Deviant: No Longer Human

Crack..

Into the deep, whispering heart of the Norhaven forests, the symphony of nature was momentarily disturbed by the sound of twigs snapping underfoot.

Two figures, their forms casting long shadows in the moonlit glade, navigated the dense foliage.

Wang Xiao, his focus locked on the glowing screen of his phone, was tracing a path towards a destination only known to him.

Beside him, Anran walked with her head bowed, her expression clouded with a mix of regret and self-reproach, as if she had unwittingly woven a web of chaos around the one person she had hoped to avoid burdening.

Breaking the silence, her voice barely rose above a whisper, "Hey, are you angry that I caused so much trouble?"

"..."

The quiet that followed her question was heavy, filled with words unspoken.

After a moment, she ventured further, her voice tinged with concern, "... Do you find my behavior childish?"

"..."

Still, Wang Xiao offered no reply, his silence a vast ocean between them.

Anran's words faltered, a confession half-formed on her lips. "... I am not really like that... It's just with you...I am like this..." She struggled to articulate the turmoil within her, the right words eluding her grasp.

Wang Xiao finally broke the silence, not with words but with action, guiding her gently yet firmly against a tree.

The suddenness of the movement, the intensity in his gaze, compelled her to listen, to truly hear what he was about to say. "Do you know why I am still tolerating your behavior?" he asked.

"W-Why?" Anran's heart raced, her question barely a whisper, a mix of fear and anticipation swirling within her.

Wang Xiao's explanation was both unexpected and insightful. "From an early age, you were forced to act as an adult, unlike me, you didn't do it out of your own choice.

So, when you find an opportunity where someone else can take care of the mess you create, you start to act childish, fulfilling the desires that you earlier weren't able to." His words, spoken with a clarity that cut through the shadows, offered a mirror for Anran to see herself reflected in ways she hadn't considered.

"Am I?" The question was more to herself than to him, a whisper lost in the rustling leaves. Anran was taken aback, not just by his acute observation but by the realization that Wang Xiao understood her more deeply than she had imagined.

Wang Xiao continued, his tone unyielding yet without a hint of compassion. "Your behavior is just like any other human, normal and selfish. You saw an opportunity and took it. And I don't care what you do with your worthless life, act as a child or an adult, but if you try to ignore what I say from next time, then you can pack your bags and leave."

Anran, "..."

Her response to Wang Xiao's blunt ultimatum was a moment of silence, a pause where the gravity of his words held between them like a suspended chord waiting to resolve.

"Take these phones, and see if you can crack them," he said, shifting the subject abruptly as he handed her two smartphones.

They were relics from their recent confrontations with Zach and Drake, possibly holding secrets or information valuable to their cause.

!?

Anran's initial shock at the sudden change in conversation gave way to a smile, broad and bright, that lit up her face.

It was a smile of relief, of realization that despite his stern facade, Wang Xiao was far from giving up on her.

As he turned to walk away, Anran called out, "Hey, wait!" But Wang Xiao, ever the relentless forward-mover, didn't pause, embodying his philosophy that the journey waits for no one, that one must always press on, regardless of the challenges or distractions.

Anran, momentarily dismayed by his lack of response, quickly shook off her disappointment.

"Um!" A pout played on her lips, but it was soon replaced by a playful, contented smile as she followed him, her steps light, almost hopping along the path they were carving through the forest.

In her heart, Anran understood the truth in Wang Xiao's observations.

She was living out the childhood freedoms and whimsies she'd been denied, indulging in a sort of delayed rebellion she could afford now in his company.

She knew, with a clarity that came from his words, that this phase was but a chapter in the long story of her life.

A few 'thousand' years down the line, she imagined herself evolving past this need for childish antics, embodying a serene maturity earned through centuries of experience.

Wang Xiao, for his part, seemed to understand this trajectory as well.

His decision not to suppress her behavior but to allow it space to manifest and eventually exhaust itself was a testament to his patience and his long view of their destinies.

He recognized that suppression would only delay the inevitable, that true growth required freedom to explore, to err, and to learn.

As Anran set to work on the phones, her fingers dancing over the screens with a hacker's finesse, Wang Xiao allowed himself a moment of reflection.

___________

"Josephine!"

The sharp call echoed through the Queen's Chamber, cutting through the tense air like a knife.

"I told you, you can go and meet him, but that certainly doesn't grant you license to rob a private jet and flee to another country in the dead of night!"

Seraphine's voice rang out with frustration and disbelief as she fixed her gaze on Josephine, who stood before her, shamelessly smiling.

In the dimly lit chamber, Seraphine's eyes flickered with a mixture of concern and annoyance as she observed her daughter's defiant stance.

A few hours earlier, chaos had erupted in Sylvergard with Anran's incident. Now, back in the safety of the palace, the atmosphere was thick with tension. The Kingsguard had wasted no time in sweeping them all away, forcibly bringing them to the palace.

Josephine, now facing her mother in the Queen's Chamber, attempted to lighten the mood with a playful smile. "Mom, please, we're still breathing, and the world hasn't come crashing down around us just yet."

With a carefree bounce in her step, Josephine skipped over to the bed where Seraphine sat, her heart racing with adrenaline.

She enveloped her mother in a warm hug, the faint flush of excitement coloring her cheeks.

She couldn't quite explain the rush of emotions coursing through her veins, but she didn't want to dwell on it.

!!

Seraphine's reaction was unexpected. Caught off-guard by Josephine's unusual display of affection, she couldn't help but arch an eyebrow in disbelief.

"..."

Her daughter's antics, fidgeting like a lovestruck teenager, caused Seraphine to adopt a deadpan expression, as if her plan had backfired.