Deviant: No Longer Human

"Thank you," expressed a young woman, accepting the steaming bowl with a polite nod.

Her steps hastened as she navigated through the evening crowd, her heart lighter as she spotted her daughter, Zhenxi, safely where she had left her—on a secluded park bench, contentedly swinging her small feet.

Under the park's softly glowing lamps, Zhenxi sat with the grace of a young princess.

Her glossy black hair, secured in playful pigtails with pink ribbons, bobbed gently as she sensed her mother's approach.

The lavender dress adorned with tiny daisies fluttered in the gentle breeze, adding to her childlike enchantment.

"Zi'er, don't run around, okay? Mommy will be right back," Fu Yuxin cautioned, her voice a tender melody of care and caution as she crouched to Zhenxi's level.

Her smile, radiant and warm, with lips brushed with a shade of charming red lipstick, softened the cool air around them as she moved a stray lock of hair from Zhenxi's forehead.

"Okay!" Zhenxi chirped back, her voice sweet and pleasing to the ears.

Her smile widened, reaching her sparkling eyes, reflecting the simple happiness of her mother's presence.

"Good girl," Fu Yuxin affirmed with a gentle nod, her eyes lingering on her daughter with a mixture of pride and a hint of melancholy.

She then turned to leave, her elegant black top revealing a graceful line of her shoulder, catching the glint of the park lights.

Despite her youthful appearance, Fu Yuxin carried the aura of a seasoned soul, admired and somewhat envied by those in her community.

Her swift departure left a trail of whispered speculations among nearby onlookers who often mistook her for an older sister or a young aunt rather than a mother.

As she disappeared into the crowd, Zhenxi focused on the task at hand.

"Num... num...." she vocalized her delight, the sound mingling with the rustle of leaves and the distant laughter of other park-goers.

Her little feet, dressed in pristine white socks and shiny black shoes, danced inches above the ground, keeping time with her joyful munching.

In her small hands, she held the bowl with a reverent care, picking at the tender pieces of meat, each bite savored, each moment a treasure.

To a simingly normal person, her current appearance would be quite unsettling, as her eyes, although beautiful gray, lacked a pupil, it was frosted by a layer of white, obscuring her vision.

Sometimes, it scared people, sometimes, it aroused pity, regardless of it, one thing was clear, it made her live a life, different than one destined for.

Having just starting the preschool, it was nightmare, and often caused inferiority complex, the ray of light was a Teacher Feifei, for Zhenxi, which made her days in the school more bearable.

Suddenly, the peaceful night air was pierced by a scream that echoed ominously through the park.

"Gasp! Oh my God, what's that?" a woman's voice rang out, tinged with terror.

"It's a demon beast, run!" another voice shouted, spurring a wave of panic among the crowd.

"Someone, please save my child! No!" The desperate cry of a mother filled the air, adding to the chaos.

From the terrifying sounds, the beast's howl dominated: "Awooooooo-ooo-ooo!" It was deep, chilling, and seemed to shake the very ground.

Right before Zhenxi's eyes, the shadow wolf with its three ghastly heads descended upon a nearby boy.

The shadow wolf with a blur of motion and terror, mercilessly attacking a child barely nine years of age.

"Ahhhhhhh—!"

Crunch!

One savage maw clamped down on the boy's stomach, ripping into the flesh with brutal force, while another head lunged at his neck, its fangs sinking deep.

The third head, in a gruesome spectacle, mauled the child's face, leaving behind a scene of unspeakable horror.

"!!"

Zhenxi's tiny body stiffened, her small hands quivering as they clung to her bowl of soup.

"M-mama?" Her voice was a frightened whisper, barely audible over the commotion. Her wide eyes searched the chaos for a sign of her mother.

She looked around in panic, her face turning ghostly pale as her tears began to flow, mixing with her fearful sobs.

"Awoooooo!"

"Ah—!?" The beast's howl startled her once again, causing her to jerk nervously.

In a frantic attempt to escape, Zhenxi tried to jump off the bench. Her movements were clumsy and rushed, driven by sheer panic.

Crash!

The bowl slipped from her trembling hands and shattered on the ground. Scalding soup splashed onto her pale face and her pretty lavender dress, prompting a sharp cry of pain.

"Owie!"

"Hot... Hot..." Zhenxi sobbed, her voice choked by tears as she frantically rubbed her face, trying to ease the sizzling pain.

Her small hands, trembling and unsure, smeared the tears mixed with the soup that burned her delicate skin.

"Mama, where are you? I'm scared!" she wailed, her voice transforming into desperate cries as she felt increasingly isolated amidst the chaos.

Her knees wobbled beneath her, and she faltered, the once pale doll-like face now marred by red burns, tears streaking through the soot and grime.

Each sob etched a path down her cheeks, tracing lines of clear skin through the dirt.

"Awoooooo!"

Another terrifying howl sliced through the air, causing Zhenxi to stiffen.

Gathering her courage, she stood up, her small body shaking as she wiped her tear-streaked face.

With hesitant steps, she moved in the opposite direction of the terrifying screams, her hands stretched out in front of her, groping for something, anything, to guide her through the unseen world.

"Mamma..." Her voice trembled with each step, her fear growing in the heavy air as she slowly navigated the unfamiliar terrain, blind and afraid.

The soft cries for help that had once filled her ears now faded into the background, becoming fainter as her tiny legs carried her further away, her small hands brushing against a wall which she followed, hoping it would lead to safety.

She continued this way until she found herself outside, still walking forward, trying to put as much distance as possible between herself and the nightmarish sounds.

"Ma-mama...? Where are you—sniff—... Mama? You promised you wouldn't leave me like Daddy... Sniff..." Her voice was small and fragile, breaking with each step she took in her aimless journey.

The pain from the burns was now joined by the sharp sting from her scraped knees, which began to bleed, their bright red a painful contrast to her white pale skin.

Overwhelmed, Zhenxi pressed her tiny hands over her ears, trying to block out the relentless screams and howls chasing her from behind.

Her small form trembled uncontrollably as she stumbled forward, guided only by the instinct to find her mother and the hope that she would be there to make everything safe again.