High above the forest floor, veiled in clouds of pheromone mist and guarded by sleek wasp sentries, rose the Wasp Warrens — a spire-like hive of spiral tunnels and venom-filled chambers. Cinder-ant had never dared come this close.
Buzzlock and Lady Web stayed hidden in the thicket below. This mission was hers alone.
She clung to the bark of an ancient birch, wings retracted, her ash-toned exoskeleton blending with the shadows. Her antennae vibrated—scents of decay, resin, and… betrayal.
Inside the hive, Glowmoth was not imprisoned—he was speaking to Queen Vespara, ruler of the wasps and longtime ally of Scarablade.
“You don’t understand,” Glowmoth pleaded. “If Scarablade wins, even your swarm will fall. His hunger doesn’t end with ants.”
Queen Vespara hissed. “He offered us power.”
“He’ll consume you. He always does.”
From above, Cinder-ant watched, heart twitching. Glowmoth had not betrayed her—not truly. He was bargaining, risking his wings to turn an enemy into a hesitant ally.
But time was short.
Just as Vespara opened her mandibles to respond, the walls of the hive trembled. A distant skraaaaaak! echoed—a primal roar. Scarablade had unleashed something old. Something buried.
And it was already flying toward the hive.
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