After the meeting concluded, the butterflies were escorted to a chamber not far from the Grand Meeting Hall. White wings folded neatly as Luminara turned her head, the green cloth resting smooth against her face. Her lips curved into a soft smile, angled toward Ari, before she followed the soldier ants into the corridor.
Ignatia offered no acknowledgment. She crossed her arms and followed, her pace unbroken. For a brief moment, her eyes lingered on him, the restraint there betraying what she did not allow herself to voice, before her focus returned forward to matters she could not afford to set aside.
Seraphina slowed a fraction behind her. Orange and black wings drew in close. Her blue eyes remained on Ari as a small smile formed, brief and measured, before she turned and disappeared into the adjoining passage alongside her sisters.
"Be sure to get some rest, Lance Corporal Ari. I expect our strategy meeting will prove… interesting."
Valeria paused just long enough for her antennae to angle toward him, the polished surface of her chitin catching the faint fungi light.
"I look forward to your insight."
She departed in the opposite direction, her stride firm and unhurried. One by one, the Elders withdrew, their antennae held stiff as they dispersed.
Queen Celeste remained seated upon her throne, posture unchanged as silence settled across the chamber. Her antennae held still as her gaze remained unfocused, attention turned inward to the intelligence she had just received.
Lieutenant Tavian stood at her right, mandible blade resting sheathed at his side, shoulders squared. Sergeant Samuel remained to her left, feet planted, both of them waiting without motion.
Nearby, Princess Tanya drew her hands up against her chest, her shoulders easing as a quiet breath left her. The tension that had gripped her frame moments before finally released, relief visible in the softening of her expression.
"Ari…"
Her lips pressed into a thin line, the faint lift in her expression fading as her gaze lowered.
Ari stepped into the tunnels. His armored feet struck the packed loam in steady intervals, the muted clank echoing softly along the curved walls as the light thinned and the air cooled around him.
I'm tired…
Ari stretched, joints straining beneath his exoskeleton, a dull ache spreading through his limbs.
A lot has happened, yet the alliance has finally been formed between us and the butterflies. I am not certain of what I have involved myself in, but I must see it through. No matter how difficult the path becomes.
That's right... Ari came to a stop. I haven't checked on Nova, have I?
He shifted his weight, the click of his leg plates faint against the smooth floor. His antennae twitched as he turned toward the recovery chamber, his armored feet making soft, hollow echoes with each step.
As Ari entered the medicinal area, the emerald glow of the fungi felt cooler here, carrying the sharp scent of crushed medicinal leaves and sap. He moved quietly. He stopped beside the woven bed where Nova lay.
She was asleep, her chest rising and falling steadily. She looked much better, her armor cleaned of the grime from the earlier clash, though her posture sagged with exhaustion.
"Looks like she's asleep."
Ari's voice was low, barely moving the still air around him. Nova's antennae snapped upright, a sharp tremor running through their tips. Awareness returned in uneven breaths as her eyelids lifted, pupils tightening against the light. A pause followed, her focus settling, shoulders drawing a fraction inward.
"A… Ari?"
The name left her quietly, edged with uncertainty.
"Oh… you're still awake?"
Ari's weight rested against the earthen wall beside her bed, moisture pressing dark against the back of his exoskeleton as he shifted one shoulder. Nova pushed herself upright, the surface beneath her palms cool against her chitin. Heat lingered at her cheeks as she straightened too quickly. Her eyes slid away from him, fixing on the uneven ground near his feet.
"Wha...What are you doing here?"
The words came measured, her posture composed despite the tightness in her chest.
"I came to check if you're alright."
The damp air shifted as he adjusted his stance, one foot pressing more firmly into the dirt.
"As if I need your pity. Besides…"
Nova's jaw tightened, the motion controlled and restrained. Her shoulders drew back as she steadied herself, fingers pressing lightly into the bedding beneath her.
"You were the one on the brink of death."
Ari gave a short, humorless breath.
"What's so funny."
Nova's voice was flat, irritation clear without rise.
"It's just that Beatrice mentioned you were asking about me."
He straightened from the wall.
"Sounded like you were actually worried."
Nova went rigid, her head turning aside as color rose fast across her face.
"Beatrice has a vivid imagination."
A brief pause, her gaze fixed on the masonry instead of him.
"I was only making sure you hadn't embarrassed us by breaking formation and getting yourself killed."
Her lips pressed together before she continued, voice sharpened by insistence rather than volume.
"As if I'd waste energy worrying about a fool like you."
"Right. My mistake."
A faint, tired curve touched his mouth before fading. One hand lifted briefly, fingers brushing the back of his head.
"So… you're the one they call Ari."
A voice carried low through the chamber, roughened by strain. Ari and Nova shifted their focus to the woven bed not too far across from them. The injured Butterfly drew himself upright with visible effort, one hand bracing against the bedding. His wings quivered as he moved, breath leaving him unevenly through his nose, yet his eyes remained alert and steady as they fixed on Ari.
"I am."
Ari turned fully toward the Butterfly, his stance settling as his weight redistributed.
"I am Garren, a guardian of the Kaleidoscope."
He inclined his head with effort, a brief tightening passing through his neck as he steadied himself. His wings drew in close, the motion controlled despite the strain.
"I wished to speak with you. I was told of what occurred."
A short pause followed as his breathing evened.
"That you intervened… and saved Ignatia from the moths."
"I did what was necessary..."
Ari's gaze held, unblinking. The plates along his shoulders settled.
"To you, perhaps. But to me… Ignatia saved my life during a moth attack."
His gaze remained steady on Ari, calm but carrying the weight of memory.
"I have lived with that debt throughout the night. By saving her, you've allowed it to continue… in a way I can eventually repay."
Garren leaned back slightly against the woven bed, shoulders easing as he straightened his posture.
"So… thank you."
Ari studied the Guardian's set jaw.
"No thanks are needed. It wasn't exactly a coincidence that I was there. Our paths… were bound to cross tonight."
His armored feet shifted, pressing slightly as he leaned forward. Garren's expression shifted, the hint of gratitude fading into something darker, more cautious. His eyes flicked toward the chamber entrance, checking that the other guardians were out of earshot. He inclined his head slightly, motioning for Ari to step closer.
"I am assuming that you already know Nytheris, guardian of Ignatia."
Ari's gaze followed him, posture steady, shoulders relaxed.
"Oh… you mean the one with black wings and a temper."
"Yes. My advice is to be cautious around him."
Garren flexed the chitin along his forearms, the motion deliberate, a quiet signal of warning. His fist tightened against the woven leaves, the fibers compressing beneath his grip. Tension ran through his forearm as his jaw set, teeth pressed together before he spoke.
"That wretch… Nytheris has been acting strange lately."
His hand loosened slightly, then stilled.
"When my squad was ambushed by the moths—when we were being killed—I caught a glimpse of him."
A short pause followed as his breath steadied.
"He was not fighting. He was perched above, within the canopy's shadow, looking down at us. There was only disdain in his eyes."
Garren's chest rose and fell with a sharp rhythm. A visible shadow of exhaustion and sorrow settled into the lines around his eyes.
"If he had descended from above... if he had chosen to use his strength to intervene in that moment... then Loir, Grey, and Aris might still be among the living even now."
His antennae twitched low against his dark hair, vibrating with a faint, rapid tremor.
"However, he simply remained there and watched us die, as though we were nothing more than insignificant common flies."
A heavy stillness settled over Ari's features. He straightened his posture, his gaze sweeping over the various alcoves of the recovery chamber and the earthy scent of the clay walls.
"I see... That might be a serious problem. Regarding his current location, do you happen to know where he is at this moment?"
Garren shifted on the bed of woven sticks, the dried leaves beneath him crackling softly under the weight of his blackish-brown exoskeleton.
"No. He took flight and departed quite suddenly while our Monarchs were gathered together in that meeting."
A flicker of pain moved across Garren's lips, and his antennae twitched in a sharp, rhythmic pulse against the air.
"I am certain he was involved with the disappearance of the Moonveil Blossom, but... since I possess no proof, I have kept my mouth sealed until this moment. I am begging you, Ari. Please, I ask that you protect Ignatia. You are the only person to whom she will truly lend her ear."
He leaned his weight back, his wings fluttering once before pressing flat.
"I am grateful that you brought that matter up. After all, our meeting is tomorrow, and I am certain Nytheris will be right there by her side."
Ari's mouth curved upward, a small spark of confidence returning to his face.
"Thanks to you, I have finally found a way to properly track down those Moths and now... I can uncover the truth about whether Nytheris is a traitor or not."
He let out a short breath through his nose.
Garren's eyes widened, his gaze following the movement of Ari's lips. The tension in his facial muscles eased slightly, the tight lines around his mouth finally softening.
"I see. It seems I was right to put my trust in you after all."
A single bead of moisture escaped his lashes and traced a path down his cheek, disappearing into the dark, rigid edge of his neck plating.
Ari voice was low, his breath even.
"Since I have come this far, I do not intend to leave things unfinished."
Nova shifted on the bed of woven branches, causing the dry leaves to crackle softly. She reached up to adjust the damp leaf wrapped around her forehead, her fingers brushing against the skin of her temple.
Now I finally understand. It is now clear why even our Queen and the Commander hold him in such high regard. He truly is an amazing Soldier.
A faint, nearly unnoticeable warmth rose to her cheeks, coloring her face a soft pink.
The rhythmic scraping of Ari's feet against the packed dirt of the tunnel floor came to a sudden halt. He stood before the arched opening of his personal quarters, his mind circling back to the Butterfly Monarch's words and the desperate warnings Garren had shared.
If you are truly involved in this matter... then I wonder what your real motives could be.
He let out a long, quiet breath. His body remained perfectly still, angled toward the interior of the chamber as he weighed the evidence against Nytheris.
Is it possible that a guardian would go so far even betraying his own Monarch, or is there a motive I cannot yet see?
Suddenly, a feeling of warmth pressed against Ari's back. His eyes widened, and his antennae snapped upright, vibrating with the sudden shock. Two hands wrapped firmly around his torso, their weight resting against the brown plates of his chest. He shifted his weight to turn, but the grip tightened.
"Please, do not look... Just let me stay like this for a short while."
The voice was a shaky murmur, muffled against his back.
"Princess Tanya...?"
He stood frozen in the dim tunnel, the glow from the luminescent fungi casting deep shadows across the path.
"I was so worried. When Beatrice returned with her report and I did not see you... and then she mentioned that you ran off into the forest while injured. I thought... I thought you were gone."
A small shudder passed through her body. Ari reached down and gently pulled her hands away, turning his body to face her. The shadows of the hallway obscured much of her face, but her green eyes glistened with a sharp, emerald light, catching what little glow remained as tears traced paths down her cheeks.
She was truly worried about me.
He looked directly into her gaze, his face losing tension.
"Listen... I am sorry for making you worry. But remember... I made a promise to you that I would protect you no matter what, so please... put your faith in me."
A long silence followed his words, the only sound the faint wind passing through the tunnels. Tanya wiped the moisture from her face with the back of her hand. She shook her head slowly, a small, relieved smile forming on her lips as she closed her eyes, letting the weight of his promise settle between them in the quiet dark.
she then opened her eyes, her gaze lingering on Ari's face for a moment longer as she lowered her hand from her cheek.
"Yes. I understand. However, please promise to be more careful from now on."
Ari gave a firm nod, his armored feet scuffing the dry earth. He looked at her one last time, his expression steady.
"I will."
after Tanya left Ari stood in the center of his chamber, his gaze fixed on the empty entrance where Tanya had stood. His chest rose and fell in a slow, steady rhythm as a specific memory surfaced.
Her smile is the same as Keiko's was during that time I was still human.
I was eleven years old when I attempted to run away from home. I was tired of my existence. Keiko searched for me until the sun went down. She found me in the dark. She was crying a lot, but she smiled at me while the tears were still on her face. I can still see that expression.
He looked down at his hands. For a brief moment, the hardened brown chitin was replaced by the sight of his human hand as it had been when she pulled him away. The memory of Keiko stayed clear in his mind, matching the way Tanya had looked at him just moments ago.
It is the exact same smile.
He turned away and sat on his bed. The woven fibers snapped and flattened under his weight. He reached for his mandible blades and set it beside him, the metal cold against his palm. He then closed his eyes, letting the silence of the chamber settle over him until the morning light began to seep through the tunnel vents.