Ari and Lily moved cautiously through the twisting lower tunnels, their footsteps muffled by the damp earth beneath them. The air here was heavy and still, thick with moisture that clung to their skin. The faint, earthy scent of soil mixed with the musk of fungus, pressing in from all sides.
Pale glows from patches of bioluminescent fungi dotted the walls, casting a faint, wavering light. Each step made their shadows ripple along the curved walls like restless shapes that trailed after them.
A soft sigh escaped Lily's lips. Ari caught it and glanced at her, concern flickering briefly in his eyes.
"Something on your mind?" His voice was calm but edged with curiosity.
Lily's antennae twitched nervously as she kept her eyes forward. Her steps slowed slightly.
"I just remembered someone I really don't want to run into again…" she said in a low, tense tone. "Orsena. Down here… it's almost certain I'll encounter her."
Ari's brow lifted. "Orsena?"
"She was my mentor… back when I was still learning the duties of a worker ant. Strict… and emotional. Never cared about your personal feelings—only about the role you were meant to fulfill." Her tone wavered between bitterness and unease.
Ari watched her out of the corner of his eye, noting the hesitation in her stride.
"When I started training under her," Lily continued, "I was… a mess. Completely broken. The world around me meant nothing. Life had no meaning. nothing. I kept everyone at a distance, stayed silent. I thought I could vanish into that emptiness and no one would care." She exhaled sharply. But she… she wouldn't leave me alone."
Her mouth tightened. "She noticed. Of course she did. I was emotionless back then… numb to everything. She'd drag me into these long talks about 'connection' and 'moving forward.' Then—" her antennae flicked irritably "—she'd hum lullabies to try to cheer me up. Loudly. Off-key."
Ari let out a faint chuckle. "Sounds… comforting?"
Lily gave a small groan. "I wanted to disappear, but she wouldn't let me be. She had to dig into my past, into my situation…"
Her voice trailed off, but Ari could see her gaze wasn't on the tunnel anymore. It was somewhere far behind her… somewhere years ago.
A small training chamber, lit only by a single dim glow-moss lamp. Lily sat curled in the corner, her knees drawn close, her gaze empty and fixed on nothing.
"Lily," Orsena's voice called, firm yet lacking any softness. She stepped closer, her antennae swaying slightly as she studied the younger ant.
"I heard about what happened to your parents," Orsena said. Her voice softened slightly, but the steel in it remained. "I'm sorry for your loss. I can see it's taken its toll on you. Three years… and you've barely spoken or opened up to anyone."
Lily didn't respond.
Orsena crouched down until her eyes were level with hers. "This isn't what your parents would have wanted for you. They'd want you to live. To be happy. If you can't get over it—" her gaze sharpened "—then you only have one choice. Defeat the cause of your despair. And move forward."
The dim glow of the tunnel walls returned as the memory slipped away, but the weight of Orsena's words stayed heavy in her chest.
"Those were her exact words," she muttered, almost to herself.
Her pace picked up slightly. "And they're what led me here… sneaking into military training, becoming a soldier, joining the raid on Hopper's fortress. At first, it was all for revenge — to avenge my parents, to kill Gianna." Her gaze softened as she looked ahead into the dim tunnel. "But along the way… I realized it wasn't just that. I wanted to protect the colony. To make sure no one else would have to go through what I did. And… to finally let go of this weight I'd been carrying."
She turned her head toward Ari, her eyes steady and her voice unwavering.
"And you were the one who gave me that push. Charging at Hopper as just a lowly Lance Corporal… without fear, knowing full well you couldn't win… then you were prepared to storm the fortress alone to rescue Princess Tanya… If you hadn't done that, I wouldn't be standing here now."
Ari slowed his steps, surprise flickering in his eyes. "…Lily…"
Her smile was calm and unshaken, her shoulders no longer carrying the tension they once did. "It was a rough time for me back then. But now… I'm really fine. I've left it behind me. Don't worry."
Ari's gaze lingered on her face, searching for something behind that smile. Inside, his chest felt heavy.
I had no idea Lily went through all that…
But… I understand her pain more than she realizes.
Ari's gaze dropped for a moment as the memories pressed in. "When I was human… I lost my mother. I loved her more than anything. After that, I fell into despair… hatred. I lashed out at ant colonies… at Keiko — the only one who ever tried to understand me. But unlike me… she still had a ray of hope in her life."
His hand curled briefly into a fist at his side before relaxing. He looked straight at Lily. "Lily… you're strong. Stronger than I ever was."
The words lingered in the damp air. Neither of them spoke for several steps. The tunnel ahead curved sharply to the right, the glow of the fungi fading until it was just a faint shimmer behind them.
They turned the bend together, their footsteps echoing softly through the silence.
The sound of dull thuds echoed through the narrow tunnel—the steady rhythm of pickaxes biting into packed earth. Isabella tightened her grip and swung hers with all the strength her arms could muster. The dirt barely gave way. Her strikes were weak, but that didn't matter. She wasn't digging to help. She was digging to look busy.
Warm air clung to her exoskeleton, humid and stale. Dust drifted in every time she moved, sticking between her joints and making her arms itch. Sweat trickled behind her neck segment. Her breathing grew shallow. Her hands trembled again, and she stopped swinging.
Then—voices.
Low murmurs trickled in from near the tunnel entrance. Her antennae twitched at the sound. They weren't just talking—there was laughter, hushed and sharp. One word pricked her ears.
"Did they just say... princess?" she whispered.
Her chest tightened. Her fingers curled around the handle of her pickaxe. She stole a glance toward the tunnel entrance. A small group of slightly older ants—maybe a year or two her senior—stood there. Their postures were relaxed, almost bored, but they were watching. Whispering.
She took a step toward them, heart racing. Her legs moved slow, uncertain. She didn't even notice her pickaxe slipping from her hands. It clattered softly onto the tunnel floor.
As she neared the entrance, three figures shifted to block her path.
All three stood tall—trainees from the Warden Nurturing Sector. Their bodies were a little more developed, their frames sturdier.
Each wore the faint mark on their shoulders: an early sign of Warden designation.
Her breath caught in her throat. Her fingers trembled, twisting nervously.
"Um." Her voice was soft, barely audible, and she quickly looked away, fiddling with the tips of her fingers.
"Well, well," one sneered, folding his arms. "Look who suddenly wants to act all brave."
His tone was heavy with mockery.
"Aren't you supposed to be a soldier? So why're you swinging a pickaxe with the dirt diggers?" another sneered.
"She couldn't handle it. Ran away the second things got tough," the third sneered. "Coward. "You might've been born for war, but you've got a worker's guts. Spineless."
Isabella froze. The words hit deep, slicing through her resolve. Her head dropped, gaze fixed on the dirt beneath her feet. She didn't answer.
Her breathing quickened, uneven and shallow. Her antennae twitched nervously. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, blurring her vision.
Her hands shook uncontrollably. Her knees bent slightly as if her body wanted to disappear.
Suddenly, a sharp voice cut through the tension.
"Hey! That's enough!"
Isabella's head snapped up. Her fingers twitched at her sides, and she turned toward the sound, eyes wide. Her lips parted like she meant to speak, but no sound came. One hand lifted slightly before falling back to her side.
Edwin stepped forward, his dusty pickaxe clattering loudly onto the tunnel floor. The sound echoed sharply in the narrow space, drawing a few curious glances.
"Move," he said, voice steady but with a slight tremor beneath the surface. "Let her go."
He squared his shoulders and fixed the three with a hard stare.
"You were all born as military ants too, right? But you chose to become Wardens instead. Doesn't that make you cowards as well?"
The three turned slowly, surprise flickering across their faces before their smug expressions returned.
The tallest smirked, arms still crossed. "What're you gonna do, Edwin? Dig us into the ground?"
The second laughed, voice dripping with scorn. "Can't even hold a pickaxe properly, and now you wanna be some kind of hero?"
The third scoffed, "Last I heard, you were caught sneaking into military drills. What's a pathetic tunnel digger like you thinking?"
All three burst into cruel laughter, the sound bouncing off the stone walls.
Edwin's hands curled into tight fists. His lean frame was smaller, less bulked than theirs. But inside, something fierce stirred—rage or shame, he wasn't sure.
He stepped forward, the dirt floor crunching softly beneath his feet.
With sudden force, he swung a punch, connecting solidly with the nearest ant's torso.
The impact thudded dully, hardly making the bigger ant flinch.
His amused expression shifted into a cold glare. He took a step back, then slowly unsheathed his mandibles with a sharp click that echoed in the quiet tunnel.
"You'll regret that," he said, voice low and dangerous, a cruel smile creeping across his face.
Edwin's chest tightened. Can I win against him? Fear flickered in his mind.
His breath hitched as he hesitated, muscles tensing. Slowly, he reached to his sides and opened his own mandibles. They were shorter, less menacing—made for digging and climbing, not fighting.
Sweat slicked his palms. His breath came in shallow pants. His legs shifted, ready to move.
The larger ant lunged.
Edwin barely dodged the sharp snap of mandibles, the blade-like edge grazing the air next to his side.
He stumbled back, cornered against the rough wall. His heartbeat thundered in his ears.
"Don't worry, tunnel digger. I'll make sure you don't forget this. Every time you move, the scar I'll give you will remind you where you belong.The warden trainee smirked, eyes gleaming with malice, then struck again.
Edwin closed his eyes, bracing for the inevitable sting of mandibles—sharp, hard, and unyielding.
But the impact never came.