Deviant: No Longer Human

"H-How many did you eat…?"

Aurora returned, now dressed in her silken white gown that flowed like morning mist. Her skin held a faint glow, and her scent—a mix of midnight blossoms and cool mountain springs—filled the room. But when her gaze fell on the scene before her, her elegance almost faltered.

Her eyes widened in shock.

Wang Xiao was mid-bite into another glowing fruit when she appeared.

He froze, then coughed, trying to look casual. "Oh… not too many. I saved the rest for you." He shrugged, feigning innocence, though remnants of her precious collection lay scattered around him—a full fifth of her store gone.

Aurora didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She'd hoped he'd exercise caution, not devour them like some insatiable beast.

This left her both amused and annoyed, though the memory of his touch earlier softened her irritation.

"You'll die before dawn at this rate," she sighed, shaking her head. "Those aren't just snacks…"

"Hmph," Wang Xiao scoffed, wiping his mouth. "Pretty sure I can handle it." He gestured to the colorful fruits. "What even are these? They're… pretty good."

She hesitated, eyeing him. Slowly, she raised her hand. "Alright—how many fingers?"

Wang Xiao raised a brow, smirking at her question. But instead of answering, he gave her an amused look.

Aurora sighed. "It's already affecting you…"

Wang Xiao blinked, his lips curving up. "Affecting what?" Without waiting, he reached out, brushing his fingers against her cool cheek. Her scent filled his senses as he leaned in, pressing a soft, teasing kiss to her lips, feeling her breath catch.

Aurora's eyes widened, a faint warmth rising to her cheeks. "You…"

He pulled back with a smug grin. "See? Perfectly fine."

She sighed again, caught between annoyance and something else. "Why are you so careless?" She glanced at the scattered remnants of her treasure, clearly reluctant but knowing she had to explain. "These fruits are the last harvest from the Immortal Garden. A single one can extend a mortal's lifespan by hundreds of years."

"Hm? That's all?" Wang Xiao raised a brow, unimpressed. To him, mere life extension wasn't worth the fuss.

Aurora's eyes met his with a calm intensity. "Because… consuming enough grants true bodily immortality—freedom from illness and even death itself."

Wang Xiao's brow furrowed. "So? If it's just bodily immortality, what's the harm in me eating them?" He scoffed slightly. "Even Eleanor could manage that."

Aurora's lips twisted with a bitter smile. Her voice softened, almost melancholic. "Forget it. The last time a reckless creature got their hands on these, it was a stupid monkey—ate a few, and went on a rampage, wild and intoxicated. These fruits reach into your spirit and twist whatever they find there."

Wang Xiao glanced down at the fruits with a hint of unease. "Intoxicated?"

"These fruits are the last of their kind," she said, her frustration clear. "I've tried countless times to recreate them, but the magic of the Immortal Garden… it's beyond replication."

Aurora's gaze softened, her worry evident. "And you've eaten so many… who knows what will happen if it takes hold."

"Oh." Wang Xiao's smirk faded, a rare flicker of uncertainty crossing his face. "So… that's actually a problem."

"..."

Aurora stared at him in silence, her expression unreadable.

"..."

Wang Xiao, equally silent, glanced back at her.

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After a moment, they both looked at each other, a shared thought passing between them.

"It's a serious problem… right?" Wang Xiao thought aloud, almost questioning himself.

Aurora nodded slightly, "Mm…"

She drifted into her thoughts, recalling a time when his going haywire wouldn't have mattered. But now… if he lost control…

Wang Xiao cleared his throat, breaking the tension. "Cough, never mind that. What's this thing for?" His gaze shifted to the ominous coffin lying at the center of the room, almost as if it were waiting.

Why was it just… lying there?

"It's a skull…" Aurora said with a mysterious smile, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. This was the real surprise she'd been holding back.

"Hm?" Wang Xiao looked at her, intrigued, his gaze following her movements as she, without any further warning, reached out and removed the coffin's heavy lid.

CRASH!

The ancient coffin's lid hit the floor, the sound echoing through the chamber like a thunderclap. Inside lay an ominous, weathered skull, dark as midnight, etched with intricate, glowing runes that seemed to pulse with a life of their own. Shadows danced over its surface, giving it a sinister, almost sentient quality.

Wang Xiao's eyes narrowed as he took in the sight, a blend of intrigue and unease settling in his chest.

Aurora's expression turned grim, as if the room's temperature had plummeted.

"This is…" He took a deep breath, the uneasiness growing. The skeleton wasn't just any relic; it was a seven-foot-tall skeleton, radiating a dormant strength that seemed to pulse, like an echo from the past.

Even after centuries, traces of aether clung to it, far surpassing the energy in all the fruits combined. Just how powerful had the original being been?

"It's Aegis," Aurora said, dropping the revelation like a thunderclap.

"Huh?" Wang Xiao looked at her in shock.

The Emperor Aegis?...

The one from hundreds of millions of years ago?

The one she had once been betrothed to during the Pangean Age?

Aurora seemed prepared, her gaze clear as she continued. "After the battle, he was defeated, and this… this is his skull. I stole it, along with a few other things."

"You… stole? And what other things?" Wang Xiao's confusion grew, trying to piece together her intentions.

Something about this didn't feel right at all.

A shadow crossed his mind, a doubt he'd long buried but that now resurfaced with disturbing clarity. She wouldn't… she wouldn't be asking me to possess this skull, would she? Did she somehow believe he was Aegis, reborn?

His expression darkened. He'd thought he understood her, trusted her motives, but seeing the resolute look in her eyes unsettled him. Had she approached him with this plan in mind all along?

While he wrestled with his suspicions, Aurora casually closed the coffin lid, her small hands moving the heavy stone with surprising ease.

Without a word, she walked past him, heading toward the wall behind him.

It seemed like she was approaching him, but her focus was on something else.

Reaching the wall, she pressed her hand against it, and a section of it sank inward, revealing a hidden compartment.

"This is another thing I salvaged that day…" she murmured, her voice a mix of nostalgia and anticipation.

"Uh… why are you standing in the corner?" Aurora asked, tilting her head in bewilderment as she watched Wang Xiao press himself against the far wall with a tense expression.

But from Wang Xiao's perspective, the scene was entirely different. Aurora was gripping the hilt of a sword with one hand, casually tapping the blade against her other hand as if it were some harmless toy.

His divine senses flared, urging him to keep his distance.

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