In the colony's grand meeting chamber, Queen Celeste sat upon her elevated throne, her dark eyes steady and attentive.
The semicircle of elder ants shifted where they stood, their quiet murmurs rising and falling in the warm, earthen air.
Moisture clung faintly to the walls, carrying the deep scent of the lower tunnels.
To her right stood Lieutenant Tavian and Sergeant Samuel, both upright and composed.
To her left, Princess Tanya sat with her shoulders drawn in, antennae angled uneasily.
Her wings fluttered behind her in small, restless motions, unable to hide her discomfort.
Lily and her squad stepped forward and bowed in unison, their antennae dipping low.
Rory, Isla, and the three corporals followed her lead, exoskeletons shifting softly as they lowered themselves with disciplined precision.
"Your report, Corporal Lily."
Valeria's posture stayed composed, her antennae held in a steady line.
"I'm on it, Commander."
Lily lifted her head with a faint, teasing grin, her antennae flicking in a quick playful twitch.
"Queen Celly. The mission was a success."
Lily stepped forward.
The dim light from the moss patches along the walls reflected faintly across her exoskeleton.
"I was assigned as squad captain by Commander Valeria to explore the northern craters."
Her tone stayed a little too relaxed for the meeting, and several elders murmured at the casual sound of her voice.
"Our main objective was to eliminate and stop the earthworms and any creepy-crawlies trying their luck from digging toward the colony."
She closed her eyes with a satisfied expression and paced slowly, her hands resting behind her head as her footsteps tapped against the dirt packed floors.
Commander Valeria cleared her throat with a hand covering her mouth.
"Ah—right, sorry."
Lily pulled herself upright in a quick motion and centered her posture again.
"We found and killed thirty-seven earthworms in the underground tunnels. Seventeen of the carcasses can be retrieved safely. The rest are on unstable soil, and removing them may cause parts of the crater tunnels to collapse if the workers attempt to move them."
She let out a short breath and tilted her head toward Isla with a playful smile.
"Everyone in my unit made it back unharmed. Just a tiny bit tired… right, Isla?"
"R-right…"
Isla gave a hesitant nod, her hands drawing close to her sides.
"Your report has been received. Excellent work, Lily. You are dismissed."
Valeria lowered her arms to her sides, the dim moss-light tracing along her exoskeleton as she shifted her stance.
"That's good news. So the major cause of the craters has finally been put to a stop."
"You have done well, and it seems Tavian's advice will secure our food supply for winter."
Celeste shifted her attention toward Tavian. He gave a steady nod.
"Well, you know Tavian, Your Majesty. He's a wise ant."
Lily smiled at him, shoulders loosening in a relaxed way.
Tavian returned the smile without altering his calm posture.
"I almost forgot. Where's my praise, Valeria? I followed your order to the letter."
Lily leaned forward a little, eyes bright with mischief.
"That's Commander to you. And as I said— you're dismissed. Go get some rest."
Valeria's arms settled firmly across her chest as her gaze sharpened.
"You're no fun."
Lily turned with a small shift in her stance, one hand lifting toward the back of her head as she walked away.
"She really is a handful."
Isla released a quiet sigh, her shoulders lowering as the air left her chest.
"Yeah…"
Rory's gaze stayed forward for a moment, his voice tightening.
"But she's strong when she focuses."
His fingers curled into a firm fist beside his leg.
The difference between us is huge… and she isn't even near the top of the military.
Rory tightened his fist again, the motion steady and controlled as determination settled into his expression.
I need to work harder. I have to get stronger.
On her way toward the entrance of the meeting room, Lily came to a stop.
She turned as Beatrice approached with her squad, their steps steady as they moved past the boulder.
"Looks like I beat you to it, Beatrice."
A teasing smirk lifted on Lily's face.
Beatrice continued forward without slowing, her gaze fixed ahead as she walked past.
Lily's antennae lowered as her smile faded, worry creeping across her face while she watched Beatrice's retreating back.
She looks even more grumpy than usual… I wonder what happened.
As Rory and Isla walked past Beatrice's squad, the faint scrape of their steps echoed along the tunnels.
Rory turned sharply, antennae lifting in sudden shock.
Wait… where is Ari…?
The soldier at the entrance braced both hands against the rough surface of the boulder and pushed, a low grind filling the corridor as the stone slid into place and sealed the room behind them.
Princess Tanya slouched in the stone chair beside the queen, a slow yawn slipping out as she stretched.
She rubbed at her eyes, wings giving a faint flutter as she tried to stay awake.
Queen Celeste turned her head slightly toward her.
"Tanya, how do you find these summits so far?"
Tanya jerked upright, her antennae flicking in surprise, the sudden movement nearly tipping her from the chair.
She steadied herself quickly, hands on her chest as her breathing settled.
"If I'm being honest… I'm tired."
Her shoulders lowered a little, but a small spark lifted her expression.
"But the things they speak about—stories from outside the colony's tunnels…"
Her fingers brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, antennae giving a gentle lift.
"They're things I've never seen. So when I think about it that way…"
A warm smile formed on her lips.
Queen Celeste shifted slightly on her throne, the carved stone giving a faint scrape beneath her.
Her antennae lifted with a calm, steady motion.
"I see. As the future queen of the colony, you will bear the burden of remembering it all—every report, every record."
Tanya exhaled softly, her shoulders lowering as the weight of the words settled in.
"When you put it that way… it's a lot of work."
Her antennae drooped toward her cheeks.
Beatrice bowed with controlled formality, Quinn and the lance corporals lowering themselves a breath later.
Nova, standing at the back of the group, dipped into her bow with jittery movements, her footing slipping as she nearly tipped forward.
So this group made it back as well… that's good.
Tanya's antennae lifted slightly as she watched them.
She froze, her fingers tightening against the armrest.
Wait… didn't Ari go on the mission with them?
Her gaze swept the group quickly.
Where is he?
Her breath hitched.
"Don't tell me…"
The whisper slipped out as her eyes widened, hands rising to cover her mouth while a tight pressure gathered in her chest.
Valeria stepped out from the corner of the chamber, the dim light catching along her exoskeleton.
"Your report, Beatrice."
"Right…"
Beatrice steadied her breathing.
"Our mission was to explore a crater in the southern outskirts of the forest and exterminate the earthworms causing the disturbance."
Her eyes lifted briefly.
Sergeant Samuel stood off to the side, arms folded as he watched her.
The sight tightened her chest; her fingers trembled for a moment before she forced them still.
She drew in a slow breath, posture firming as she regained control of herself.
"Everything went well. We were able to locate the earthworms—they were asleep at the time."
She paused, her gaze drifting back to Nora, who quickly looked away, her body trembling slightly.
If the queen learns what I did… I'll never advance to a higher rank.
Nova's breath tightened, the motion catching high in her chest.
Her antennae twitched in uneven pulses, dipping toward her cheeks before rising again.
Reckless again. I brought this on myself.
She kept her gaze lowered, fingers closing together to hide the faint shake.
I'll learn from it. I have to… right, Ari?
"We encountered a centipede in the tunnels. Specifically one from the Lithobius forficatus species."
Beatrice's fingers curled lightly against her thigh before she eased them open again, a controlled breath leaving her as she steadied her posture.
Nova turned toward Beatrice, eyes widening before a long breath slipped out of her.
"Thank you… Corporal Beatrice."
Her shoulders loosened as the tension she'd been holding finally eased.
"I see. So you believe they're the reason the earthworms migrated from their burrow?"
Elder Junon straightened slightly, hands folding behind his back as his gaze narrowed with a quiet focus.
"Yes, that was our conclusion. We originally thought the earthworms were moving toward our colony's location for warmer underground conditions. But it appears they were fleeing because the centipede was hunting them as a food source."
Beatrice paused, her jaw tightening briefly before she eased her breath.
"Once we confirmed that, we rallied and eliminated it before it could cause further damage or collapse the tunnels. But…"
Her eyes shifted toward her squad, the faint tension in her shoulders betraying the memory.
"As you can see, we sustained a few minor injuries. We also dealt with the earthworms — nineteen in total, with only eight suitable for retrieval."
Her fingers brushed lightly against the side of her thigh, steadying herself.
"We checked the entire crater and all connected tunnels for hidden passages. That area is now secured."
"Excellent work, Corporal Beatrice. You led your squad well and acted quickly to neutralize the threat."
Queen Celeste adjusted her posture in the stone seat, one hand resting lightly on the armrest as she regarded Beatrice with a steady, approving focus.
"Your praise is appreciated, my queen."
Beatrice lowered into a bow, her movements controlled and precise, chin dipping toward her chest in a firm show of respect.
"And what of Ari?"
Valeria folded her arms, the motion firm and deliberate as her attention fixed on Beatrice.
Tanya's eyes widened.
Her wings fluttered in short, restless pulses behind her, and her hands pressed against her chest as she leaned forward slightly.
Beatrice hesitated.
Her head lowered, breath tightening before she forced it steady.
"After we completed the mission… he was injured. On the way back, he suddenly broke away from us, and we… lost track of him."
Valeria's eyes closed as she drew in a slow, controlled breath.
When she exhaled, her brow tightened with a restrained frustration.
"Looks like he finally lost it… though I never expected that from him."
"I knew it was a bad idea to allow that conniving ant into our colony."
Elder Junon's voice sharpened as he stepped forward, his jaw tightening, the muscles along his neck shifting with restrained anger.
"What if he used the opportunity to run back to his original colony and leak information about our military strength and supplies?"
A low ripple moved through the elders' section as several leaned toward one another, murmuring in agreement, their antennae dipping and lifting in short, unsettled motions.
"I do not share that belief, Elder Junon."
Queen Celeste leaned forward slightly, fingers resting against the edge of her stone seat.
"Ari has shown his worth time and time again. Through his guidance, we have avoided conflict with other species, and on the battlefield his insight has spared many lives."
Her gaze stayed steady, her voice carrying a calm authority that settled over the hall.
"Forgive my interruption, Your Highness."
Tavian stepped forward from her side, one hand settling on the hilt of his sheathed mandible blade.
His stance held a restrained sharpness.
"I must agree with Elder Junon. We know nothing of this ant's origins, nor what intentions may have guided his proposal."
His eyes thinned with cautious thought.
"We cannot dismiss that possibility… should he return alive."
Valeria turned on her heel, the movement sharp and controlled.
"My soldiers have delivered their reports. We will take our leave."
She lowered into a bow, one arm crossing her chest in a disciplined gesture before she straightened again.
"Beatrice. Come with me."
Valeria's voice carried a firm weight as she stepped forward without slowing.
Beatrice straightened, her hands closing briefly at her sides before she followed.
"Um… yes, Commander."