Caelum collapsed onto the cold ground just outside the hive’s crumbling structure, his body trembling from exhaustion. For the first time since the battle began, they were outside—free of the oppressive, suffocating atmosphere of the hive. He breathed deeply, the fresh air filling his lungs, a stark contrast to the stifling venom-tainted air inside. But his relief was short-lived. His body ached, every muscle screaming from overuse, and his vision swam with exhaustion.
Beside him, Aurelia lay still, her breath ragged but steady. Both of them had pushed far beyond their limits. The weight of their exhaustion felt like a crushing force, but for now, they had escaped the Queen’s wrath. They had survived.
But they were far from safe.
Caelum slowly pushed himself into a sitting position, wincing at the sharp pain that shot through his body. He turned his gaze back toward the hive, which stood in a state of collapse behind them. Massive cracks ran through its structure, chunks of resin falling from the towering walls as the entire nest crumbled in the aftermath of the Queen’s death.
The chaos didn’t end with the Queen’s defeat. The once-organized swarm of wasps was now scattering in all directions. Drones, guards, and other creatures flew erratically through the sky, their buzzing loud and disoriented. Without the Queen’s control, the hive was nothing more than a fractured mess, its inhabitants lost without purpose or direction. The wasps darted aimlessly, crashing into one another, spiraling out of control as they fled the collapsing nest.
Aurelia shifted beside him, her voice a faint whisper in their telepathic link. Look at them… it’s all falling apart.
Caelum nodded, his eyes scanning the sky as the wasps scattered in a frenzy. The buzzing filled the air, but none of the creatures seemed to notice Caelum or Aurelia. The drones, once a constant threat, were now flying away without coordination, lost and disoriented. They flew in circles or zigzagged erratically, their once deadly precision reduced to nothing more than chaos. The hive had broken, and its inhabitants had no idea what to do without their Queen.
They don’t even see us, Caelum sent back, his voice laced with exhaustion. They’re too confused to notice we’re right here.
For a moment, it felt like a strange sort of safety. The chaos of the hive’s collapse provided cover, keeping them hidden in plain sight. But even though the wasps weren’t paying attention to them, the feeling of danger still lingered. Caelum’s instincts screamed that they weren’t safe, that at any moment, something could still go wrong.
But there was nothing they could do. They were barely holding on.
Caelum glanced down at his status, willing his Appraisal skill to activate despite his borderline mental exhaustion.
[Appraisal Activated]
Name: Caelum
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HP: 6/45
MP: 2/80
Stamina: 4/50
Status Effects: Severe Exhaustion, Poisoned, Mental Strain
His heart sank as he saw his health and magic reserves. He had never been this close to collapse. His entire body felt heavy, his limbs sluggish, and his mind was barely functioning through the haze of pain. His MP was nearly depleted, his magic all but drained from the intense battle with the Queen and their frantic escape. Every breath felt labored, his HP hanging by a thread.
I’m barely holding on, Caelum thought, the weight of his status sinking in.
Aurelia, sensing his thoughts, weakly raised her own status for him to see.
[Appraisal Activated]
Name: Aurelia
HP: 10/60
MP: 1/35
Stamina: 3/50
Status Effects: Heavily Injured, Poisoned, Severe Exhaustion
Her status was no better. Aurelia’s HP was dangerously low, her MP nearly empty. The poison from the earlier battle still lingered in her system, slowing her movements and clouding her thoughts. They were both in critical condition, just a single mistake away from collapse. Any further fight, any more stress on their bodies, would break them.
We’re barely hanging on, Aurelia sent through the link, her voice filled with a mix of exhaustion and frustration. If anything else happens, we won’t make it.
Caelum nodded, his eyes still focused on the scattered wasps in the distance. The swarm had no leadership now, no Queen to guide them. It was a mess of confusion and chaos, but in that chaos, there was a strange kind of safety. As long as the wasps didn’t notice them, they might have a chance to recover.
But we can’t stay here, Caelum thought, his mind already racing with the possibilities. The hive is falling apart. We need to move before something else happens.
The ground trembled beneath them, a reminder that the hive was still collapsing. They could hear the distant crashes of falling resin, the structure tearing itself apart as the tunnels caved in one by one. The scattered wasps above were still oblivious, but the nest wouldn’t last much longer.
Aurelia groaned softly, her body trembling from the effort of sitting up. We need a plan. We can’t just wait here for the hive to fall on top of us.
I know, Caelum replied, his mind struggling to form a coherent strategy. They needed to rest, to heal, but there was no time. The ground beneath them was unstable, the tremors growing stronger with each passing moment.
The hive’s destruction was inevitable. The scattered wasps were fleeing, the chaos of the Queen’s death spreading like wildfire. And yet, here they were—too weak to fight, too tired to run.
We’ll move soon, Caelum sent, though the exhaustion in his voice was impossible to hide. We just need a moment…
Aurelia nodded, though her eyes betrayed the same fear he was feeling. They were alive, but barely. The hive was collapsing around them, the chaos of the wasps creating a temporary lull in the danger. But their HP was dangerously low, and their MP reserves were almost gone.
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