Chapter 8: "Ashes of the Fallen – Shrey vs. The Queen"
The wind was silent, yet heavy. The battlefield was stained with the blood of the brave, scorched with K-Energy burns and claw marks. Above the shattered remains of Shrey's hometown, the Queen Bee stood—towering, monstrous, her massive wings spread like the shadow of death itself.
And Shrey floated.
Eyes glowing—one red, one golden. His hair danced in the air as if the universe had stopped to mourn. Half his body burned in molten crimson, the other wrapped in luminous golden light. His transformation wasn't beautiful.
It was heartbreaking.
His voice was barely a whisper.
"…You killed them all."
The Queen tilted her head. She didn't speak, but her buzz—ancient, hateful—echoed like a funeral dirge.
Shrey looked down.
Maya, lifeless.
Rohan, arm outstretched, as if still protecting someone.
Yash… still warm when he fell.
Arjun. Mayra. Isha. Kabir. Gone.
His body trembled. Not from fear—but from something deeper.
Shrey blinked.
"You shouldn't have done that."
The sky roared.
And he vanished.
—BOOM!—
A crater exploded beneath the Queen as Shrey struck her with blinding speed, sending her crashing through ten buildings. Rubble rained as his aura surged. His friends' faces flickered in his mind. Every memory sharpened his resolve like a blade.
He dashed again—faster this time—each movement bending reality around him. His fist met her thorax. A wave of K-Energy erupted, splitting the earth beneath.
But she retaliated.
A single shriek, and hundreds of micro-bees emerged from her crown. They swarmed him like a black cloud. Shrey gritted his teeth, spinning mid-air, unleashing a red-gold spiral that vaporized them.
Still—her claw found his chest.
Slash.
He fell. Blood sprayed across the dirt. But before hitting the ground—he flipped, legs surging with raw energy, and launched back toward her.
His fist met her face—crack.
Her jaw shattered.
Flashback — Shrey, Age 8
"Dad, do bees feel pain?"
"Even if they don't… you should never hurt anything for fun."
"...Okay."
Now —
Tears slid down his cheeks.
"I'm not doing this for fun."
He raised both palms. Golden sigils flared to life, and he poured everything into a final attack. His body cracked, burning from within.
"FOR THEM!"
The beam of energy exploded into the Queen's chest. For a moment—just a moment—she screamed in agony. Her wings caught fire. Her limbs crumbled.
Then silence.
Shrey dropped to his knees, panting. His arms… were gone. Just stumps of charred light. His vision blurred.
He smiled.
"I did it… guys…"
But behind him—the Queen stood.
Her body mangled. Face torn. One wing gone. But her stinger still intact.
With a flash—
She pierced him.
Straight through the chest.
Shrey gasped.
The light in his eyes flickered.
"No… not yet…"
He reached toward the sky.
Toward nothing.
And fell.
---
Elsewhere — Captain Jacks
Jacks, standing amidst the wreckage, turned sharply.
He felt it.
Shrey's K-Energy… was gone.
A moment of silence passed. Then…
"He's down." Dr. Jain's voice came through the communicator, barely holding back his breath.
Kim, lying injured, whispered from afar. "No…"
Captain Jacks exhaled, removing his coat. His eyes were sharper now. Darker. The air shifted around him.
"…Let's end this."
---
To be continued in Chapter 9: "Legends Fall"