Deviant: No Longer Human

10th October, Imperial Capital!

Isabella and her team had landed in the Imperial Capital late last night, settling into the accommodations provided by the national laboratory at Imperial Capital University.

The plan was to investigate the mysterious site the next morning, and now, as the first light of dawn painted the sky, they boarded the chopper once again, heading towards the city center.

Below them, the landscape shifted from the towering cityscape to a heavily isolated and militarized zone--a sprawling two square kilometers fenced off, guarded, and forbidden.

As the helicopter flew over the heart of the site, Wang Xueying's breath caught in her throat. "What... is that?" she asked, pushing her hair behind her ears to get a clearer view.

Beneath them, a massive crater spread out like the maw of some ancient beast, as if a portal to another world had opened.

It didn't look like a mere meteor impact.

The edges of the crater were jagged and unnatural, and there was an eerie stillness about it, as if the ground itself was holding its breath.

Even Wang Xiao, who had been quiet until now, couldn't help but glance down with growing interest.

Isabellae, her wild hair whipped by the wind, spoke up, her voice loud over the roar of the chopper. "That, over there," she said, pointing, "we're calling it 'Hollow Earth.' It revealed itself just three days ago when something fell from the sky. At first, we thought it was a meteorite, but now... we believe it was a living being. A creature unlike anything we've seen before.

And we've already lost contact with it."

Wang Xueying startled, "A living being? You mean it's still in there?"

"Maybe," Isabella replied grimly, her eyes scanning the crater with intensity. "A week ago, I was in Atlantia--the so-called Eighth Continent. We've only recently confirmed its existence beneath the ocean surface. What we see as Pandora, the small island, is merely the tip of a massive submerged civilization. A civilization far older than we ever imagined. And this..." She gestured toward the crater.

"This may be proof that the human species isn't just a few hundred thousand years old. It could be millions. What lies beneath us... could change everything."

Wang Xiao frowned. "And you think that thing in the crater... is connected to Atlantia?"

Isabella nodded, her face tense. "We don't know for sure yet, but if it is, this could be living proof that our history is far deeper than we ever thought. And if that being is still alive... it could hold the key to unlocking a past we've never even considered."

Wang Xiao shook his head slightly, a flicker of disappointment crossing his face, though he quickly tried to mask it.

Isabella caught the movement and couldn't help but frown, a hint of irritation creeping into her voice. "What? You don't believe it even after seeing all this?"

Wang Xueying turned to him as well, clearly confused. The evidence was right in front of them--a massive crater that seemed otherworldly. Why was he disappointed?

Wang Xiao offered a bitter smile, but he said nothing. How could he explain? The truth was, he had already known about these things, long before they ever arrived.

But Atlantia, as grand and mysterious as it was, had nothing to do with the strange phenomenon below them.

He glanced at the crater again. This wasn't just a meteor crash, and it wasn't connected to any ancient lost city. This was a spatial disturbance--a tear in reality, much like a teleportation device.

It had always existed, just hidden from view. Something, or someone, had triggered it, revealing it to the world.

Aurora's voice echoed in his memory. She had told him about the 'Subterraneans,' an advanced species that thrived after the Pangaeans had been destroyed and scattered.

But Wang Xiao had always imagined them as a simple, underground civilization--nothing as sophisticated as what he was now seeing.

This portal was proof of just how wrong he had been.

Still, he couldn't say any of this out loud. Not yet.

"It's nothing," he finally muttered, brushing off Isabella's question with a small smile. "Just thinking."

Isabella's frown deepened, clearly not buying his vague response, but she said nothing further.

Wang Xueying, on the other hand, gave him a skeptical look, but didn't press him either. She returned her attention to the crater below, still captivated by the sight.

Wang Xiao exhaled softly. As for the being that had fallen here, it 'was' alive--that much he knew--but he had no idea what it was or where it came from.

And that uncertainty about that alive thing interested him, even more than the portal itself.

For now, he would keep these thoughts to himself. There was no point in stirring up more questions. Not until he had answers.

________

As they landed at the military outpost, Wang Xiao observed Isabella moving smoothly among the personnel, introducing Wang Xueying to various key figures.

He couldn't help but notice how Isabella seemed to be treating his sister as some kind of protege--or perhaps, her successor.

It was a subtle gesture, but clearly visible.

He didn't have an issue with it for now, but if Isabella ever decided to pull Wang Xueying into something dangerous or manipulative, Wang Xiao wouldn't hesitate to show Isabella some "politeness"--in private, of course.

As they walked closer to the vortex, Wang Xueying, who had been trailing slightly behind Isabella, finally spoke up. "What's below it? Has anyone tried going inside?" Her eyes were locked on the massive swirling vortex just a few meters away.

Up close, it resembled a brewing sea, deep and endless, as if it could swallow everything around it.

Isabella nodded thoughtfully. "That's what we're here to find out. So far, it's uncertain what's inside. Some people fell in accidentally, but we never got them back." She paused, her gaze briefly darkening. "The magnetic field around it destroys all communication devices and disrupts radio signals. We've been unable to make any real progress..."

"So no one's been able to survive inside?" Wang Xueying asked, her voice betraying both curiosity and concern.

"Not yet," Isabella replied. "But that's why we've brought in the military this time. Their advanced jets should be able to deploy people close enough to gather intel. If there's any threat inside, it can be neutralized before it becomes a bigger problem."

Wang Xiao's attention sharpened at the mention of the military, but he quickly realized that it wasn't just any regular force. Isabella was talking about Prometheus, the elite unit within the Atlas Initiative.

A whole squadron was stationed here, preparing for what lay ahead.

If the Atlas Initiative was involved, things were more serious than they'd initially seemed.

And to make matters more unnerving, even the Oracle Network--one of the most advanced systems for assessing potential risks--had been using the Delphi Protocol to try and predict what might happen inside the vortex.

Yet, despite their efforts, they had come up empty-handed. No predictions. No guidance.

"We've tried everything," Isabella continued, her tone slightly more somber now. "But when even the 'Oracle Network' can't assess the risks... we have no choice but to step in ourselves."

Both Isabella and Wang Xueying collectively decided to ignore Wang Xiao, letting him wander off as he showed little to no interest in their 'science' talk.

They were used to people being indifferent when it came to such matters.

Wang Xiao, however, had his own reasons. After all, he had already killed 'Cain' and had no curiosity about the new leader of the Atlas Initiative.

But as he scanned the area, something--or rather, someone--caught his attention. His gaze sharpened, and before he knew it, he slipped past the guards, making his way toward one of the military tents.

Inside the tent, a woman was struggling to change into what looked like a custom suit, probably designed for whatever mission was about to unfold.

Her fiery red hair cascaded down her back, and her body was... something that would make any man pause.

Perfectly shaped in an S curve, her hips flared out into buttocks that practically begged to be spanked, while her breasts--large enough to defy gravity--looked like they could bear the weight of the world.

"Ugh..." she groaned, struggling with the zipper of her suit. Her lip was caught between her teeth in frustration, her movements unintentionally seductive as she muttered under her breath. "Why the hell can't they make these damn suits more flexible?"

Her hands kept fumbling with the zipper when, suddenly, she felt someone grab her from behind.

She froze, her body stiffening instantly.