Ari stood before the towering chamber boulder, the queen's servants moved the boulder, it groaned.
Ari stepped in slowly.
The air was cool and faintly damp, carrying the scent of mineral dust.
All eyes turned as he reached closer.
At the far end sat Queen Celeste.
Ari stepped forward, bent one knee, and bowed his head.
"Your Majesty," he began. "I have a request."
Queen Celeste studied him for a moment.
"Speak."
Ari drew in a slow breath and straightened.
"I'm asking that the young ants in the lower tunnels be allowed to come to the surface. Just once."
The chamber fell silent.
The faint crackle of the glowing fungi overhead seemed louder than before.
"Do you understand why things are the way they are now?" Celeste asked.
"I do..." Ari said quietly, lowering his gaze.
"But even so I think they deserve to see the world above. Even if it's only for a little while."
He lifted his head.
Elder Junon stepped forward.
"This is ridiculous."
His voice echoed through the chamber.
"They're kept in the depths for their own safety. The surface is dangerous. You were part of the expedition force. If anyone should understand that, it's you."
Another elder scoffed.
"And now you're asking us to ignore generations of wisdom? The laws exist for a reason."
Ari's antennae twitched.
They're right...
His gaze drifted toward the floor.
But I know what it's like.
To be cut off.
To feel alone.
To lose touch with everything around you.
A memory surfaced before he could stop it.
A modern apartment.
The faint hum of the refrigerator.
A note sitting on the kitchen counter where his father should have been.
Then another memory followed.
A classroom.
The smell of chalk dust lingered in the air.
Keiko stared at him with wide eyes.
"This is all your fault! If I... if I hadn't been so close to you, I wouldn't be getting beaten up by every guy you've ever rejected! Just like back in junior high!"
Her hand pressed against her chest.
"So... the people who did this to you were..."
"It doesn't matter anymore."
His own voice sounded bitter even in the memory.
"You always knew how I felt about you. But you kept dragging me along like I was some pet."
"Ari..." she whispered.
She took a hesitant step forward.
He turned away and closed his eyes.
"Just stay away from me. I mean it. I don't want anything to do with you anymore."
"Ari... that's not what I meant..." Keiko murmured.
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
She wiped them away once with her sleeve before turning and running from the classroom.
The memory faded.
Ari slowly exhaled.
"You're right...The surface is dangerous.But...keeping them down there their whole lives isn't the answer either."
His voice remained calm.
"Isolation only creates ignorance. One day they're going to have to face the world above. The dangers. The risks. Everything."
An elder near the back folded his arms.
"Some of our finest soldiers and workers came from those tunnels. They turned out perfectly fine."
A murmur spread through the chamber.
Queen Celeste remained silent.
Her gaze swept across the gathered elders before returning to Ari.
"Ari. Our laws were created to ensure the survival of the colony."
She rested her hands on the armrest.
"Many years ago, a catastrophe struck. Young ants ventured to the surface and were taken by creatures that saw them as easy prey."
Celeste's expression remained steady.
"To prevent that from happening again, we chose to protect our children in the depths until they come of age."
Celeste exhaled slowly.
"I cannot grant that request."
Ari stood still.
So that's your answer...
He lowered his head.
"Then..."
His voice softened.
"Could I at least visit them?"
"That, I will allow." Celeste said.
Ari blinked.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
He bowed once more.
Then he turned and headed for the exit.
His footsteps echoed softly through the chamber.
Whispers followed him across the hall.
The elders began murmuring among themselves as he walked away.
---
The tunnels leading to the depths went further down into the ground.
Ari descended carefully, carrying a large sack made of woven leaves and dried sticks over his back.
The deeper he went, the quieter it became, until he finally reached the area.
Bioluminescent fungi barely lit the walls, glowing faintly.
Rows of gleaming eyes blinked at him.
They shifted uneasily in their makeshift beds, antennae flicking at the sight of an unfamiliar figure.
"Who is that?" a small ant asked.
"I don't know," a slightly older one responded, hands shaking.
This place is strange… almost like a labyrinth from a video game, Ari thought.
Though the light is weak, I can still make out the faint design of the chamber, a vast space branching into three separate tunnels, each leading deeper down.
Ari took a step forward.
He raised a hand in greeting.
"Hello there."
Silence.
A few ants whispered to one another, but no one stepped forward.
Well… I guess I should have expected that type of reaction...
Ari scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
After a long pause, a single young ant stepped forward, her small frame trembling.
She was slightly smaller than a typical worker.
"My name is Isabella," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "Why are you here? You're not a nurturer, are you?"
"Well...I came to entertain you all."
The ants exchanged puzzled glances.
Wait isn't it that ant that was with Valeria earlier today, what's he doing here? Edwin thought.
He then turned his back and sank in his bed.
Its not like I care what he has to say.
Ari lowered himself to the ground, setting the sack beside him.
He then took two sticks and started rubbing them together.
Slowly smoke came and flames flickered.
They stared in awe as he lit the sack.
"Whoa...it so bright," a young ant said with a chuckle.
"I'm Ari, a Lance Corporal," he began, "I'm here to tell you my story, my various adventures on the surface."
"What? Really..."
"The surface!"
Slowly, hesitantly, they gathered around him, forming a small circle.
Isabella slowly walked closer and sat beside Ari.
Though Edwin didn't budge.
Ari smirked.
"Not too long ago, I fought against a swarm of flies."
At that, the young ants gasped.
"Flies? But I heard that they're fast!" one of them exclaimed.
Ari nodded.
"That's right. And not just any flies these ones were huge, with four arms, and they could punch faster than the eye could see."
He mimicked throwing quick jabs into the air, making some of them giggle.
"We were surrounded, outnumbered, and they were coming at me from all directions. But I didn't panic."
He leaned forward, lowering his voice to a dramatic whisper.
"I dodged, weaved through their attacks, and then slash!"
He swung an imaginary blade.
"I took down the first one before it even knew what hit it."
The young ants cheered.
"That's so cool!" one shouted.
"I wanna be a soldier like you!"
Isabella, blushing slightly, clung to Ari's arm.
"You're amazing," she murmured.
Ari watched them, carefree and happy.
For a moment he smiled.
"Don't fall for his talk!"
Edwin shouted.
All heads turned to him as he walked closer.
"You a Lance Corporal defeating a swarm of flies that a bunch of lies."
"And what makes you think that?" Ari asked.
"If you're really strong then show me."
Edwin unsheathed two small dagger like mandibles and took a stance.
He sighed.
"Fine..."
Without another word, Edwin rushed at him, slashing his mandibles.
Ari stepped to the side, avoiding the strike with ease.
Edwin spun around and attacked again.
His right mandible cut through the air with a sharp hiss.
Ari leaned back just enough for the blade to pass in front of his face.
The young ants gasped.
"He dodged it!"
"No way!"
"Edwin..."
Isabella took a hesitant step forward.
Her antennae lowered slightly.
"P...Please stop.Y...you're not allowed to use mandibles..."
"Stop moving!" Edwin shouted.
He lunged forward again, putting all his weight behind the attack.
Ari simply shifted one step to the left.
Edwin's eyes widened.
The strike missed completely.
Unable to stop himself, he stumbled forward.
His feet tangled beneath him and he crashed face first into the dirt.
"Owww!"
A few of the younger ants burst into laughter.
Edwin immediately pushed himself back up, his face red with embarrassment.
"Don't laugh!"
He pointed one of his mandibles at Ari.
"I'm not done yet!"
Ari's eyebrow twitched.
What's this kid's deal?
He's really Valeria's brother, that's for sure.
Edwin charged again.
This time he swung both mandibles wildly.
Slash.
Slash.
Slash.
Each strike cut through empty air.
Ari sidestepped every attack.
The more he dodged, the angrier Edwin became.
"Stand still!"
He swung one final time.
Ari stepped aside and flicked him on the forehead.
"Ouch!!!"
Edwin staggered backward, clutching his forehead.
"That hurt!!"
"That's enough..." Ari said closing his eyes.
Edwin stood frozen.
His mandibles trembled in his hands.
Around him, the younger ants stared in silence.
Slowly, his hands clenched into fists.
"No..."
Ari blinked.
"What?"
"I said no!"
Edwin slammed a foot into the ground.
"Stop looking at me like that!"
His voice cracked.
"I trained every day! I practice whenever nobody's watching! I swing my mandibles until my arms hurt!"
His breathing became uneven.
"But it doesn't matter!"
He lowered his head.
A tear splashed onto the dirt.
"I'm still weak..."
The words came out barely above a whisper.
Another tear followed.
"Why was I born a worker?"
Ari stared at him.
"No..." Ari said quietly.
Edwin looked up.
"That's not true."
"I've met ants older than you who were born soldiers and still ran from their duties because they were afraid of war."
Ari stepped forward.
"But you?"
He placed a hand on Edwin's head.
"You want to stand beside your sister."
Edwin froze.
"You want to protect this colony."
Ari smiled faintly.
"That doesn't sound weak to me."
For a moment, Edwin didn't know what to say.
Then...
"Edwin's crying."
A baby ant pointed.
"Yeah, he's crying."
Edwin's face immediately turned bright red.
"W...what?!"
He slapped Ari's hand away.
"I'm not crying!"
The younger ants snickered.
"I am not crying!"
He spun around and stormed toward his bed.
A moment later a leaf was pulled completely over his head.
The muffled voice that came from underneath only made the others laugh harder.
"Shut up!"
Ari sighed and smiled...
---
In the shadows, Valeria watched.
Her gaze softened as she observed the ants hanging on Ari's every word, laughing and cheering.
He really exaggerated what happened, but... she thought.
A memory surfaced.
A tall ant stood before her, patting her head and smiling.
In her mind, she could still hear her father's voice, the words etched deep into her memory.
"Do you see this, Valeria? This is our colony. One day, you'll grow strong enough to protect the queen and our people. I entrust the future of the colony to you, my only begotten child."
She had looked up at him then, determination shining in her eyes.
"Yes."
She smiled.
"I'll become strong and protect everyone. Even you."
Her father had chuckled, patting her on the head.
"That's the spirit."
The memory slowly faded.
Valeria lowered her gaze, her hands curling into fists.
I'm sorry, Father... I couldn't keep that promise.