The ant servants strained against the massive boulder, pushing it into place until it sealed the chamber entrance. The rumbling gradually subsided, leaving the chamber quiet. Pale light from the glowing fungi illuminated the elders seated in a semicircle before the queen.
Queen Celeste rested one hand on the armrest of her throne.
"Now then... your reports."
Garfield — Elder of Storage
"The food storage chambers are completely full, Your Majesty. The portions you requested have also been set aside."
Oswald — Elder of Harvesting
"As you're aware the winter harvest was completed a few days ago, Your Majesty. Our soldiers and workers have performed exceptionally well, and thanks to the assistance provided by Helena's colony, we've managed to gather everything ahead of schedule."
He adjusted his posture.
"I'd say we've made considerable progress compared to last year's harvest. We still have about three weeks before the first snowfall."
Edmund — Elder of the Worker Sector
Edmund folded his arms.
"Deputy Chief Worker Flint is currently overseeing excavation work in the western and eastern tunnels. Our objective is to complete the chambers, or at least establish their layouts, before the winter break."
Celeste nodded.
"How many workers are currently assigned to the excavation?"
"Approximately a thousand, Your Majesty. Although we've had to reassign a few workers to reinforce the outer walls and prevent snow from entering through the colony's various entrances."
Celeste tapped her fingers against the armrest.
"I see. Reinforcing the entrances takes priority. I want another hundred workers assigned to the task. The sooner they finish, the better. I won't have our workers exposed to unnecessary risks when winter arrives."
"Understood, Your Majesty."
"And the outskirts?" she asked.
Odette — Elder of Outskirts Patrol
"Patrol units stationed throughout the outskirts have reported no sightings of invading species. However, several have reported unusual underground tremors."
Celeste raised her gaze.
"Tremors?"
"Yes, Your grace. The first reports came from patrol units stationed near the western outskirts. However, we've since received similar reports from the northeastern and southern routes."
Oswald shifted in his seat.
"Could it be a sign of an approaching natural disaster?"
"That remains uncertain. We haven't been able to determine their source."
Celeste rested her chin against her hand.
"Then we'll need to investigate. I don't want an unknown threat endangering the colony when winter arrives. I'll personally select a group of soldiers to determine the source of these tremors."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Junon — Elder of the War Council and Soldier Deployment
Junon rose slowly from his seat.
"The soldiers deployed to the desert region have suffered heavy losses. Over fifty have been killed, and dozens more remain in the recovery chambers."
He stroked his beard before continuing.
"Yet everyone seems more interested in celebrating."
Queen Celeste closed her eyes.
"Wasn't it your initiative that led to those losses?"
Junon's hand stopped against his beard.
"Without seeking my authorization, you ordered those soldiers into the desert to retrieve the carcasses of ten sandworms."
Celeste opened her eyes and fixed her gaze on him.
"You sent them to their deaths."
"Your Majesty, I..."
"Sit down, Elder Junon."
Junon lowered himself into his seat, pressing both hands against the stone.
Elder Odette smiled.
"This is the best harvest I've seen in all my years, and we have young Ari to thank for it. Your Majesty, bringing him into our colony was a wise decision. He's given us so much already. He's helped create structures we never would have thought possible, established an alliance with Queen Helena, and saved us from rationing our food. Without his contributions, we might have faced starvation."
Junon clicked his tongue.
"Since when have we turned a blind eye to intruders? The last time I checked, he came from nowhere!"
The chamber fell silent.
"He builds tools we've never seen before. He fights with the skill of a seasoned soldier."
Junon leaned forward.
"And only days ago, he stood before this very throne and asked you to bend a custom that has protected us for generations."
His fingers tightened against the armrests.
"Half the colony follows him blindly, without even questioning where he comes from. Is no one else troubled by this?"
"Elder Junon..."
Fredrica raised both hands.
"I think you should calm down."
"I'm perfectly calm."
"Junon."
Celeste released a slow breath.
The elder turned towards her.
"Your concerns aren't entirely without merit. We still don't know where Ari came from, or why he possesses knowledge so far beyond our own."
She paused.
"However, there's something you seem to be overlooking."
Her gaze settled on Junon.
"He has bled for this colony. He's put his life on the line for us, and his actions have brought us opportunities we never had before."
Celeste straightened in her throne.
"I won't condemn him simply because we don't know his origins. I choose to trust him."
Tavian, standing beside the wall, tightened his grip on his stinger spear.
"This council is dismissed."
The elders rose from their seats and bowed before the queen. Junon remained seated until most of them had left. He finally stood and made his way towards the entrance.
Just before passing through, he stopped and glanced back at Celeste.
That outsider will bring about your downfall.
The boulder shifted into place, sealing the entrance.
The Wasteland Region — Dawn
A hooded figure walked through the remains of a burnt forest. Charred tree trunks stood scattered across the barren landscape, their branches stripped of leaves. The ground beneath his feet was dark and uneven.
He stopped beside a pool of green liquid bubbling on the ground.
Small bubbles rose to the surface before bursting. The liquid ate away at the surrounding soil, releasing thin wisps of steam.
The hooded figure glanced towards a cave ahead and began walking again.
He glanced to his side.
An arm shot towards him.
He immediately ducked as a stream of acid sprayed past his head. The liquid struck his hood of leaves, dissolving it within seconds.
He sprang backwards, avoiding the remaining droplets as they struck the ground. The acid sizzled against the rock, eating through its surface as thick steam rose into the air.
Golden eyes stared at him from the cave entrance.
The figure straightened, brushing away the remnants of his hood. A faint smile appeared on his face.
"That was quite the welcome, Corrosia. Termite Queen."
Corrosia tilted her head.
"...Oh?"
A faint smile crossed her face.
"You're quicker than you look."
Her golden eyes travelled over him, examining him from head to toe.
"How interesting."
"Another second, and you'd be nothing more than a puddle."
"I'm aware. But witnessing it in person is quite a terrifying experience."
Corrosia pressed her lips into a thin line.
"Now then, who sent you?"
Her fingers curled, and a thin stream of acid began dripping from her fingertips.
"Why would you assume someone sent me?"
"Too bad. It's time for you to die."
"Wait."
The ant raised one hand.
"Aren't you at least interested in why I'm here? Or how I managed to find you?"
Corrosia stared at him.
"Kukukuku..."
Her shoulders began to shake.
"Ahahahaha!"
She spread her fingers, sending droplets of acid falling from her fingertips.
"Die!"
A concentrated stream of acid shot towards him.
He twisted his upper body, allowing the liquid to pass just inches from his side. It struck a nearby tree, eating through the charred wood until the upper half broke away and crashed to the ground.
Corrosia immediately swung her other arm.
Several droplets of acid scattered through the air.
He pushed off the ground and leapt backwards. The droplets struck the soil where he had been standing, leaving small, smoking holes behind.
Talking to her is pointless. There's no doubt about it. She's the very embodiment of destruction.
He bent his knees and launched himself into the air.
The acid passed beneath him.
His feet struck the cave ceiling, gripping the uneven stone. He drew his stinger spear and held it at his side.
Veins surfaced along the edges of his eyelids. His brown eyes gradually changed to a deep purple.
Corrosia looked up.
Aixen vanished.
A moment later, the tip of his stinger spear pressed against her throat. Its sharp point pierced her skin, drawing a thin line of blood down her neck.
"Now then. Are you going to listen to what I have to say, or would you rather end up like your colony?"
His eyelids lowered slightly, his expression remaining composed.
Corrosia stood motionless for several seconds.
Then she burst into laughter.
"How amusing!"
Her golden eyes shifted towards the spear at her throat.
"Now I see. That power you just displayed... it isn't your own, is it? Someone else gave you that power."
Corrosia slowly lowered her hands.
"You have my attention, ant. Now, what could you possibly want with me?"
Aixen withdrew his stinger spear and returned it to its sheath.
"It's quite simple."
He stepped around her and extended his hand.
"I want you to join me. Without your strength, my ambitions will remain nothing more than distant possibilities."
Corrosia glanced at his outstretched hand.
"And what makes you think I wouldn't simply kill you and be done with it?"
"Allow me to explain. If that had been your intention, I'd already be dead."
He paused briefly.
"I see considerable potential in you, Corrosia. Yet here you are, wasting those abilities away in a cave in the middle of the Wasteland Region."
He paused.
"You have the power to seize this entire region from the Locusts. I've seen what you're capable of. You've slaughtered hundreds of them since coming here. And yet, you've spent all this time hiding away in this cave, all because those ants destroyed your colony."
Aixen held her golden gaze.
"Tell me... Is this really how you intend to spend the rest of your life?"
He lowered his hand slightly.
"Lend me your power, and I'll make it worth your while. In return, you'll have plenty of opportunities to quench that bloodlust of yours.
Corrosia burst into laughter, bending forward as she wrapped her arms around her stomach.
"Ahahahaha! You ants never cease to amuse me. First, the one I impaled, and now you. You speak as though you know the first thing about me."
She straightened and rested one hand on her hip.
"Well, I'll humor you. I'm curious to see where this goes."
"Now then, what's your name?"
"It's Aixen."
Ari made his way through the quarry.
He moved around workers carrying resin baskets filled with stone and others rolling cylindrical structures along the tunnels.
"Sorry about that," he said as he passed them.
Further inside, the workers continued chipping away at the ground. Their pickaxes struck the stone with steady thuds, sending small fragments scattering across the floor.
Ari cupped one hand around his mouth.
"Evelyn!"
A few workers turned towards him.
Evelyn wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked up. Her eyes widened slightly.
"Ari!"
She set down her pickaxe and hurried over.
Nearby, one of the female workers nudged another, a smile spreading across her face.
"Isn't that the soldier you keep talking about?"
The other worker giggled.
"So that's him!"
Evelyn froze and turned towards them.
"W-What are you talking about?!"
"Come on, Evelyn. You don't have to hide it from us."
"That's right. You've mentioned him more than a few times."
"Stop making things up!"
Her cheeks turned red as she waved her hands at them.
"Now, get back to work! All of you!"
The workers burst into laughter.
Ari blinked, looking between them.
"Is something wrong?"
Evelyn shook her head.
"No... Nothing at all."
"Good."
Ari held up a berry and a small container of water.
"Here. I thought you might be thirsty."
Evelyn reached out and took the berry and container of water from him.
"You didn't have to."
They found a nearby rock and sat down.
"You seem to be working pretty hard," Ari said.
Evelyn took a bite of the berry.
"Of course I am. The boss expects all of us to meet our quotas before winter, and that's less than a month away."
She swallowed before stretching her arms above her head.
"Besides, we'll mostly be on break by then, so we have to get as much done as we can now."
Ari glanced at her face.
Dust clung to her cheeks, and thick calluses covered her hands. Even after sitting down, she seemed to have trouble keeping still.
He lowered his gaze for a moment.
"Evelyn..."
"Hm?"
"Are you sure you're happy doing all this?"
"What do you mean?"
"Isn't this pretty much the same as when you were a prisoner?"
Evelyn reached over and flicked one of his antennae.
He flinched and looked at her.
"You worry too much, Ari."
"But..."
"This is completely different from being a prisoner. I get more food, and my grandpa can finally relax in his chamber instead of having to work himself to exhaustion every day."
She smiled and took another bite of her berry.
"And I've met some really good ants here, too. Everyone has their own stories, and I've gotten to know so many of them. Honestly, I don't feel alone anymore. I feel like I genuinely belong in this colony."
"Evelyn..."
"Plus, I get to go outside during my breaks, and I even have time off. What else could I possibly want?"
She lifted the container and took a sip of water before looking back at him.
"Listen, Ari. I never wanted a life where I could just sit around doing nothing because I was free. Everyone has a role to play in this colony. Even you."
Her arms dropped to her sides.
"Although..."
She let out a long groan and rolled her shoulders.
"Sometimes, it really is exhausting. There are days when I just want to throw my tools down and call it quits."
She glanced towards the workers before looking back at Ari.
"But I can't take everything I've been given for granted. I have people I care about here, and I want to do my part."
Ari smiled.
"I see."
He picked up a nearby leaf and gently brushed a patch of dust from her cheek.
"Hey!"
Evelyn jerked her head away and swatted at his hand.
"Stop treating me like a kid!"
"I'm not. You just... had some dirt on your face."
"Honestly..."
She turned away, folding her arms.
"Hmph!"
A moment later, she got to her feet and clasped her hands behind her back. She glanced over her shoulder.
"Thank you... for taking the time to come see me."
Her fingers shifted behind her back.
She closed her eyes, and a small smile crossed her face.
"It means more to me than you'll ever know."
Ari looked up at her.
"Well, I wanted to see how you were doing."
Evelyn's lips parted, her teeth showing as her smile widened.
"Then... you should come visit more often."