Deviant: No Longer Human

BANG!

The iron bars glowed a furious red, snapping apart like twigs under a boot, shards scattering as if burned from the inside out.

Aurora just stood there, lips parted, staring at the twisted wreck of what was once her prison cell. Her gaze flickered to Wang Xiao, then back to the mangled metal, then to him again, as if she had to double-check he hadn't sprouted horns.

"…Wang Xiao?" Her voice was barely a whisper, her wide eyes scanning him from head to toe, as though wondering if this was the same lazy rascal she once knew.

Wang Xiao arched a brow, shifting uncomfortably under her scrutiny. "What's with the look?" he snorted, a grin tugging at his lips. "You planning to stand here till you grow roots, or are you coming along?"

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Aurora hesitated, glancing between the still-smoldering bars and the smug curve of his smile. She finally huffed, shaking her head in disbelief. "You know… that should have been impossible." Her lips quirked in a reluctant smile. 'Maybe tossing him into the Graveyard of Gods wasn't such a terrible idea after all.'

Wang Xiao shrugged, glancing around with a casual air, his gaze skipping over the cell's details. "Not the kind of place I'd design for you. You were stuck here for all seven years?"

Aurora nodded, her expression darkening as she watched him inspect her grim little quarters. "Yes… all seven," she muttered, glancing around as if the walls themselves would confirm her story.

Noticing her slight unease, Wang Xiao chuckled, tapping one of the bars thoughtfully. "Interesting setup… Not nearly as strong as I'd make it, but clever. It feeds off the prisoner's energy, keeps itself locked tight with their own power." He tilted his head, lips curling in a crooked smile. "But if I slipped into the astral plane, I'd rip it open without breaking a sweat."

Aurora shifted uncomfortably, watching him as if he were some lunatic wandering loose. "Wang… maybe we should leave before Yuriko returns," she murmured, trying for casual but not quite pulling it off.

He waved her off. "Relax, she won't be back anytime soon."

"Oh?" Aurora raised a brow, her curiosity slipping through despite herself. "And why's that?"

"Left her in need of… repairs," he said, shrugging as if he'd just mentioned the weather. "She won't be back until someone screws her head back on."

"Oh…" Aurora blinked, a bit thrown, still processing the thought. 'Did he really just…?'

Wang Xiao straightened, turning back to her with a mischievous glint. "What's the rush?" he teased, glancing toward the walls. "Afraid you left something embarrassing?"

Aurora's cheeks flared red. She shook her head a bit too quickly, fighting to keep a serene expression. "No… nothing like that."

But his gaze lingered, brow arching in a way that said he saw through her. "So, how'd you kill time? Got creative?"

"Nothing special," she replied, forcing a calm smile, though she could feel a bead of sweat trickling down her neck.

In truth, the walls held quite the collection—sketches, thoughts, schemes, a hundred failed escape plans. Most were harmless, but a few… let's just say, not meant for his eyes. Perhaps, he wouldn't understand the language… or so she hoped.

Wang Xiao let out a sigh, clearly used to her evasions, but there was a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. "Seven years should've been a blink for someone like you."

He paused, then shot her a sidelong look. "But if you could break out, why didn't you?"

Aurora's serious expression softened as she replied smoothly, "Because… I knew you'd come for me."

If he didn't already know her tendency to play innocent, he might've fallen for that.

He chuckled, lips curling in a wry smile. "Oh, really?"

"Mm…" Aurora nodded, though her gaze darted nervously toward the walls.

Wang Xiao tilted his head, clearly entertained. "So… about those 'drawings' on the wall?" he prodded.

"!!"

Aurora froze, realizing he'd noticed.

She tried for innocence. "What drawings?"

"The one you just erased," he shot back smoothly, not even needing to turn around to catch her sneaky attempt.

"…."

She held back a grimace, knowing she'd lost.

There was no point covering it up now.

Wang Xiao grinned, leaning in close. "Didn't know you were into that kind of stuff… A prince saving the—"

"Okay, enough," Aurora groaned, taking a step forward and covering his mouth with her hand, effectively silencing him.

These were silly things she'd sketched to pass time, and here he was, far more interested in her idle doodles than her elaborate escape plans.

It made her wonder if he'd forgotten entirely why he came here.

Behind them, a low rumble of amusement echoed. Aura, the dragon, snorted, watching the scene with mild, sarcastic disinterest. [What exactly are they on about?]

WHOOSH!

The wind swept around them as Aura finally soared through the sky, carrying Aurora and Wang Xiao on her back. As they ascended, Aurora leaned in close, her voice soft and coaxing.

"Forget what you saw… and — I'll take you somewhere special, a place only I know."

Wang Xiao raised an eyebrow, curious by the sudden promise in her voice. He smirked, sensing a hint of mystery, and decided to play along.

"Alright," he replied, his smile growing. "deal."

Aurora's lips curved in a secretive smile, her eyes sparkling.

_____

November 17, 2031 — Midnight!

WHOOSH!

A sharp wind sliced through the night as Aura landed them within the Okuchichibu Mountains, her dark wings folding around them like shadows unfurling under a silvered moon.

CRUNCH!

Frost-laden leaves crumbled underfoot as Wang Xiao and Aurora stepped into the frigid embrace of the mountain air, November's breath biting their skin like icy needles.

The mountain stood silent yet watchful. Shadows sprawled and coiled, stretching over twisted pines that reached toward the heavens like ancient hands grasping for the stars.

Sparse moonlight filtered through, casting spectral patterns across the forest floor, as though the earth itself held its breath, waiting, judging.

Aurora's breath misted in the cold, her eyes gleaming with a hint of mystery. "Follow me," she whispered, her voice like the rustling leaves.

Wang Xiao's gaze swept the forest, taking in the crooked trees, bent like elderly sages.

The wind murmured—a low, mournful sound—rustling through the branches, as if carrying the voice of something old and watchful, stirring from deep within.

He did not know where she was leading him, but after several paces, it all became clear as she guided him into the shadows of a hidden cavern.

"…"

"You really don't hesitate, do you?"

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