Deviant: No Longer Human

Sensing his struggle, Jamie whispered under his breath to the others, "Retreat might be wise about now..."

Seraphina, without missing a beat, turned her steely gaze upon each of William\'s friends. "Aren\'t you the daughter of Minister Charles?" she demanded, her eyes narrowing as they settled on Olivia, who visibly flinched under the intensity of the scrutiny.

Her sharp gaze then shifted to Xavier and Snow. "And you two, aren\'t you here on a foreign exchange from the Sun Dynasty?" The authority in her voice made it clear that this was no casual inquiry but a reminder of their status, before they go around spreading rumours.

Finally, Seraphina\'s teeth clenched as she turned to Jamie, who had gone as mute as a puppy caught stealing food. "And you, Jamie!"

Though she knew she was projecting her anger and using their backgrounds as leverage, Seraphina felt trapped by the need to exert control, to protect her reputation.

"Y-Yes, ma\'am!" Jamie responded, snapping to attention, his casual demeanor replaced by rigid formality.

"Is the Duke aware of where you took my son last weekend? The All Pleasure shop, do you think I am oblivious to that?" Seraphina\'s voice was icy, each word dripping with disdain.

At this moment, Jamie internally cursed, his thoughts racing. \'Damn it, son of a b*tch, why did you spill everything to your mother!\' He shot a glare at William, his frustration barely contained.

William, for his part, was equally shocked. \'She knows about that too?\' His mind reeled as he realized the extent of his mother\'s knowledge.

At this moment all of them nodded mutely, their earlier voice drained by the icy seriousness of her interrogation.

They all knew too well that it was simply a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. As long as they didn\'t spill the beans, nothing would happen.

These aristocratic children were wise and quick to understand, becoming tamed and nodding like hens.

"Why are you bullying the juniors?" At this moment, Wang Xiao interjected, barely suppressing a smile. "They surely didn\'t mean any harm."

"Y-You!" Seraphina whirled around, stunned and infuriated.

Why was this infuriating man always undermining her?

She was wrong about him.

He had only become more ruthless!

Her face, already flushed with shame, reddened even further when Jamie added, with a hint of mischief, "Yes, Aunt... We definitely didn\'t see anything..."

"What did you say!?" Seraphina\'s gaze turned icy, her neck reddening further.

Did they mean she had something to hide?

Were these punks dared to make fun of her?

Gasp!

"Can\'t you keep your mouth shut!?" William snapped.

Jamie realized too late that he had misspoken, especially as William jabbed him sharply in the ribs.

But the damage was done.

His face turned pale, realizing his deadly mistake.

If all his misdeeds were laid bare, \'Heck, even my old man would disown me!\' he thought in panic.

He was secretly supporting a child he had accidentally fathered with a girl; if that scandal came to light, he was finished.

Such things were not tolerated in his circles.

He had no intention of marrying that girl—it had been an accident—but if the old Duke found out, escaping responsibility would be impossible.

Serpahina\'s chest heaved up and down, each breath a testament to her mounting anger, yet this display only served to make her look more beautiful Wang Xiao\'s observant eyes.

He was deliberately stirring her emotions, intrigued by her unique reaction. \'She has affinity with the cold,\' he thought with a fascinated smirk.

The Aether had deepened connection to otherworldly forces, and he was now certain that Seraphina was unconsciously manipulating the room\'s temperature.

Just as he prepared to step in and smooth over the escalating tensions, his brow furrowed, his face darkened by a sudden burst of anger.

Whooooosh!

"W-what\'s going on here?" Jamie\'s voice trembled as he wrapped his arms around himself.

"This cold is unnatural..." Snow murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I can\'t see anything, it\'s pitch black!" Xavier exclaimed, panic edging into his tone as he reached out blindly.

A chilling darkness swiftly enveloped the room, thick and oppressive, trapping them in a seemingly endless void.

Everyone shivered in unison, their faces draining of color.

An ancient, primal chill crawled up their spines, whispering of their utter insignificance in this suddenly hostile environment.

Even Seraphina, normally composed and commanding, found herself caught off guard.

Her face paled, her lips quivering uncontrollably as she hugged her arms tightly to her chest.

\'What is this place? What\'s happening?\' Her mind raced as she spun around, trying to make sense of the sudden darkness.

Amidst the fear, a part of her couldn\'t help but feel as though countless unseen eyes were piercing through her, observing her every move.

The sensation was unsettling, as if thousands of tiny bugs were crawling across her skin, each step they took sending goosebumps down her back.

"Why does it feel like we\'re being watched?" Olivia\'s voice cracked, the strain evident as she clung to Jamie.

Finally, as suddenly as it had descended, the darkness lifted, and light seeped back into the room, casting long, eerie shadows that slowly receded.

The group exhaled collectively, the relief but the confusion only grew.

"Is everyone okay?" William\'s voice broke through the residual silence, his tone laced with concern as he scanned the faces of his friends and his mother.

Serpahina, still visibly shaken, straightened up as she regained her composure.

With a voice still tinged with fear, she called out, "Wang Xiao, did you feel that to—huh?" She reached out to grasp Wang Xiao\'s hand for reassurance, but her trembling, fragile hand closed on nothing but air.

Turning in confusion, she realized that he was no longer beside her.

Her eyes darted around the room, searching for any sign of him among the shadows.

"Where did he go?" she murmured to herself, stunned, confused, and more than anything scared.

The room felt colder now, emptier somehow, as if Wang Xiao\'s departure had taken the warmth with him.

Her heart raced, not just from fear of the supernatural chill but also from the sudden disappearance of someone she had not realized she had come to rely on so heavily in moments of crisis.