The Queen's silence cracked. Not broken, not undone—but strained. Her wings flared wide, golden light pouring across the field like fire. The glow swallowed the canopy, drowned the drums, choked the silk threads, and pressed against every chest until breathing felt like betrayal.
Scarabs collapsed to the dirt, claws limp against broken drums. Centipedes writhed apart, their coils unraveling under the weight. Glowbeetles dropped from the air one by one, their lights winking out as the golden glare smothered them.
Buzz staggered forward, his knees sinking into the soil. His claws trembled, his vision blurred. He wanted to stand tall, to look unbroken, but his body refused.
Zza grabbed his arm, pulling him upright with silk that snapped the moment it tightened. Her voice broke against his ear. "Don't let her end us here. Please."
"I'm trying," he rasped, dragging in one more breath. "I just don't know if—"
