Sacha stepped forward, her paws making no sound on the frozen ground. The air trembled around her, temperature plummeting with every breath she took. The ants, dozens of them, hissed and clicked, forming a loose circle, a tide of black chitin and glistening fangs.
But Sacha did not flinch.
Her eyes glowed brighter, twin glaciers burning with imperial cold. She tilted her head slightly, almost curious, before her gaze sharpened the faint pulse of blue light behind her pupils, rippling outward like the heartbeat of a god.
Then she spoke, her soft, childlike voice echoing with the weight of ancient royalty.
"Sacha will not play." She paused, eyes narrowing. "Sacha will rule."
A pulse of mana erupted from her, rippling through the air like a shockwave. Frost bloomed beneath her paws, spreading outwards in intricate patterns, each snowflake a seal of dominion.
The ants froze in place. Their many eyes locked on hers — and in that instant, they knew.
They were not predators.
