The forest loomed around them, dark and oppressive, as Caelum and Aurelia pushed deeper into unfamiliar territory. Thick, gnarled roots twisted beneath them while towering trees blocked out most of the sunlight, casting strange shadows across the path. The air felt thick, the kind of humid atmosphere that clung to their skin. Despite the calm appearance of their surroundings, Caelum couldn't shake a feeling of unease.

They had been exploring for hours now, searching for new resources or hidden paths that could help them survive. Aurelia, ever the protector, had taken the lead, her movements swift and deliberate. Her Sting was always at the ready, the tension in her form unmistakable.

“Everything seems... too quiet,” Caelum muttered, using Telepathy to send his thoughts to Aurelia. His Appraisal hadn't detected anything unusual yet, but that only made him more anxious. The silence around them was unnerving, as if the forest itself was holding its breath.

Aurelia stopped, her antennae twitching as she scanned the area. “I feel it too,” she replied, her mental voice steady but laced with caution. “Something’s not right.”

They continued cautiously, the eerie stillness around them only amplifying the sound of their own movements. The quiet stretched on, broken only by the occasional rustling of leaves. Each step felt heavier, the atmosphere thickening with tension.

Then, without warning, the air erupted with the sound of furious buzzing. It came from above and all around them, the hum of hundreds of wings beating in unison. Caelum’s heart leapt into his throat as he looked up, his eyes widening in horror.

A swarm of wasps descended from the trees.

Aurelia reacted instantly. Her Sting flashed forward with practiced precision, striking the first wasp that came too close. The creature dropped instantly, its body convulsing from the venom. But for every wasp she struck down, two more took its place. The sheer number of them was overwhelming.

“Stay close!” Aurelia shouted through their telepathic link, but Caelum was already moving.

He scrambled back, trying to assess the situation through Appraisal, but there were too many targets. The wasps moved in coordinated patterns, unlike anything they had faced before. Their attacks were quick and brutal, aimed at incapacitating rather than killing outright.

Aurelia was a whirlwind of motion, her Movement skill allowing her to dart between the attacking wasps. She landed blow after blow with her Sting, but the swarm was relentless. The buzzing grew louder, the sound almost deafening as the wasps pressed their advantage. Even Aurelia’s strength was starting to wane under the onslaught.

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“Caelum!” Aurelia’s voice cut through his panic, and he turned just in time to see a wasp lunge at him from the side.

Instinct kicked in. Caelum activated Camouflage, his body shimmering as he faded into the background. The wasp's attack missed by a hair’s breadth, its stinger plunging into the dirt where he had just been standing. Heart racing, he knew he couldn’t stay hidden for long—not with so many enemies around.

He glanced at Aurelia. She was holding her own, but barely. Her Sting flickered with venom, dropping another wasp, but she was tiring. The swarm was closing in, their numbers seemingly endless. And then, Caelum saw it—the elite guards. Larger, faster, and far more dangerous than the others, they moved with terrifying precision, zeroing in on Aurelia.

“Aurelia! Watch out!” Caelum shouted through Telepathy, but it was too late.

One of the elite guards struck her from behind, its stinger driving into her side with brutal force. Aurelia let out a pained cry as the venom coursed through her body. She staggered but fought to stay on her feet, swinging her Sting wildly in a last-ditch effort to defend herself. Another wasp darted in, then another, and soon she was surrounded.

“No! Aurelia!” Caelum’s mind screamed, but he was powerless to help.

The wasps moved in perfect synchronization, and before Caelum could react, they had Aurelia pinned. Her movements slowed, her Guardian’s Aura flickering as the venom took hold. She was losing. Caelum’s body froze, his instincts screaming at him to act, to fight, but what could he do against a swarm like this?

“I can’t… hold them off,” Aurelia gasped, her voice strained through their link. “You have to… run.”

“I’m not leaving you!” Caelum shot back, desperation clawing at his chest.

“Go!” Aurelia's command came through sharper this time, more forceful. “You can’t… save me if you’re dead!”

Caelum hesitated for a heartbeat longer, but the sight of Aurelia, surrounded and struggling to stand, finally forced him to act. Tears welled in his eyes as he activated Burrow Maintenance, digging into the earth with frantic speed. His heart broke with every inch he tunneled away from the battle, but Aurelia was right—he couldn’t save her if he died here.

The earth gave way beneath him as he sank deeper, pulling himself further from the chaos above. The sound of the buzzing swarm faded as the weight of the soil pressed down around him, but the image of Aurelia’s capture was seared into his mind.

He emerged from his burrow some distance away, his body shaking with exhaustion and terror. He collapsed onto the forest floor, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His limbs felt weak, his mind numb with the realization of what had just happened.

Aurelia was gone.

Captured.

And he had fled.