Isla sat on a bed of sticks and thin wood, layered with leaves.
Some are small while some were broad enough to curl around her. She stretched her sore arms and legs.
A breeze slipped through the quarters, a small chamber, on the outskirts of the colony
"Today makes four days," she murmured, her voice low and uncertain.
She brushed her fingertip across a small leaf while nudging loose dirt with the tip of her shoe. Her shoulders shifted uneasily.
"And Valeria still hasn't come back… I mean, I'm glad for the extra rest, but…" Her voice thinned slightly. "I'm getting anxious."
Lancelot lay sprawled on his back with both hands tucked behind his head, his eyes still closed.
"Now's not the time to stress over that," he said, lazily waving one hand through the air. "Just enjoy the break while it lasts."
We were told to rest in this chamber, but it's completely separated from the colony itself, Ari thought.
Something's going on…
He pushed himself to his feet. His antennae twitched lightly as he stepped toward the tunnel exit.
"Ari, where are you going?" Isla asked.
He glanced back at her over his shoulder.
"Just going out for some fresh air," he said. "I won't be long."
The cool night breeze brushed against his exoskeleton the moment he stepped outside, carrying the damp scent of earth and fallen leaves. Soft rustling drifted through the forest surrounding the training grounds.
Ari stopped near the edge of the clearing and looked out into the dark trees.
Shadows shifted between the trunks while the occasional snap of a branch echoed deeper in the woods. His antennae flicked once as his eyes narrowed slightly.
A shadow shifted.
A sudden rustle from the underbrush snapped Ari's attention toward the trees. At the edge of his vision, something briefly glinted through the darkness.
What was that?
A sharp sound cut through the night.
Ari's eyes widened.
A mandible blade swung straight toward his neck.
He jerked back just in time, the blade slicing through the air inches from his face. Before he could regain his footing, the attacker swung again.
Ari twisted his body and unsheathed his mandibles in one motion.
CLANG!
The impact jolted through his arms as he forced the strike upward. Bright sparks scattered from the colliding blades.
Dirt shifted beneath his feet as he planted himself firmly against the pressure.
Standing before him was a hooded figure.
Their face was completely concealed beneath layers of leaves , only the outline of their body visible in the dim moonlight.
Ari quickly stepped back and lowered his center of gravity, raising both mandibles in front of him.
They're fast…
His heartbeat thudded against his chest as he kept his eyes locked on the figure's movements.
"Who are you?" Ari asked.
No response came.
The hooded figure slowly stepped to the side, circling him without a sound. Dry leaves crunched softly beneath their feet.
Wait…
Ari's eyes widened slightly.
Isn't he—
The memory hit him immediately.
That same hooded ant from the night Aixen betrayed the colony.
The enemy lunged again, faster this time, the pressure behind the movement far more aggressive.
Ari's body reacted before his thoughts could catch up.
He sidestepped sharply, barely avoiding the slash aimed at his midsection. The attack swept past him with enough force to stir the air against his side.
Another strike came immediately after.
Ari raised one mandible and parried. The hooded ant pressed forward without hesitation, slashing high, then low.
Ari blocked again, sparks flashing between their blades as the rapid collisions echoed through the clearing.
My body feels weird…
Ari tightened his grip on his mandibles as another impact rattled through his arms.
Is it just me… or have I gotten faster?
"Ari?! What's going on?!" Lancelot shouted, his voice echoing off the low earthen walls of the tunnel.
The moment he and Isla came into view, their eyes immediately locked onto the hooded ant standing across from Ari.
"Who… who is that?!" Isla asked, her voice trembling.
She took a hesitant step back, her hand hovering near the hilt of her sheathed mandible as her fingers shook slightly
"I don't know," Ari called back. "Be careful...this ant is strong and won't hesitate to kill."
"I'll take them on," Lancelot said.
He drew both mandibles in a sharp motion, gripping them tightly.
In an instant, he lunged forward.
But before he could close the distance a second figure stepped out from the shadows.
Slightly taller. Broader build. Deep scars cut across the chest and arms.
The new figure swung their weapon.
Lancelot shifted mid-step as he noticed and brought both mandibles down in a arc.
Clang
The impact forced his arms back slightly, the force traveling through his shoulders. His feet dug into the dirt, scraping against loose stones as he tried to stabilize.
Damn… so strong.
Lancelot's face tightened, a strain forming in his expression. His muscles tensed as he held his ground, forcing the blades not to give way.
"What should I do…?" Isla whispered, her legs trembling.
From the treetops above, a blur of movement dropped straight down toward her.
Another ant—smaller than her frame.
In an instant, it closed the distance.
Face to face.
Too fast.
"Time to cut you to shreds," the attacker sneered, lips curling into a grin beneath a hood of woven leaves.
Isla's chest tightened.
Her breath caught in her throat.
"Ari! Lance! Help me!" she screamed, stumbling backward as the attacker pressed in.
I'm going to die.
The thought ripped through Isla's mind.
A brief memory surfaced of her younger self, around twelve. The sound of laughter around her. Words she couldn't fully block out. Weak. Fragile.
Her breathing hitched.
But her body moved before she could think.
Her arm snapped upward.
A mandible strike.
Metal met metal.
As the motion settled, Isla blinked in shock.
I… reacted?
Her eyes widened, still trying to process what her body had done.
The hooded ant let out a quiet chuckle.
She leaned in, casually pressing one mandible against Isla's shoulder while the other dug into the dirt beside her, almost like she was resting her weight there.
"Well, would you look at that," she said. "Guess there's a backbone under all that trembling."
Isla's vision blurred.
Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes, her grip tightening involuntarily as she struggled to steady her breathing.
"Isla!" Lancelot shouted, turning sharply toward her.
"Don't let your guard down," the bulky ant said.
The next strike came down immediately.
The bulky ant pressed forward relentlessly, swinging one heavy blow after another.
Mandibles crashed against Lancelot's defenses in rapid succession,the ground beneath them trembled slightly from the force.
Lancelot gritted his teeth as pain spread through his arms.
Tch… my arms are going numb. What do I do?
Another crushing strike slammed into his guard.
Lancelot barely held it back.
The force hurled him several steps across the dirt, his feet dragging hard against the ground before he lost balance and crashed onto his side. Loose soil scattered around him.
He sucked in a strained breath and quickly pushed himself back up.
Ari pressed forward.
His left mandible swept low toward the enemy's midsection.
Blocked.
His right followed immediately, cutting upward toward the neck.
Deflected again.
The hooded ant slid back a step under the pressure.
Ari didn't stop.
He ducked beneath a counter-slash that skimmed over his antennae, then pivoted sharply on his heel and drove a thrust toward the enemy's chest.
The hooded ant twisted aside at the last second, their mandibles scraping violently against Ari's with a harsh metallic screech.
The two locked together for a brief moment.
Ari could feel the strain pushing through his arms as they both fought for leverage. Through the shadows beneath the hood, he caught the faint glint of the opponent's eyes.
Then Ari shoved forward.
The enemy staggered back.
Ari immediately closed the distance again.
A slash toward the shoulder.
A second toward the ribs.
The hooded ant managed to block both, but their movements were no longer as sharp as before. Their footing slipped slightly against the dirt while Ari continued forcing them backward .
Ari's eyes narrowed.
She slowed down...
The enemy tried to retaliate with a desperate horizontal strike, but Ari reacted instantly.
He twisted his body out of the attack's path and drove both mandibles downward with explosive force.
The impact knocked the hooded ant completely off balance.
They stumbled backward their guard wide open.
Ari lunged.
His mandibles carved a clean line straight toward the throat.
"Stop."
The sharp voice cut through the clash instantly.
Ari froze.
His mandibles stopped inches from the opponent's neck, the tips trembling from the force he had barely restrained. His chest rose and fell heavily.
The gust from the halted strike caused the hood to shift.
Leaves rustled softly as the covering slipped back just enough to reveal part of the face beneath.
An ant.
Female.
Her eyes were filled with deep fear.
She's… a girl.
Ari's stance weakened slightly as the realization settled into him.
Slowly, reluctantly, he lowered his mandibles and stepped back.
The hooded ant collapsed onto the dirt, gasping for breath. Her chest rose unevenly while strands of damp hair clung to her face beneath the loosened hood.
Valeria approached from the darkness with her arms folded across her chest.
"That's enough."
"Captain…!" Isla gasped, relief immediately spreading across her face. "You're… finally back."
Still breathing heavily, Lancelot wiped across his face with the back of his arm and lowered his mandibles slightly, though he kept his stance prepared as the bulky ant finally stepped away and sheathed their weapons.
"You came just in time, little Val," the bulky ant said.
Valeria's gaze moved across the group one by one.
"You all exceeded expectations," she said calmly. "Consider this test complete."
Ari's eyes narrowed slightly.
Test?
"You may remove your hoods now," Valeria commanded.
Ari stepped toward Beatrice, who was still sitting on the ground with her shoulders slightly tense.Her eyes briefly dropped to her hand.
It trembled slightly.
He hesitated briefly before extending a hand toward her.
"I… I'm sorry about that," he said quietly. "Are you hurt?"
Beatrice drew in a slow breath.
Then she sharply slapped his hand away and pushed herself to her feet, brushing dirt from her exoskeleton with quick, irritated movements.
"There's nothing for you to apologize for, you fool," she said curtly.
Without another word, she turned and strode off.
Brooks rolled his shoulders casually.
Beatrice took her place beside Lily and Brooks, standing silently with her arms folded.
Then her eyes locked onto Ari.
The sharpness in her stare made the back of his neck tighten slightly. Ari instinctively looked away, avoiding eye contact.
Lily, the nimble ant who had attacked Isla, grinned teasingly, the corners of her lips curling upward.
"Aw, Valeria… just when I was starting to have fun, you had to ruin it," she complained.
Valeria ignored her completely.
I knew this was her doing… but she still caught me by surprise.
Ari let out a quiet sigh and ran a hand back through his hair, trying to steady the tension still lingering in his body.
"What?! A test?!" Isla shrieked.
"So you were the one responsible for all this…?"
Her feet shifted uneasily against the dirt as her eyes darted between Ari and Lancelot, still trying to process everything that had happened.
"Unlikely," Valeria said calmly. "You're all stronger than you realize."
"None of them intended to kill you. But they fought seriously." Her tone remained firm. "They didn't hold back, and yet… you're all still standing."
Ari lowered his gaze toward his mandibles.
Now that she mentions it…
She's right.
I've gotten stronger than I expected… and faster too.
The lingering numbness in his arms, the lightness of his body, he could still feel all of it coursing through his body.
"So then…" Lancelot said, letting out a breath. "It's finally over?"
"Yes," Valeria replied. "Welcome to the military. You are now officially Lance Corporals."
Isla's eyes widened.
"We actually made it?!" she gasped.
Lancelot cracked his knuckles, a smirk spreading across his face.
"About time."
Beatrice's eyes lingered on Ari, a flicker of unease stirring deep within her chest.
Later that evening, Valeria sat atop a large stone near the edge of the open chamber, one leg crossed over the other.
Beatrice stood nearby with her arms folded, leaning silently against the rough wall while Brooks rested beside her.
Lily sat near the entrance with one knee raised, lazily spinning a mandible between her fingers.
For a while, no one spoke.
Only the soft rustle of the forest and the distant creak of swaying branches filled the silence.
"So, then…" Valeria began. "What are your thoughts on those three?"
"That kid…" Brooks said quietly, his calm voice breaking the silence. "He surprised me."
"He didn't break under pressure." A faint nod followed. "I'd say he's got strong resilience."
"And Isla," Lily said, her voice light and playful, "she looks terrified on the outside… but she still moves when it counts."
A grin curled across her face.
"Her instincts are mandible sharp. You can't teach that. Not me, not anyone."
She wiggled her fingers lazily.
"I'll get her up to par whether she likes it or not."
Beatrice's gaze lowered slightly, the dim starlight reflecting faintly in her sharp eyes.
"Captain Valeria…" she murmured.
Valeria turned her attention toward her.
"What's on your mind, Beatrice?" she asked.
Beatrice hesitated.
Her fingers tightened briefly around her arm before she drew in a slow breath.
"Ari…" She paused, choosing her words carefully. "He's different from any recruit I've ever trained. His speed isn't normal, and the way he fought…" Her voice lowered slightly. "He's at least capable of achieving Corporal level."
Valeria's expression darkened slightly.
Beatrice looked off to the side.
"If you hadn't stopped him when you did…" Her throat tightened faintly. "I probably would've..."
For a brief moment, the chamber fell quiet.
Then Lily let out a soft whistle.
"To get a reaction like that out of my dear Beatrice…" she said, tilting her head with a playful grin. "Now I'm getting jealous."
She rested her chin against her palm.
"So the rumors about Ari are actually true, huh?" Her grin widened slightly. "He caught General Ivan off guard and wiped out an entire termite colony with his strategy. That's no small feat."
A faint excitement crept into her voice.
"I'm definitely interested in him now."
Brooks gave a slow nod from where he sat.
"With Valeria acknowledging his ability…" He folded his arms loosely. "Yeah. I'm convinced too."
His eyes narrowed slightly in thought.
"He's something else entirely."
Beatrice frowned, her lips pressing into a thin line.
"Then why rank him as only a Lance Corporal?" she asked.
Valeria answered without hesitation.
"Because strength alone doesn't make someone fit to lead."
The breeze drifting through the chamber lightly stirred the ends of her hair.
"Ari has potential. A dangerous amount of it. But he hasn't earned a higher rank based on my assessment.He only recently became a soldier. He still lacks the discipline that's drilled into us from childhood." Her tone remained calm and even. "I can recommend promotions, but ultimately, the Queen decides."
"Ari has saved this colony more than once," she continued quietly. "He's intelligent. A natural strategist."
"But he lacks restraint."
The memory of Ari's mandibles stopping inches from Beatrice's throat lingered clearly in her mind.
"He moved to kill without hesitation." Her voice lowered. "And that concerns me.I think there's hatred buried somewhere deep inside him," Valeria said. "Something he hasn't fully confronted yet."
"He needs time," she continued. "Time to learn discipline. Control. And a reason to fight beyond simple survival."
No one argued.
After a moment, Valeria inclined her head slightly.
"Good."
Her eyes remained fixed on the star-filled sky overhead while the wind brushed softly against her hair.
Winter is coming…
It's that time of year again, isn't it, Father?