid you in some way."

"..."

Wang Xiao, his eyes wide with bewilderment and suspicion, gazed at the amulet nestled in his palm.

Why would a mythical god, a complete stranger, leave him such a mysterious gift?

Was it merely a benign token, or could it be something more sinister, like a time bomb in disguise?

Yin Yue arrived just in time to offer his insights, peering closely at the amulet with a discerning eye, [This Amulet resonates with the same energy signature as that dragon, Aether... Fascinating... Although it\'s not potent enough to shield you from supremely powerful entities like Maliketh, it still has its uses. It\'s even emitting a subtle energy field... Interesting...

It seems to exert some kind of command over its surroundings...]

"!"

"Commanding the things around it?" Wang Xiao echoed, his voice tinged with a mix of curiosity and concern.

His murmur caught Eveline off guard, prompting a flicker of surprise across her face. "You can perceive that? Huh..."

"Indeed, it operates in a mysterious manner, as if it has the power to shift the fate of objects within its vicinity....This artifact has been instrumental in the downfall of many gods... It seems diminished now, though... Whoever forged it must have been a master of their craft."

"Do you know who created it?" Wang Xiao pressed, his curiosity deepening.

Eveline shook her head, her expression clouded with uncertainty. "No idea, but the creator must be a unstoppable force... Exceptionally powerful, surpassing anyone I\'ve known... To this day, the origins of the Amulet are shrouded in mystery."

She paused, letting the weight of her words sink in.

Wang Xiao nodded solemnly, then a shadow of concern crossed his features. "This... Morpheus... Should I be worried about him?"

"..."

Eveline fell silent, clearly unsure how to address Wang Xiao\'s concerns fully.

After a moment of hesitation, she ventured cautiously, "What did you see in the dream?"

Wang Xiao fell silent too, straining to recall the details of his dream, only to realize with a mix of frustration and disbelief that he had forgotten everything.

"I can\'t remember, can you do something about it?"

Eveline shook her head, a note of resignation in her voice. "If you can\'t remember, it\'s probably not there anymore, or accessing it would be difficult. Although Morpheus hasn\'t really harmed anyone... So, I don\'t think he would have bad intentions, but then again, he\'s never shown intentions to protect or collaborate with anyone either."

"Why did he come for you?" she murmured more to herself than to him, lost in thought.

Wang Xiao, caught up in the weight of the unanswered questions, felt a sudden impulse.

Bang!

In a sudden burst of action, he extended his hand and knocked her on the head.

??

Eveline, momentarily stunned by the beating, turned to Wang Xiao, her expression shifting to one of mild irritation as he began, "Why didn\'t you catch him, if you knew about it?"