Beatrice's squad began their return under the night sky.
Faint moonlight spread through the canopy, the gaps between the leaves showing clusters of stars.
The air was cool, carrying the scent of damp bark and soil.
They moved through the forest where the vines had been cut days before by Rory, the paths still fresh and marked by the clean edges of his work.
The ground shifted beneath their armored feet, loose earth sinking slightly with each step.
The rhythm of their movement was steady—soft clacks of chitin against dirt, antennae brushing the air ahead as they advanced toward the colony.
Beatrice led the squad, one hand resting on the hilt of her sheathed mandible.
Her eyes moved across the darkness ahead, steady and alert.
The faint glow of the moon caught the edges of her exoskeleton as she passed between the trees.
Behind her, Quinn kept to the right flank.
Her antennae shifted, tracing the air while she scanned the undergrowth.
Each step pressed softly into the soil, the brittle snap of sticks breaking the quiet as she moved over the vines that crossed the path.
The other two Lance Corporals covered the left flank and rear.
Their antennae angled outward, sweeping through the air as they kept watch.
The faint rustle of shifting exoskeleton and the dull press of their steps blended with the sounds of the wind in the forest around them.
Ari and Nova moved in the center of the formation.
Nova's head was wrapped in leaves, the sap darkened from drying.
She kept close to Ari, supporting his weight with her shoulder.
His arm rested across her, the movement slow and deliberate with each step.
The plates along his side were bruised and faintly discolored, the pale sheen of his exoskeleton dulled by dust.
His breathing was steady but uneven as he adjusted his balance.
Ari's breathing brushed against Nova's antennae, the warmth making them twitch.
Heat rose faintly across her face as she steadied her steps, focusing ahead while they continued toward the colony.
"Stay alert. We'll reach the colony's outskirts soon."
Beatrice's gaze moved over the path ahead, her posture steady as she led the group through the uneven ground.
The pale light caught along her exoskeleton with each step, outlining her frame as she advanced.
"Ah… r-right, Beatrice."
Ari shifted his weight, his breathing uneven as he steadied himself against Nova's shoulder.
A faint rasp came from his throat with each word, his steps dragging slightly through the loose soil.
Nova glanced up at him, her pace slowing for a moment.
He stood a little taller, his face drawn but steady in the dim light.
"What is it?"
Beatrice's voice carried back without her turning, her focus still fixed on the path ahead.
The steady rhythm of her steps didn't break as she guided the group forward through the dark.
"I was… wondering," Ari muttered, his breath hitching as he kept pace. "Do you think that centipede was also behind the earthworms' disturbances in the northeast crater?"
He shifted his grip on Nova's shoulder, the strain in his voice rough but steady enough to carry through the quiet.
"Well, I've thought about that, but I doubt it. Even if a centipede of that size appeared near Lily's unit, I have no doubt she could handle it. She's with three other Corporals—their task was probably finished long before ours."
Beatrice kept her eyes forward, the faint rhythm of their movement blending with the quiet sounds of the forest around them.
Ari gave a faint smirk. "You have a lot of trust in her, don't you?"
He lifted his gaze toward the sky, the pale light catching along his cheek.
I wonder how Rory and Isla are holding up. This is their third mission, after all. Rory's probably still charging in without thinking, and Isla… still cautious, waiting for him to push her forward.
A quiet chuckle escaped him as they walked.
Ari slowed in his steps, his weight leaning slightly against Nova.
A shadow drifted over them, passing across the pale light.
For an instant, he caught the faint outline of wings glimmering above before they swept past, stirring a cool breeze that brushed through his hair and along Nova's cheek.
What… was that? The thought flickered through Ari's mind, his pulse quickening.
Nova shifted slightly under his weight. "Why did you stop?" Her voice was low, careful, eyes following his upward glance.
A faint voice threaded through his mind, urgent and fragmented: Please… she needs help… don't let her die.
Ari winced, a sharp pain splitting his head.
His grip on Nova slackened; his weight sagged against her.
She braced beneath him, but he toppled free and hit the ground with a heavy thud, the impact rattling through the quiet forest.
"Ari!" Nova dropped to her knees beside him, her expression tight with worry.
The plates along her arms shifted as she steadied his shoulder, her fingers brushing against the cool surface of his exoskeleton.
Quinn turned sharply at the sound. "What happened?"
She closed the distance in a few strides, the faint scrape of her armored feet marking each step as she looked down at him.
"Don't make too much of it. He's hurt and worn out… it was only a matter of time before his body gave in."
Beatrice's face remained calm, but her antennae shifted with a faint unease.
Her stance held firm, though the slow movement of her feet against the soil betrayed the concern beneath her voice.
What was that voice just now? The thought lingered as Ari pressed a hand to the side of his head.
A dull ache pulsed beneath his palm.
It keeps repeating… telling me to save someone… but who?
"Lance Corporal Ari… can you hear me?"
Quinn's voice cut through his thoughts. She crouched beside him, the faint clatter of her exoskeleton breaking the quiet as she leaned closer.
"Yes… I can."
Ari blinked a few times, his gaze unsteady as he tried to focus on her face.
The dull throb in his head hadn't faded, but his breathing steadied little by little.
That was the sixth time I called his name before he answered… something's not right.
Quinn straightened slightly, her antennae tilting forward with quiet concern as she studied his unfocused eyes.
"Are you sure you're okay? You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"
Nova steadied him by the arm, her antennae shifting faintly as she searched his face for a sign of clarity.
"I'll be fine. Thanks… for worrying about me, Nova."
Ari's voice was low, his breathing uneven. He shifted his weight slightly against her support, trying to steady himself.
Nova's face flushed, and she straightened in a hurry, hands flailing in front of her.
In her rush, Ari slipped from her support and hit the ground with a dull thud.
"I–I'm not worried about you," she muttered quickly, antennae twitching in fluster. "You just collapsed out of nowhere and almost pulled me down too. Don't get the wrong idea."
Ari groaned faintly, lifting his head from the dirt.
Ari winced, brushing dirt from his shoulder. "That… hurt."
Nova bent slightly, antennae lowering. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."
He pushed himself upright, the movement slow and strained.
Just as he steadied his stance, the voice echoed again inside his head—soft, trembling, fading in and out like a breath carried by wind.
Please… hurry… before it's too late.
I don't understand… who are you? Who should I save?
The words formed in Ari's mind, his thoughts pressing through the haze.
He tensed, eyes narrowing as he tried to grasp the fading trace of the voice, but there was only silence—heavy and cold beneath the night air.
Suddenly, the memory crashed back into him.
The wings—broad and ragged—cut through the sky, their surface glinting faintly as moonlight ran along the veins.
The air around them shimmered, bending with each beat.
Below those wings, a face came into view—drawn tight with pain, its features strained in silence.
Then he saw them again—those eyes, deep red and unyielding—pierced through the moonlight, filled with something between courage and despair.
Suddenly, Ari lurched forward without a word, his movements sharp and unsteady.
Both mandibles slid free from their sheathes with a metallic scrape that cut through the quiet.
"Wait—Ari! Where are you going!"
Nova stumbled after him, her steps uneven against the loose soil.
The sound of her feet striking the earth echoed through the night as she reached out, trying to catch his arm before he disappeared into the trees.
"Wait—Nova, stop."
Quinn's hand closed firmly on her shoulder, halting her mid-step. "We can't break formation—not when we don't know what insects are out there, and especially not while our squadron's strength is diminished.
"Quinn is right. We can't be reckless—we need to return to the colony."
Beatrice's tone was firm, her steps measured. "I won't put any soldiers under my command in danger. Whatever reason he had for running off… his life is in his own hands now."
She paused briefly, her gaze fixed ahead. "Stay in formation, Nova. That's a direct order."
Her voice held steady, but there was a faint tremor beneath it as she turned on her heels and continued toward the colony's outskirts.
Beatrice's pace slowed for a moment, her thoughts tightening beneath the calm mask on her face.
What could possibly make you run off like this… alone, you fool?
Her jaw tensed, the faint rustle of her steps blending with the whisper of leaves around them. You can barely stand, and yet you charge off without a word.
With a quiet breath, she straightened again and resumed walking, her expression composed but her chest heavy with unease.
"But… what if something happens to him out there?"
Nova's voice was faint, her gaze fixed on the dark path Ari had taken.
The forest around them was silent, broken only by the soft rustle of leaves in the wind.
"Ari… why?"
Her fingers curled at her side, her exoskeleton shifting faintly as she stood rooted in place.
Ari pushed through the dense growth, his movements uneven but driven.
The dim light that filtered through the canopy cast shifting shadows across his path as he cut through vines with quick, precise swings of his mandibles.
Each motion sent a dull ache through his side. He winced but kept going, breath shallow, steps heavy against the soft soil.
I don't know where that voice came from… or who it wants me to save, he thought, forcing himself forward despite the pain. But for some reason, I can't stop. It's like something is pulling me this way.
He slowed for a moment, his gaze unfocused. Could it be the system? Is that the voice… calling out to me?
But there wasn't any prompt for a quest… so what is this?
Ari slowed, his breathing ragged.
The forest thinned until the trees gave way to an open plain bathed in pale moonlight.
He stopped at the edge, chest rising and falling heavily, his grip tightening on his mandibles as he struggled to steady himself.
The air was still—too still—and his heartbeat drummed against the quiet.
The faint sound of metal clashing—followed by the wet rip of something cutting into flesh—echoed faintly through the plain.
Ari froze, antennae twitching sharply as he turned his head from side to side, trying to pinpoint the direction.
The noise came again, distant but clear, carried by the wind through the trees.
He froze, eyes widening as he looked up. The same pair of wings he'd seen before cut through the air, the figure hurtling toward him before crashing into a nearby tree with a deafening thud.
Dust and splinters burst outward.
Ari raised his arms to shield his face. When the air cleared, his gaze swept upward—dark shapes fell from the sky in quick succession, landing around him with sickening thuds.
He turned, antennae twitching, and saw the ground littered with blood, torn limbs, and fragments of shattered wings.
His breath caught. He stumbled back a step. "What… is all this?"
"Tch... Why won't they all just die!!" A voice echoed from the ground near Ari.
As the dust cleared and Ari turned, he saw her — his eyes widening.
A female insect lay half-slumped against a tree, her striking purple hair cascading over her shoulders, eyes glowing with piercing ruby red.
Her wings shimmered in the low light — deep indigo veined with streaks of crimson, tucked tightly behind her.
Her face bore shallow cuts that bled faintly; she clutched her arm, blood dripping from between her fingers.
In the other, a thorny whip was folded against her side. She gritted her teeth, jaw trembling as she hissed, "I swear—every one of you Moths, and your leader—will pay for slaughtering my guards. With your blood. Even if it takes my last breath."
Is she a butterfly…? It's the first one I've seen since I appeared in this world, Ari thought.
Hurry… The voice rang in his ear again, thin and urgent.
A moth landed on the ground a few paces away, expression flat, a hint of smugness at the corner of his mouth.
His exoskeleton was murky black, dull in the moonlight. Wings spread wide and heavy, they settled with a soft rustle.
"Give my regards to your pitiful soldier."
From his hind wings, jagged quills protruded—barbed and rigid, tipped like needles and angled as if ready to fire.
Save her…