Deviant: No Longer Human

Chapter 276: Madness!

"Did you find anyone?" Wang Xiao couldn't help but inquire from Yin Yue.

"She has escaped," Yin Yue replied grimly.

Turning to Luna, Wang Xiao asked instantly, "Can you still track her location?"

That woman, Wang Xiao, wished to tear her apart personally!

But Luna shook her head, a bitter smile playing on her lips. "The signals are silent. She must have evaded all surveillance."

Wang Xiao furrowed his brows in confusion before a sudden realization dawned on him.

"You—" he said, addressing Aurora, "Can you locate her?"

Aurora shrugged helplessly. "I cannot sense her."

"...*

Luna was silent, her eyes darting around, searching for any sign of Clara.

But Clara was cunning, running for her life and leaving no trace behind.

A powerful hell spirit, she had already reached the city's edge and was now fleeing towards the abandoned airstrip to call for backup and escape.

"..."

After a long, tense silence, Wang Xiao's face suddenly lit up with a look of determination.

"You mentioned two women, correct?" he asked, a sly smile spreading across his face as he turned to Aurora.

"!"

His hand tightened on her shoulder, causing her to involuntarily flinch, facing his eyes for — negotiation!

Regret gnawed at Aurora as she replied with a tinge of bitterness, "Yes, I did."

Luna, unable to contain her curiosity, piped up, "Two women?"

Ignoring Luna's confused expression, Wang Xiao fixed his gaze on Aurora and declared, "Then fetch that woman, Clara, for me."

Aurora felt a sense of unease wash over her, though she had anticipated this request."Are you certain about this? It could spark a major unease..." she cautioned.

Determined and unwavering, Wang Xiao nodded decisively. "I don't care if you burn down this whole country! Just ensure she is brought here alive."

Aurora sighed, shaking her head in resignation before descending towards the ground.

Whoosh...

"Is aesthetics really that important?" The question danced in Wang Xiao's mind as her previous attire, now lackluster, was swiftly replaced by a vibrant ensemble.

The new clothes, adorned with aquatic hues and delicate leaf patterns, draped elegantly over her shoulders, transforming her appearance.

"Can she pull it off?" Luna asked, skeptic about Aurora's abilities.

Wang Xiao's brows shot up. "Maybe..."

Uncertainty filled the air as they awaited the rapidly progressing events.

"!"

Then, as if on cue, the earth shook beneath them, sending shockwaves rippling through the city.

Rumble!

Rumble!

Rumble!

"Hmm?" Wang Xiao and Luna snapped into a state of heightened awareness, their senses on high alert. Meanwhile, Aurora remained motionless, her eyes shut in concentration.

Rumble!

Rumble!

Rumble!

The tremors intensified, shaking the very foundation of the district. Red sirens blared, warning of impending disaster.

And then it happened—

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Vines erupted from the earth, their sinewy tendrils reaching skyward. But it wasn't confined to their immediate surroundings; the phenomenon spread like wildfire, engulfing neighboring cities in its magical embrace.

From Alexandria to Annapolis, a wave of astonishment and fear swept through the populace as they grappled with the dual onslaught of earthquake and magical botanical growth.

The states of Maryland and Virginia stood witness to a spectacle that would echo through the annals of history.

_____

As the vines burst forth, towering over buildings and weaving through the cities, chaos erupted among the people.

Streets that were once bustling with life now echoed with the cries and prayers of the frightened.

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, protect us," a woman murmured, her voice trembling as she clutched a rosary tight in her hands, kneeling on the sidewalk.

"Look at the sky! What's happening?" a man shouted, pointing upwards as the vines continued their relentless growth, intertwining to form a massive, vegetative dome that began to block out the sun.

"This can't be real. It's like something out of a nightmare," a teenager exclaimed, her phone forgotten in her hand as she stared upward, capturing the moment the day turned to night under the green canopy.

As the barrier thickened, a surreal twilight descended upon Virginia and Maryland, casting everything into an eerie, unnatural gloom.

Panic surged as darkness enveloped the cities, cutting them off from the rest of the world.

The air filled with the sound of sirens, cries for help, and prayers.

"Lord Jesus, save us from this darkness!" a group gathered in a circle prayed loudly, their voices filled with desperation, seeking salvation in what they believed might be their final hours.

"What are we going to do? We're trapped!" another voice cried out, the fear growing as people looked around, realizing the extent of their isolation.

____

In the shadow of the wild vines, the cities within Virginia and Maryland transformed into stages of a horror that no one could have predicted.

The monstrous flora devoured the light, casting an otherworldly darkness across the land.

Panic spiraled into terror as the landscape morphed into something out of a nightmare, with humanity at the mercy of an unseen terror.

In a small, dimly lit apartment in Richmond, a family huddled together, their eyes wide with fear as the television flickered with emergency broadcasts before going dark.

"Mom, I'm scared," a young boy whimpered, clinging to his mother's arm as shadows danced across the walls, the light from the window slowly extinguishing.

"It's okay, baby. Just pray," the mother whispered back, her voice trembling as she pulled her children closer, whispering prayers under her breath, hoping for a miracle.

______

On the streets of Annapolis, chaos reigned. People ran in all directions, screaming, as the vines crept over buildings, their rapid growth a horrifying spectacle.

A man fell to his knees, his hands clasped in prayer, his voice cracking with emotion.

"Forgive us, Lord, for whatever we've done to deserve this! Spare us, please!" he cried out, as others around him echoed his pleas, their voices a symbol of despair amidst the sound of nature reclaiming civilization.

_______

In Alexandria, a group of teenagers had taken refuge in a basement, their faces illuminated by the glow of their phones, trying to find any information, any explanation for the horror outside.

"Guys, look at this," one of them said, scrolling through his feed to show videos from other cities, each clip more terrifying than the last. "It's not just us. It's everywhere."

The realization that their plight was not isolated, that an entire region was trapped in this nightmare, sent shivers down their spines.

The room fell silent except for the sound of quiet sobbing.

______

Elsewhere, in a small church, the congregation gathered, kneeling, their prayers desperate as they sought divine intervention.

The priest stood before them, his voice a beacon of hope in the encroaching darkness.

"God has not forsaken us. Let us pray, let us keep faith," he declared, his hands raised to the heavens, even as the darkness threatened to swallow them whole.

But outside, the vines continued their spread, a physical manifestation of apocalypse, weaving a shadow of despair as they blotted out the sun, leaving behind a world unrecognizable, its inhabitants shadowed figures pleading for salvation!

As the final rays of light were extinguished, the region plunged into an eerie, unnatural night, the only sounds the distant cries for mercy and the relentless, sinister whisper of vines against stone.

The day of reckoning had arrived, not with fire and brimstone, but with an eclipse wrought by nature itself, leaving behind a legacy of fear and a desperate hope for dawn in this new, darkened world.

____

Amidst the terror that gripped Virginia and Maryland, the White House, a beacon of leadership and hope, stood besieged by the never-ending and fast growth of the supernatural vines.

The iconic structure, usually a symbol of strength and stability, was now just another structure under siege in the expanding darkness.

In a hastily convened situation room, illuminated by the harsh, artificial glow of emergency lighting, the President and key advisors stood before screens displaying the rapidly deteriorating situation.

Outside, the Secret Service worked alongside military personnel, attempting to establish barriers against the inexorable advance of the vines, their efforts futile against the supernatural onslaught.

"Madam President, communications with the outside world are becoming increasingly difficult. The vines... they're not just physical barriers. They're interfering with our electronics," a military advisor reported, his voice steady despite the dire news.

The President, her face a portrait of resolve amidst the crisis, turned to address the room. "We need to send a message. To the people, to whoever is behind this... we will not be intimidated! The guardian needs to be contacted!"

___

Outside, on the once manicured lawns, now a battleground against nature's fury, a group of civilians and journalists had gathered, their eyes fixed on the White House, seeking guidance, reassurance — anything to combat the growing despair.

"Please, we need answers! What is the government doing to protect us?" a reporter shouted, her voice carrying in the eerie silence that had settled over the area as the vines crept closer, the sound of their growth a constant reminder of the encroaching doom.

A Secret Service agent, his face grim, replied as he helped to usher the crowd to relative safety, "Stay calm. We're doing everything we can. The President will address the nation soon."