The Meadows — 11 years ago
The meadow stretched wide beneath a pale, waking sky, its grasses still bowed beneath the cool breath of the early morning. Flowers stood half-open, their colors softened into creams and muted blues, releasing fine clouds of pollen that drifted slowly through the air.
Some blooms remained low, clustered tightly among the grass, while others rose higher on firm stems, their broader petals spreading outward. In the dim light before sunrise, the pollen caught the faint glow and lingered between stems and leaves, suspended and slow to settle.
A gentle wind passed through the field in measured waves, bending the grass and stirring the flower heads. Their movement remained steady and restrained, the meadow holding its quiet as the morning began to take shape.
A young female butterfly moved through the meadow, black wings spread as she flew low above the grass. Long black hair streamed behind her, lifting and settling as she adjusted her speed and angle. The dark exoskeleton along her arms and neck caught faint traces of the pale morning light whenever she turned.
She curved around clusters of flowers, rising briefly before dropping back toward the field. Each shift in her path came with a precise tilt of her shoulders and a subtle change in wingbeat, her movement lively yet controlled as she continued her sweep across the meadow.
A female butterfly emerged into the meadow, her wings patterned in yellow and black as she slowed her flight. The purple exoskeleton along her neck and arms reflected the faint morning light when she adjusted her posture. Her blonde hair fell back against her shoulders as her pace steadied.
Her wings lifted slightly as she raised her head, a soft brightness easing into her expression. Her eyes followed the young Butterfly above the field, attention drawn upward.
"Twilight," her voice carried across the meadow as she cupped her hands near her mouth. She leaned forward slightly, breath pushing the name outward, her tone light and warm.
Twilight looked down. Below, the butterfly lifted one hand and waved, her arm held high above her shoulder. A bright smile spread across her face, unguarded and full, gesturing towards her.
Twilight's reaction was immediate. Her posture straightened midair, shoulders drawing back as her breath caught for a brief moment. Her eyes widened, focus locking onto the figure beneath her.
"Mother… you're back."
The words left her softly at first, then steadier, her voice carrying a mix of relief and disbelief as she leaned forward.
She folded her wings and dropped quickly, landing with enough force that the grass bent beneath her feet. Without slowing, she broke into a run, feet striking the ground in short, uneven beats before she pushed off and leapt forward. Her arms closed around her mother's shoulders, grip tight.
Her mother caught her at once, feet shifting against the soil to absorb the impact. One arm secured Twilight's back while the other steadied her weight, antennae angling forward as they held each other.
"You shouldn't have been out here this long… and alone, no less."
Her mother's voice stayed low as her hand moved through Twilight's hair, fingers steady as they smoothed it back. Her posture remained firm, holding Twilight close while her gaze lowered to meet her daughter's eyes.
She paused, breath measured, then continued, tone calm but carrying weight. "Remember what I told you. We're not permitted to go beyond the meadows."
Twilight lowered her head and nodded once. Her hands tightened near her mother's waist, fingers trembling despite the effort to stay still. Her mouth pressed into a small pout, breath slipping out unevenly before she spoke.
"I know… I know. We were exiled." The words came out quietly, her voice thinning as she hesitated. She swallowed and drew in a shallow breath. "But I was lonely. I thought...you'd come back sooner."
"I wanted to."
Her mother's gaze lowered briefly before returning to Twilight's face. The purple of her eyes held a trace of sadness.
"There were… things I couldn't leave unfinished."
She released her hold on Twilight and stepped back, a small smile forming as her shoulders eased.
"Well, now that I'm here… how about I make us dinner."
Twilight's expression lifted at once, her earlier tension fading. "Yes."
Back in the Hollow Foundry of Shadows, Seraphina stood with her thorned whip held ready, her grip steady and her stance set. Ari remained beside her, squared and unmoving, facing Nytheris at close distance.
In the dim light of the cave, Nytheris's dark eyes held a muted glint. Water continued to drip from the cave ceiling, striking the stone at irregular intervals. The sound echoed softly around them, the damp rock absorbing the noise as the air remained heavy and still.
"So all those years… playing the loyal guardian to Ignatia."
Seraphina's blue eyes stayed fixed on Nytheris as her fingers tightened around the handle of the thorned whip. The weapon shifted slightly in her grasp, barbs scraping softly against one another.
"That was just a mask for your own ambitions?"
Her lips curved into a thin, cruel smile as she exhaled. "I have to admit… it's almost impressive."
"So that means you know the Moonveil Blossom's location."
Ari shifted his weight slightly, antennae settling forward as his gaze stayed on Nytheris. His voice remained even, neither rising nor pressing.
"Tell me." A brief pause followed as the drip of water filled the space between them. "Is it already in the moths' possession… or do you know where it is."
"And why should I answer you… tunnel dweller."
Nytheris's dark eyes remained on Ari as his shoulders eased, posture relaxed despite the tension in the Moth's Lair. The corner of his mouth lifted, the expression controlled.
"If you hadn't interfered with my plans, things would have progressed far more smoothly." His gaze flicked briefly toward Seraphina before returning to Ari. "You complicated something that was already set in motion."
He straightened, wings settling close against his back. The faint smile remained as his eyes hardened.
"But the result won't change. The Kaleidoscope will fall." A short pause followed. "And if it doesn't… then I'll handle it myself."
"Before I paint this cave with your blood… indulge me."
Seraphina angled her stance slightly, the thorned whip held low but ready as her blue eyes stayed locked on Nytheris.
"What reason could you possibly have to infiltrate our ranks and wear the role of guardian for over a decade." Her jaw set as she continued, voice steady but edged. "Why move against the Kaleidoscope. Why betray the trust my sister placed in you."
A brief pause followed, the drip of water filling the space.
"What kind of petty desire was worth all of that."
"Petty?"
Nytheris's eyes darkened as his antennae drew back. His black wings spread abruptly, the movement forcing air through the entire area and casting a broad shadow over Seraphina and Ari. The bioluminescent fungi beneath that shadow dulled, their glow reduced where his wings blocked the light.
Ari took a half step back, his footing shifting against the damp stone. His brows drew together as his eyes widened slightly, breath catching before he steadied it.
"What the…"
"How dare you." His voice dropped, tight and controlled. "Because of you butterflies, I lost everything I ever loved." His jaw clenched, shoulders locking as the words pressed out. "Your fear. Your disgust."
A brief pause followed, breath drawn in sharply. "She suffered for it."
His gaze hardened, fixed and unyielding.
"I want to see the entire Kaleidoscope erased. Broken down to nothing." One step carried him forward, feet scraping against stone. "And I'll begin with you."
"And for the record."
Nytheris's mouth curved faintly as his gaze stayed fixed on them. His eyes narrowed, satisfaction settling into his expression.
"I wouldn't call it petty… considering all of you were deceived for ten years."
"Touche."
Seraphina's lips curved slightly as her blue eyes held on Nytheris, the faint glint in her gaze carrying cool acknowledgment.
From Nytheris's hind wings, rows of quills began to emerge. The membranes parted as the structures slid free, each one formed of hardened chitin and bone. They varied in length and curve, settling into place with controlled precision, every hooked tip catching what little light remained in the chamber.
Ari's eyes fixed on the quills as they finished settling into place. His breath stalled for a brief moment, chest tightening before he forced it steady.
It's the same quills.
The realization landed hard, his gaze tracking the hooked tips without blinking. I was right… Nytheris is a moth.
"Well now… this is a surprise."
Seraphina's eyes widened slightly before easing, a faint smile settling across her lips as she kept her focus on Nytheris.
"This wasn't an outcome I anticipated." Her head tilted a fraction as the pieces aligned. "So you're the hybrid who vanished eleven years ago." A brief pause followed. "Then your mother was High Monarch Aurora."
Her grip on the whip tightened, stance firm as her expression steadied.
"This will be an interesting battle."
Ari froze where he stood, his eyes lifting toward Nytheris as the words settled in. Confusion cut through his expression, brows tightening as his thoughts raced.
What…? Is she saying Nytheris is the child of a Monarch? A hybrid—between moth and butterfly…?
His jaw set as he reached to his side and drew his mandibles free, the blades clearing their sheaths with a controlled motion. He shifted his footing, stance lowering as he faced upward. A bead of sweat slid from his chin and struck the stone below, his grip tightening as he steadied his breath.
Nytheris reached to his side and drew his whip free, the handle settling into his palm as the length uncoiled and brushed the stone at his feet. His dark eyes remained on Seraphina, expression steady.
"I see… so you've heard of me."
A short pause followed as his grip tightened. "All the more reason this place becomes your grave."
Nytheris snapped his arm upward, the whip lashing into the jagged ceiling. Stone cracked on impact, fractures spreading before sections tore free and fell. Debris rained down across the chamber, shards striking the ground as dust surged outward.
Ari raised his arm and turned his face aside, eyes closing as fragments clattered past him. When the noise subsided, he lowered his arm. A wide rupture split the ceiling above, sunlight spilling through the opening and cutting into the darkness.
The light struck Nytheris as he rose into the air, his blackish-brown exoskeleton catching the glow as he hovered above them, wings holding him steady.
"Bear witness."
His voice carried downward, firm and resonant as his gaze fixed on Seraphina and Ari. The deep, resonant tone of the guardian Nytheris remained, but beneath it, a second voice vibrated—higher, lighter, and trembling.
"To the strength of the one you cast aside to die." A brief pause followed, his posture unmoving in the light. "What you feared I could become… is exactly what I became."
His eyes narrowed slightly as the words settled. When he spoke the final words, the deep voice of the guardian was gone, replaced entirely by a cold, clear feminine tone that echoed.
"The Twilight..."
Outside the cave, near the entrance, the ant soldiers remained in position, spaced evenly along the rock face. Some kept their attention on the surrounding meadow, heads angled upward as they watched the sky. Others stood at ease, posture relaxed but alert, hands resting near their weapons as they waited in silence.
Quinn looked along the line of privates stationed near the entrance. Several of them stood stiffly, hands shaking as they struggled to keep their composure.
It's been more than ten minutes, and we haven't received word from Ari. Is the cave really that vast?
Her gaze lingered on their anxious faces, the tension clear in their posture.
Everyone here is uneasy. For some of them, this is their first real battle. I just hope no moths are here.
She closed her eyes and folded her arms, steadying herself as the wait continued.
"Corporal Quinn… should we enter the cave?"
The private snapped a salute, but his legs trembled beneath him. His eyes flicked away almost immediately, twitching as he struggled to hold her gaze. Quinn noticed it at once.
"No. Hold your ground—just a little longer."
Quinn stepped closer and rested a hand on his shoulder, her grip firm but reassuring. A small smile crossed her face as she met his eyes.
"Rest assured. None of you will die out here." Her hand lifted as she straightened. "So keep your head up, alright."
"Yes, Corporal!"
The private straightened at once, shoulders pulling back as his stance steadied. The tremor in his legs eased, and a faint flush crept across his face as he held the salute a moment longer before returning to position.
Quinn turned her attention back toward the cave entrance, her expression settling into calm focus.
I hope everything is alright in there.
Her posture remained firm as she kept her eyes on the darkness beyond the stone.
Knowing Lance Corporal Ari… it should be fine.
Without warning, the air whistled sharply. Quills tore through the formation, one driving into an ant's leg and another slamming into an arm with a heavy crunch as chitin split on impact.
Both soldiers collapsed at once. One hit the ground clutching his leg, the other twisting onto his side as blood spilled across the stone. Their screams cut through the quiet, sharp and raw, as the rest of the formation recoiled in shock.
"What's going on—"
Quinn spun sharply, armored feet striking the stone as she broke into a run toward the fallen soldiers. Her eyes locked onto the embedded quills as she dropped to one knee beside them, one hand already reaching out.
A large shadow spread across the ground above them. One of the soldiers looked up, his breath stalling as fear set into his expression, despair tightening around his eyes as the light overhead disappeared.
"Moths—!"
A lance corporal shouted as he stepped forward, jaw clenched tight. His hands moved to his sides, mandibles clearing their sheaths in a sharp motion as he set his stance, eyes fixed upward while tension ran through the line.
Another barrage of projectiles tore down toward the formation. Quinn rushed forward, planting herself at the front as she brought her mandibles up in a crossing guard.
Quills struck the blades in rapid succession, metal ringing as sparks burst on impact. Several deflected shots spun away and buried themselves into the ground around her feet. One slipped through. It drove into her shoulder with a hard crunch.
Quinn let out a sharp groan as her body staggered a step, teeth grinding as she forced herself to stay upright. Her free hand closed around the embedded quill, and she pulled it out in a slow, controlled motion.
Blood immediately ran down her arm, dark against her exoskeleton as she steadied her breathing and kept her stance.
"Fall back—into the meadows."
Quinn tightened her grip over the wound at her shoulder, forcing the pain down as she raised her voice over the chaos. "If we stay here, we'll all die."
She turned sharply, blood running between her fingers.
"Secure the wounded. No one gets left behind."
The formation broke at once, soldiers moving toward the meadow as more projectiles cut through the air. Quinn advanced with the other two corporals at the rear, mandibles raised as they moved. Quills slammed into their blades and the ground around them, deflected shots embedding themselves into stone and soil as they continued to block the barrage while retreating.
"We'll buy you some time."
The two Butterfly guardians stepped forward in unison as they unsheathed their whips. Barbed thorns ran along the lengths, glinting in the sunlight. Their faces were stern, wings spreading slightly as they positioned themselves between the retreating soldiers and the incoming attack.
Quinn turned to them with a smile.
"We're counting on you."
With that, she pivoted and ran into the meadows, clutching her wounded shoulder as the remaining soldiers followed close behind, grass parting beneath their hurried steps.
The butterflies took to the sky, wings beating hard as they rose to meet the moths head-on, silhouettes crossing against the sunlight as the battle erupted above the meadows.