Deviant: No Longer Human

"Wang…"

"Stop laughing…"

"I'm serious!"

Aurora's voice trembled with both embarrassment and frustration, but Wang Xiao was already grinning like a rogue. His hands roamed shamelessly over her soft, delicate body as they sat on the cold stone floor. Her freshly cleaned gown was now crumpled, dirt smeared on it as he indulged himself.

"Hey… c'mon," he teased, his tone dripping with mischief as he leaned closer. "We should just do it here… right by Aegis's grave. Don't you think it's fitting?" The thrill of the forbidden—defiling her in such a space—lit his eyes with a wicked spark.

Aurora's face turned a deep crimson, her thoughts spinning at the indecency of his words. "You...!" she sputtered, swatting his hands away as she pulled her gown back down. But her shaky resolve betrayed her, and he noticed.

"What's the problem? A little history in the making, right?" His grin widened, and his words sent a chill down her spine—not because of fear, but the dangerous temptation of his words, "Imagine the stories they'd tell if they knew."

"Stop!" Aurora's voice rose, her tone a mixture of exasperation and shame. She placed a firm hand on his chest, pushing him back as her breathing quickened. "I mean it. This is serious. Will you listen for once?"

"Hm?" Wang Xiao raised a brow, his attention only half there as he grinned at her flushed face. Between her reactions to his earlier suspicions proving false, he wasn't exactly in the mood to take things seriously.

"Serious?" he repeated, "We're sitting on cold stone, surrounded by ghosts of the past, and you're thinking serious thoughts? What could possibly be that important right now?" He leaned back lazily, his expression daring her to explain.

Aurora's expression hardened, her earlier embarrassment melting into something more somber. The flush of her cheeks dimmed as her gaze met his with a sincerity that pulled him from his arrogance.

"It's really important…" she said softly. "I need to tell you about the truth of this world… the truth about us, where we came from, and the beginning of everything."

"!?"

Her words erased the last of Wang Xiao's smirk. His teasing demeanor vanished as he sat up straighter. "What are you talking about?"

Aurora hesitated, her lips parting as if to speak, but no words came. Her eyes searched his face, as if daring him to laugh or mock her again.

But this time, his gaze was steady.

She drew in a deep breath, her voice growing stronger.

"Do you ever wonder why this world feels… broken?" she began, her tone calm but heavy. "Why the heavens above seem so distant and cold, and the earth below feels barren? It's because this place… isn't a home. It's a prison."

"A prison?" Wang Xiao echoed, his tone stunned.

Aurora nodded solemnly. "Our ancestors weren't born here. They were exiles—cast out from other worlds and banished to this wasteland to mine aether. Back then, this universe overflowed with it. Galaxies thrived on its energy, and civilizations flourished. But the otherworlders… they drained it dry. And when nothing remained, they discarded this place like trash, leaving behind prisoners—our ancestors—to rot."

She gestured to the faintly flickering stars above. "This is their dumping ground, a cosmic graveyard where convicts worked until there was nothing left to harvest. And when the last scraps of aether were gone, the portals were sealed. They abandoned us."

Wang Xiao's eyes narrowed . "So, we're just… descendants of criminals?"

"Not just criminals," Aurora corrected, her voice softening. "Survivors. Innovators. But yes, that's the truth. The early humans wandered from planet to planet, scavenging for what little aether they could find, desperately trying to tear open the void and return to their homes. But each attempt ended in failure. Each failure brought them closer to ruin."

She sighed, her gaze heavy with centuries of pain. "Eventually, they settled here—Earth. The last world with any meaningful trace of aether. Civilizations rose and fell, clinging to the hope of escape. But every one of them made the same mistakes, consuming what little aether was left until even the greatest empires fell."

"The War of Aegis," Wang Xiao murmured, his voice hollow.

Aurora nodded. "That war burned through the final reserves. After that, the survivors adapted, turning to psychokinesis to manipulate the world around them. But even that had limits. Over time, those with the gift faded away, their bloodlines diluted, their powers diminished. And now…" Her gaze bore into him. "Now we're what's left. Weak. Dependent on technology to fill the void our ancestors once bridged with their minds."

Wang Xiao exhaled slowly, his thoughts storming. "And why are you telling me this now?"

Aurora hesitated, her hands fidgeting in her lap. "Because I believe you might be the key. You came back from the Graveyard of Gods, Xiao. You touched aether from beyond this world, something no one has done in millennia."

He frowned. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying…" Her voice faltered before she found the words. "I'm saying that the portal you opened—it cracked something. Aether is seeping back into this universe. And it's because of you."

Wang Xiao smiled, "So, what now? You want me to lead a grand escape? Is this sword for some heroic battle?" He chuckled darkly, holding up the blade.

Aurora shook her head, her expression serious. "We don't need a hero anymore. We have aether again. We could live in peace. But…"

"Let me guess," he interrupted, "You're worried about more than just the hell spirits. Other creatures might slip through too?"

Her silent nod confirmed his suspicion.

Wang Xiao leaned back, 'Of course, there's always a catch. That woman, Hei Lian… even she managed to cross over. It's not just spirits anymore. And if more powerful beings start arriving…'

His thoughts trailed off. He didn't need to finish. This universe, however flawed, was his domain now.

If some outer force threatened his reign, all his efforts would have been for nothing.

Aurora's voice broke his thoughts. "Do you think I'm lying?" she asked, her tone uncertain.

Wang Xiao shook his head, his smile dark. "Not at all."

"??"

Aurora stared at him, confused. Wang Xiao, however, had already anticipated much of what she said and had begun scheming long before this... Though the part about them being descended from prisoners was new, it wasn't something he had dwelled on or even considered before.

"You're not mad?" Aurora asked, her voice low, almost disbelieving. She couldn't wrap her head around his calm.

When she first learned the truth, it had been like fire burning her insides. Trapped in a place with no way out—how could anyone stay calm?

And yet, here he was, acting like none of it mattered.

Wang Xiao gave a lazy blink, "Should I be?"

"..."

She was stunned into silence. His answer was like a slap—not cruel, but enough to shake her.

She had thought he'd understand, that he'd feel the same anger as her. But Wang Xiao wasn't her.

He wasn't trapped.

If anything, he looked amused, like the whole situation was some kind of game.

"You think he too knew everything?" Aurora said after a moment, her voice quieter, the edge of frustration fading.

Wang Xiao didn't answer right away, but his thoughts churned beneath the surface, wild and restless.

The man in the grave...

That man had always been a puzzle. He moved without emotion, taking wives for alliances, treating love like strategy.

His battles weren't fights—they were steps in a larger plan.

And yet, that same man had faced a foe so strong it had created the legend of Aegis, a weapon even now shrouded in legend.

What had really happened? What truths were buried with him in that coffin? And had he—could he—been the first to rise from the Graveyard of the Gods?

The possibility of all of it...

Aurora's gaze flickered. She'd heard the stories long after the dust had settled, when Aegis was just another name in history.

But what if it was true? What if that man had known more than anyone thought, and returned from death itself before anyone else?

Both of them turned their eyes toward the coffin.

For Aurora, the coffin was more than a resting place. It was a vault of secrets, locked tight, mocking her inability to uncover its truths.

She had been one of the most defiant voices against the marriage agreement, her resistance almost instinctual. Not because there was anything wrong with the man himself—Aegis was as much a legend as he was a leader—but because youth often carries a fire that burns hottest when denied choice.

Young women, especially, were like unbridled phoenixes; the more one tried to cage them, the fiercer their rebellion became.

And Aurora had been young then, so very young. Her rebellion wasn't personal—it was primal. When Aegis fell, she hadn't mourned. Instead, she had thrown herself into stripping away every piece of his legacy that she could find. To her, his downfall wasn't a tragedy; it was her victory.

For Wang Xiao, the coffin was more than a relic of the past—it was a symbol of what he had already surpassed.