Zza didn't move for a long time.
Her claws stayed pressed into the dirt where Buzz had stood. The earth was warm. Still humming. Still holding the shape of him, like the world hadn't realized he was gone yet.
The coalition formed a loose circle around her. No one spoke. The Scarabs held their claws against their chests. The Centipedes coiled like mourning bands. Glowbeetles dimmed themselves almost black. Even the Elder's silk sagged, slack with grief.
The newborn Queen stood very still.
Her wings were lowered. Her mandibles parted just slightly, like she had something to say but didn't remember how to form it. She stared at the empty space where Buzz had been, eyes shaking.
Zza lifted her head.
No tears. Just a hollow so deep it scraped bone.
"You took him," she whispered.
The newborn didn't respond.
Zza rose, slow and deliberate. Silk dragged behind her, catching leaves and twigs. She didn't bother untangling it. Her claws curled, knuckles white.
