Deviant: No Longer Human

Speculation ran rampant, and amidst the chaos, questions swirled.

Why was the Eight Prince allowed to roam freely on European soil?

Why had the European Guardian remained silent during the entire ordeal?

Does the gaurdians fear Prince?

Why no action against Prince tyranny?

And most perplexing of all, what had caused the sudden beast attack in the first place?

However, the events at Frostholm proved to be just the beginning.

In the days that followed, similar hordes of beasts began to appear across multiple locations worldwide.

Entire cities were overrun, and in some cases, smaller nations fell to the onslaught.

The frequency and ferocity of the attacks escalated, sending the world into a state of panic.

In response, the Archangels of the Holy Church decided to step in, offering their aid to the beleaguered nations.

Their actions quickly won them widespread admiration and support from the public, who saw the Church as a beacon of hope in these dark times.

"The Archangels are our only salvation," people said, their faith in the Church renewed as they watched the heavenly warriors descend to battle the monstrous hordes.

But while the Church gained favor, the Guardians—the ancient protectors of humanity—chose to maintain a neutral stance, their reasons covered in mystery.

This neutrality only fueled further speculation and distrust, with some questioning the Guardians\' true intentions.

Despite the Church\'s efforts, many human cities, and even entire smaller nations, were lost to the beast hordes.

The world was changing rapidly, and fear of the unknown gripped the hearts of millions.

Back in Frostgard, amidst the aftermath of the battle, Amaya stood on the scorched earth, watching as the reinforcements arrived.

She smiled bitterly to herself, her mind swirling with conflicted emotions.

"I am not his opponent at all..." she whispered, the words heavy with resignation.

Deep down, she had always known this, but every time she witnessed the Eight Prince\'s overwhelming power, it felt like a dagger to her pride.

Her dreams of revenge, once burning so brightly, now seemed foolish and unattainable.

Should I give up?

She wondered, the question staring at her as she limped toward the soldiers.

The weight of her realization pressed down on her, leaving her feeling small and powerless.

As she reached the soldiers, she issued instructions, her voice calm but firm. "Get Miss Zhilan and the others into the cars. We\'re leaving."

Xinyue Zhilan, her expression filled with concern, hesitated before asking, "Will it be safe...?"

Amaya shook her head slightly but offered a reassuring smile. "The Prince will be staying in Frostgard for a while. There\'s no safer place in the world right now."

Zhilan\'s eyes widened at Amaya\'s confidence, and she exchanged glances with her daughters, suspicion and curiosity flickering in their eyes.

The language barrier was no issue—Zhilan and her daughters, highly educated from elite schools, understood English perfectly—but their lives in far-off China had kept them relatively sheltered from the intense opinions surrounding the Eight Prince.

To them, he was more of a myth than a reality, his reputation not as deeply ingrained as it was in Europe.

As they climbed into the bulletproof SUVs, two in each vehicle, Zhilan and Jiarong chose one, while Xueying and Mei took the other. In the backseat, Wang Xueying patted her chest, trying to calm her racing heart.

"That was so thrilling… Mei, I swear," Xueying said with a shaky laugh, still recovering from the adrenaline rush. "If we make it back home alive, I\'m going to marry you off to Brother."

"Huh?"

Wang Mei, wrapped in a soft, skin-colored scarf that delicately framed her elegant neck, turned sharply, her usually calm demeanor giving way to a flash of irritation.

Her gray eyes, deep and expressive, narrowed as she shot a glare at Xueying, her lips parting slightly in disbelief.

Mei\'s smooth, porcelain-like skin contrasted beautifully with the dark fabric of her coat, making her appear almost ethereal beauty the car.

She quickly glanced at the driver, who was studiously focused on the road, pretending not to hear their conversation.

With a quiet sigh of relief, she relaxed back into her seat.

"Don\'t speak nonsense... I was thinking about something else," she muttered, her voice carrying a soft, almost melodic tone as she turned her gaze back toward the window, her long lashes casting delicate shadows on her cheeks.

She always felt that the man, the Eighth Prince, looked a bit familiar...

Even though it was mostly pictures of his back, she seemed to have seen it somewhere before.

"Something else... Was it the Prince?" Xueying\'s ears perked up mischievously, her playful smile widening as she leaned closer to her sister. "Did you develop a crush on him? Leave it, Mei. He\'s way out of your league. If you could even get him to notice you, I might as well—never mind.

Even if you just get his signature, I\'ll give you my entire year\'s worth of pocket money."

Wang Mei remained silent, her expression unchanging as she stared out the window, the city lights reflecting off her clear, gray eyes.

Xueying, always the lively one, often spoke more than Mei did, and their contrasting personalities were evident.

Mei was the calmest of the family, her reserved nature clear opposite to Xueying\'s energetic and teasing demeanor.

After a moment, Mei turned her head slightly, her glossy hair slipping over her shoulder like a silken veil. "Xueying," she began, her voice steady and firm, "you\'d better not run your mouth without thinking. There\'s nothing immoral between Brother and me—there\'s nothing."

Xueying smirked knowingly, her dark eyes sparkling with amusement. "What? Really? Then why do you keep helping him all the time?" she teased, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.

Mei shook her head gently, her soft lips pressing into a thin line.

\'It\'s useless to explain,\' she thought.

Even if she tried to clarify, Xueying would just twist her words.

Mei\'s actions were simple—she did what their mother asked of her, nothing more.

She was neutral, almost detached, from any of the drama that seemed to surround their family as they grew older.

Things change...

Mei pursed her delicate lips and folded her arms across her chest, her thoughts drifting.

She looked contemplative yet beautiful at the same time.

Even if there was ambiguity in the past, it\'s just that—the past....

Now, it\'s nothing more than a memory, and the thought of it...

She suppressed a shudder, feeling a slight sense of disgust and disturbance at the notion.

"C\'mon, weren\'t you the one who used to bathe and sleep together with him?" Xueying\'s voice broke into her thoughts as she playfully grabbed Mei\'s shoulder, her fingers brushing against the soft fabric of Mei\'s coat.

"!"