Queen Celeste Colony — earlier that day
Ari's chamber was a hollowed pocket of earth, its walls scored with uneven pickaxe marks. The soil had been compacted and reinforced, rough beneath the touch. A small cluster of bioluminescent fungi clung to the ceiling near one corner, its pale green glow pulsing at a steady rhythm, leaving much of the space in shadow.
At the center of the chamber stood his bed. The frame was woven from dried leaves and brittle sticks, bound tightly together and fixed low to the ground.
Ari stood upright, shoulders squared as his antennae angled forward. His jaw set, and a controlled breath moved through his chest before the words left him.
"Forgive the sudden request for a meeting with all of you. There is a matter that requires discussion before we meet with the Queen to finalize our plans for the assault on the moths and Magnus."
Ignatia entered the chamber, her indigo wings folding close as she stepped inside. Her crimson eyes settled on Ari, steady and attentive. The dark purple plates at her chest rose and fell as she drew in a slow breath, then eased.
"I have my questions regarding your request to meet before the actual meeting." She paused, her eyes lowered briefly as her breath deepened. "However… you were the one who made this temporary alliance possible. You also saved my life by placing your own at risk."
Her eyes closed. The chamber remained quiet for a moment.
I have not forgotten the weight of that debt...
Ignatia opened her eyes and met his gaze. "For that reason, I trust your judgment."
Seraphina stepped forward slightly, her orange-and-black wings folding close as her weight shifted onto one leg. "Speak for yourself, Ignatia. You've grown soft. I never expected you to ramble this much."
Ignatia's crimson eyes narrowed briefly, her brows rose sharply before lowering again. The dark plates along her chest lifted and fell with a measured inhale, shoulders tightening for a heartbeat before releasing.
Seraphina's wings lifted slightly, brushing against her back as she leaned forward. She moved a hand along the rough dirt packed wall, fingertips pressing against it.
"Well now… you've grown comfortable, Lance Corporal. To summon two Monarchs as if we were mere subordinates, especially in a place that is this...foul."
Her voice stayed low and even. The corners of her lips pressed together, forming a faint curve. She straightened gradually, shoulders lifting as her wings shifted slightly against her back. Her blue eyes fixed on him, steady and unblinking.
I'm really starting to hate her guts.
Ari's antennae angled forward sharply. His eyes narrowed, shoulders tensing as his jaw set.
"Now, out with it. If you have a reason for keeping us here, away from the other tunnel dwellers, it had better be worth my attention. Speak carefully."
Seraphina stepped closer, fingers brushing her hip as her stance tightened. Blue eyes locked onto his face, steady and sharp, lips pressed into a thin line.
Valeria pressed her back against the chamber wall, arms folded over her chest. Her eyes were closed, face calm and neutral. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, the soles of her armored feet thudding softly against the packed earth.
Ari shifted his weight forward slightly, hands brushing the edge of his mandible sheath as he fixed his gaze on the others. "Well… to get straight to the point, this meeting is about your guardian...Nytheris."
Ignatia's crimson eyes widened for a heartbeat, and she drew in a quick, shallow breath. Her shoulders relaxed, and her stance leveled. Her lips pressed into a neutral line, and her gaze returned to steady focus.
"I have definitive proof that he is working with Magnus. There is also reason to believe he may be in possession of the Moonveil Blossom."
"Is that so…? I have long suspected he was hiding something. I often questioned his loyalty; his actions never fully aligned with the Kaleidoscope."
Seraphina shifted slightly, wings folding neatly behind her back. A small, tight smile curved her lips. "Though...I would have never imagine that you'd be the one to uncover it, I admit… it surprises me."
A pause stretched as Valeria opened her eyes, lifting her head. "But tell me Ari—does this serve as proof enough that he truly betrayed them?"
Ari ruffled his hair, the motion brief and uneven. He let his hand fall back to his side. "Well… I'm not fully certain. That's why I called this meeting. I'll share everything I've gathered about him so far."
Silence settled over the chamber. The faint pulse of green light crept across the walls, then faded again. Ignatia lowered her gaze, fingers curling briefly before loosening at her sides.
When she looked up, her expression was composed, but something guarded lingered in her eyes. Seraphina did not move at first. Her smile had gone, lips resting in a flat line as she studied Ari's face, measuring.
Valeria remained against the wall, arms still folded. Her eyes stayed open now, fixed on the ground between them, unreadable.
Seraphina tilted her head slightly. "So you've been observing Nytheris quietly, while none of us even considered the possibility." A brief pause. "A discreet habit for a servant."
Ari's jaw tightened, brows drawing together as he met her gaze. "Stop calling me a servant."
Her gaze sharpened. "I can see why a soldier ant of her rank places such faith in your judgment." Her lips curved faintly as she looked toward Valeria. "Even if your strength does not match your conviction."
"I will admit… there have been moments when I questioned Nytheris's actions. I have known him for many years, and he has served me well throughout that time."
Ignatia's red eyes held steady, her jaw setting as her shoulders squared. "But the matter before us cannot be dismissed. What you have brought forward cannot be ignored—unless we are prepared to pay for that choice later."
"Then what do you propose? How do we determine whether he is truly a traitor?" Seraphina's antennae twitched, brushing against the edges of her orange and black wings.
"As mentioned before, Lieutenant Brooks returned from the southern burrows with a report. The centipedes were directing the earthworms out of their nest. But there is another possibility. The moths may have had a hand in it. If so, the burrow is apart of their plot."
Ari's antennae twitched, eyes remained steady, hands resting at his sides, mandibles sheathed. "My plan is to watch Nytheris during the meeting. If he moves or suggests something to divert our attention, we adjust and act accordingly."
"So you intend to risk the lives of my soldiers and the safety of the entire colony based solely on the possibility that Nytheris is a traitor?"
The weight of her armored feet shifts against the ground. Her lips remain pressed into a thin line as her gaze holds steady. Ari lowers his head. His antennae droop toward the soil, the tips twitching as he draws a breath.
"I am aware this is not an ideal strategy, and my certainty is not absolute. However, I cannot stay on stand by while the situation remains in their control. The truth will be clear soon."
He lifts his chin. His gaze meets hers, unblinking and focused. "You just have to put your trust in me."
The Outskirts of the Southern Burrows — Afternoon
The column of military ants and Butterfly guardians continues its march across the rugged terrain. Armored feet strike the dry earth in a steady, rhythmic cadence, sending fine plumes of dust upward.
Commander Valeria maintains her position at the front of the march. Her armored feet strike the earth with a heavy, consistent rhythm, leading the two hundred soldiers as they advance through the brush.
High above, Ignatia moves through the air with steady, controlled wingbeats. Her indigo wings catch the afternoon light, casting a rhythmic shadow over the ground. Her lips are pressed together, and her red eyes remain fixed on the horizon, unblinking.
Behind her, the twenty guardians maintain a tight formation. Their wings beat in unison, creating a low, persistent hum that carries over the sound of the marching ants.
Luminara remains suspended between her two guardians, her white wings held still as they guide her through the sky. The green cloth over her eyes remains undisturbed by the wind.
The march ends at the edge of a massive crater where gnarled roots break through the surface, sending clumps of soil tumbling into the depths. Valeria raises one hand, her palm flat and fingers extended.
The two hundred soldiers stop at once. The vibration of their armored feet ceases, leaving only the sound of dirt sliding against the crater walls. Her eyes angle downward, searching the dark opening for movement.
The Butterfly guardians descend from the air. Their wings swept the ground before folding tightly against their backs. The dust stirred by their landing settles onto their exoskeletons as they come to a rest beside the ant formation.
Ignatia lowers herself to one knee, the indigo plates of her leg scraping against the stone. She reaches into the soil, her fingers closing around a clump of dark, oily, dust residue. She lifts it toward the light, her red eyes narrowing as she turns the substance over in her palm.
"The evidence is undeniable... Ari's intuition was correct; the Moths are occupying this location."
She rubs the black grit between her thumb and forefinger. Valeria shifts her weight, her armored feet digging into the dirt as she faces the assembly. Her hand moves to her side, fingers tightening around the hilt of her mandible blade.
"Maintain a high level of vigilance and proceed with extreme caution. We are crossing the threshold into enemy territory; anticipate the unforeseen and engage without hesitation. Do not let fear dictate your movements. Have I made myself clear?"
She squares her shoulders, the purple plates of her exoskeleton catching the overhead light.
"Yes, Commander!"
The two hundred soldiers respond as one. Every ant soldier snaps their right arm upward, striking their forearm against their chest plate with a sharp, synchronized crack of chitin on armor.
They hold the position, their faces set in grim resolve, before returning their hands to the hilts of their sheathed mandibles.
It seems Ignatia made the right call to put her trust in Ari. Now we have an ally, Commander Valeria, strong enough to aid us against Magnus.
Luminara remains motionless, her white wings folded in a sharp, clean line against her back. The green cloth over her eyes stays perfectly level, but the corners of her lips lift into a faint, subtle smile.