Caelum’s legs burned as he pushed himself through the final stretch of the tunnel, the walls closing in around him, suffocating him with the weight of the Queen’s presence. He could feel her ahead, a powerful, looming force that radiated control and malice. The air in the tunnel was thick with her influence, pressing down on his mind like a dark cloud, making every step harder than the last.
But Caelum couldn’t stop. Not now. Aurelia was close. He could feel her presence, faint but still there—still fighting. The Queen’s lair was just ahead, and the ritual had already begun.
His breath came in ragged gasps as he rounded the final corner, the tunnel opening into a massive chamber at the heart of the nest. The walls pulsed with a sickly green light, the resin glowing with a twisted energy. In the center of the room, Aurelia lay on the cold floor, her body barely moving, her Guardian’s Aura flickering weakly around her.
The Queen Wasp loomed above her, her massive form casting a dark shadow across the chamber. Her multifaceted eyes gleamed with cruel satisfaction as she focused on Aurelia, the ritual in full motion. The air was thick with the Queen’s aura, a poisonous energy that suffocated the room.
No… I’m too late.
Caelum’s heart sank as he saw the condition Aurelia was in. Her body trembled, her strength all but drained as the Queen’s venomous influence wrapped around her mind like a stranglehold. But she was still alive. Barely.
The Queen turned her gaze toward Caelum as he stumbled into the chamber, her wings buzzing softly as she regarded him with cold amusement. Her aura flared, thickening the air with venomous intent. Caelum felt the weight of it press against his chest, making it hard to breathe, hard to move. His legs shook as the poisonous energy seeped into his body, weakening him even further.
Venomous Aura.
“You’ve come all this way,” the Queen’s telepathic voice whispered into his mind, dark and cold. “For what? To die at my feet?”
Caelum’s body screamed in pain as the Queen’s venom coursed through his veins. He could feel it, gnawing at his strength, draining his energy. His Poison Resistance helped slow its effects, but the Queen’s power was overwhelming. Every breath he took felt like poison, every movement a struggle.
But Caelum forced himself to stand tall. He couldn’t back down. Not now.
“I won’t let you take her,” Caelum growled through the telepathic connection, his mental voice laced with defiance. “You won’t win.”
The Queen’s wings buzzed louder as she moved closer, her towering form casting a longer shadow over him. Her presence was suffocating, her aura so strong that it felt like a physical weight pressing down on Caelum’s shoulders. But the worst was yet to come.
Without warning, the chamber began to shift.
The walls of the hive groaned as the Queen activated her Echo Skills, manipulating the very environment around her. The resinous floor beneath Caelum’s feet began to crack and shift, creating jagged spikes that shot upward, forcing him to dodge as the ground itself turned against him. The walls closed in, pulsing with twisted energy as the Queen tightened her control over the space.
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She’s controlling the nest…
Caelum barely managed to dodge a spike that shot toward him, twisting his body at the last second as Instinctive Dodge kicked in. His body moved on pure reflex, narrowly avoiding another strike from the jagged terrain. But the Queen wasn’t finished.
She raised one of her massive legs, slamming it into the ground with a force that sent shockwaves through the chamber. The floor split open beneath Caelum’s feet, and he stumbled, losing his balance as the ground shifted violently. He managed to catch himself at the last second, using his Wind Magic to lift himself off the ground just as another spike erupted from the floor.
I can’t keep dodging forever…
Caelum’s breath came in ragged gasps as he summoned the last of his strength, his body aching from the constant use of magic. He knew he couldn’t last much longer. The Queen’s Venomous Aura was wearing him down, and the environment itself was turning against him. He needed to end this—now.
But the Queen wasn’t giving him any room to breathe. She moved with terrifying precision, manipulating the hive with ease, using her control over the environment to keep Caelum on the defensive. Every time he tried to summon a spell, the ground shifted beneath him, throwing him off balance.
She’s too strong…
Just as the crushing weight of defeat began to settle in, Caelum felt a faint touch in his mind—a whisper, weak but unmistakable.
Caelum… I’m still here…
Aurelia.
Her telepathic voice was faint, almost a ghost of its former strength, but it was enough. Caelum’s heart surged as he felt her presence. She was still fighting.
I can distract her… Aurelia’s voice trembled, but there was determination behind it. You need to strike when her focus is on me. It’s our only chance.
Caelum’s breath steadied as he listened to Aurelia’s words. She was right. The Queen was too powerful to face head-on, but if Aurelia could distract her, even for a moment, it would give him the opening he needed.
I’ll be ready, Caelum sent back, his mental voice filled with resolve. Just hold on a little longer.
Aurelia’s body trembled as she focused, using the last of her strength to reach into the Queen’s mind with her Telepathy. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to plant a seed of distraction, a subtle tug that pulled the Queen’s attention away from Caelum for just a moment.
The Queen hesitated, her multifaceted eyes narrowing as she sensed the disturbance in her thoughts. She turned her gaze toward Aurelia, her wings buzzing with irritation as she tried to shake off the telepathic interference.
And that was all the time Caelum needed.
With a burst of energy, Caelum summoned the last of his Earth Magic, slamming his hands into the ground. The floor beneath the Queen shifted violently, sending a wave of jagged spikes shooting upward toward her. The Queen let out a sharp hiss as the spikes slammed into her side, knocking her off balance.
The Queen’s aura flared in response, her wings buzzing furiously as she turned her attention back to Caelum, but the damage had been done. She was off balance, her focus split between the two of them.
Now’s my chance.
Caelum surged forward, summoning Fire Magic into his hands as he prepared to strike. The flames roared to life, burning brightly in his palms as he charged toward the Queen.
For Aurelia.