That same day, deep within the grim walls of Hopper's fortress, the enslaved ants toiled without end. Their bodies trembled with exhaustion, their eyes hollow from days without proper food or rest. Each step was a battle; each breath, a labor. They dragged their feet across the hard-packed soil, burdened with stones twice their size or thick branches slung across their weary backs.
A young female ant with delicate, beautiful wings stumbled forward, her legs giving out from underneath her. She crashed to the dirt, her vision blurring into smears of grey and brown. Gripping the soil, she clenched her fist weakly.
Why? Why do I have to suffer like this?
Why do my people have to endure such a pitiful fate?
Day in, day out they work us relentlessly, and if we collapse… they kill us.
Tears burned behind her eyes, but none would fall.
I've gotten so numb… numb to the cries of my people after meeting their deaths at the hands of those ruthless grasshoppers. I wanted to cry every single time... but I couldn't anymore.
A shrill, enraged voice broke through her fading consciousness.
"Hey, you again! Didn't I tell you not to slack off? Get the hell up!" shouted a grasshopper, stomping toward her.
The female ant didn't even flinch. She lay there, body limp, spirit cracked.
"Fine, have it your way! But don't blame me for being the reason you die," the grasshopper sneered, laughing cruelly as he drew his mandibles. With a sharp motion, he swung downward, aiming to end her life.
"No!! Princess!!" screamed another enslaved ant, bolting toward them in desperation.
The princess closed her eyes, her heart heavy with resignation.
So this is where I die… I'm so sorry, Mom, she whispered to herself, a single tear slipping down her cheek.
Clang!
The sharp collision of mandibles rang out across the fortress.
Confused, the princess cracked her eyes open. She wasn't dead. Instead, her blurred vision caught the silhouette of someone standing over her, intercepting the deadly blow.
"You!! Who the hell are you? And how were you able to block my attack?!" the grasshopper demanded, stepping back in disbelief.
The figure slowly raised his head, revealing a determined face beneath the dirt and grime. His eyes burned with an intense light.
"No way… you're an ant! But how were you able to—"
The grasshopper stumbled backward, fear creeping into his voice.
Footsteps echoed as a group of grasshoppers rushed to the scene, mandibles drawn.
"What's the matter? Where's the intruder?!" barked one.
"It's that ant! I don't know how he managed to slip past the gate while we were patrolling, but he's really stealthy!" the first grasshopper said frantically.
"Stop giving him credit, you coward! Let me show you how weak he is!" snarled another as he charged Ari, mandibles glinting in all four arms.
The grasshopper lashed out with a savage strike aimed at Ari's head.
But Ari moved—no, he disappeared.
The grasshopper's mandibles sliced through empty air.
"What? Where did he—"
The grasshopper didn't finish. Ari materialized behind him in a blur, and with a swift pivot, drove a powerful punch into the grasshopper's back.
CRASH!
The force sent the grasshopper flying through the air, slamming into the fortress wall with a thunderous impact that rattled the stones. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
Uproar filled the fortress.
"No way… he defeated him with a single punch…" gasped one of the grasshoppers.
"What kind of ant is he? How is he so powerful?!" another stammered, backing away.
"Be careful!" warned a third. "We might be dealing with a Lieutenant—or worse—a Commander!"
"Surround him!" barked another. "All of you attack him at once!"
Twenty grasshoppers rushed forward, encircling Ari. Their mandibles gleamed dangerously. Despite being outnumbered, Ari stood calm and motionless, not even flinching.
"Oh no, we have to help him!" cried a tired worker ant, stooping to pick up a stone, his hands trembling from malnutrition.
The grasshoppers roared and lunged in unison.
Ari's hand moved to one of his mandibles at his side. In a blink, he unsheathed it.
The world slowed.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Blindingly fast, Ari moved between the grasshoppers like a phantom. They barely saw him—only caught the fleeting gleam of his mandibles flashing through the air.
It was as if the wind itself was cutting them down.
To the enslaved ants, it was unreal—one moment, the grasshoppers charged in with bloodlust in their eyes; the next, Ari stood still in the center of a silent battlefield.
He calmly slid his mandibles back into place with a metallic click.
Then—
Thud. Thud. Thud.
One after another, the twenty grasshoppers collapsed. None rose again.
A hush fell over the fortress.
Ari exhaled slowly, his voice a low mutter.
"Just as I thought… none of them even come close to the type of power that Hopper has."
Turning around, Ari found himself under the gaze of hundreds of shocked ants. Their stunned expressions slowly broke into joyous, tearful cheers.
"We're saved!! They came to save us!!" shouted a worker ant, throwing his arms into the air.
"He's part of the group of military ants who were still on the voyage—thank goodness!" cried another, tears streaming down his face.
Ari scanned the crowd, his sharp eyes falling once again on the young ant with wings—the one he had saved. She looked at him with wide, lifeless eyes, her body too weak to stand. A tear slid down her cheek.
Wait… Ari thought, staring at her wings.
She has wings just like Tanya… She must be a princess… or maybe even a queen.
Without hesitation, he strode over to her. Kneeling down, he gently lifted her head off the ground. Her body was alarmingly light.
Ari reached into his small make shift bag and retrieved a shriveled piece of berry and a pouch of water. Holding her carefully, he fed her the berry, pressing it gently to her lips. She chewed weakly, then coughed, gasping for breath. He gave her a few careful sips of water.
Slowly, the color began to return to her face. Her breathing steadied, and her vision cleared.
"Who… who are you?" she asked weakly, her voice a bare whisper.
"Just an ant on a mission to keep his promise," Ari replied calmly.
"Did you come all this way just to save us?" she asked, her eyes wide and searching.
"No," Ari answered bluntly, lifting her carefully onto her feet. "I came here on a mission that's different. Saving you was just a coincidence... and perfect timing."
"I see..." she said softly, bowing her head. Then, gathering her courage, she lifted her gaze. "At the very least… could you tell me your name?"
Ari paused, then gave her a small nod.
"Just call me Ari."
His sharp gaze flicked over her once again.
"And... you're royalty, aren't you?"
"Yes. I used to be," she answered, straightening up with difficulty. "My name is Regina. I was a princess of a colony... and these people here with me are none other than the remainder of the colony."
"Princess!" shouted an ant who hurried forward, his expression full of relief and worry. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine, Gor," Regina said warmly, her lips curling into a real smile for the first time in a very long while. "All thanks to Ari."
Around them, the freed ants cheered louder, hope rekindling in their battered hearts. For the first time in countless days of darkness, a new dawn seemed possible.
And it had all started with one ant…