The chamber reverberated with the Queen Wasp’s furious screeches, her massive form trembling as the venom from Aurelia’s earlier attack spread through her system. Her multifaceted eyes burned with rage, her body convulsing as she struggled to maintain control. Caelum, barely able to stand, watched as the Queen, though weakened, continued to resist, her venomous aura pressing down on the entire nest.

  Caelum was on the verge of collapse, the venom from the Queen’s earlier strike still coursing through his veins. His magic was spent, his body trembling from exhaustion. He had fought with everything he had, but the Queen still stood, her power radiating through the chamber despite her injuries.

  We can’t let her recover, Caelum thought, his mind filled with desperation. They had weakened her, but if the Queen regained her strength, everything they had fought for would be lost.

  Aurelia, standing beside him, her body visibly drained from the relentless battle, sent a steady, calm thought through their telepathic link. This is it, Caelum. She’s almost done. I’ll finish it.

  Caelum turned to her, his heart racing. He could feel her exhaustion, but also her unwavering resolve. She was determined to end this once and for all. She wasn’t giving up.

  But at what cost?

  Aurelia’s eyes remained fixed on the Queen, her mind sharp despite the toll the battle had taken on her body. There’s no other way. I’ll hit her one more time with everything I have. It’s going to work.

  Before Caelum could protest, Aurelia surged forward with every ounce of strength she had left. Her Sting, still glistening with venom, aimed directly at the Queen’s heart. The Queen, sensing the final strike, let out a furious screech, her body convulsing as she tried to defend herself. But she was too slow. The venom had weakened her movements, her control slipping.

  With a determined thrust, Aurelia plunged her Sting into the Queen’s chest, driving the venom deep into her core.

  The effect was immediate.

  The Queen’s body convulsed violently as the poison flooded her system, spreading rapidly through her weakened frame. Her multifaceted eyes widened, her massive form shaking as the venom attacked her from within. Her screeches filled the chamber, a final, desperate cry of defiance as her strength began to falter.

  Caelum, watching from a short distance, felt a surge of hope. This is it…

  The Queen’s legs buckled beneath her, her body trembling as the venom overwhelmed her defenses. The cracks in her carapace deepened, the once-terrifying aura that had suffocated the nest now flickering weakly. Her control over the hive shattered as the venom ravaged her core, leaving her vulnerable.

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  But the Queen wasn’t finished yet.

  With one last surge of desperation, the Queen lashed out, her massive stinger aiming directly at Aurelia. The strike came faster than Caelum could react, but Aurelia, anticipating the attack, moved swiftly to evade it. Her Sting was still buried in the Queen’s chest, her venom continuing to flow through the Queen’s body, but the Queen’s retaliatory strike was a reminder that this battle wasn’t over until the Queen was dead.

  I won’t let her win, Aurelia thought with fierce determination.

  The Queen screeched again, her body convulsing as the venom spread further, her movements growing sluggish. But she was relentless, her massive stinger still swinging toward Aurelia with terrifying speed. Aurelia braced herself, her legs trembling from the effort of holding her Sting in place, but she refused to back down.

  I can’t… stop now.

  Caelum, watching in horror, felt a surge of panic. He was too weak to intervene, his magic all but drained, but he couldn’t let Aurelia face the Queen’s wrath alone.

  Summoning the last remnants of his strength, Caelum raised his hands, calling on the small flicker of magic that still remained within him. His Earth Magic responded, weak but steady, as he focused on immobilizing the Queen’s stinger before it could strike Aurelia.

  The ground beneath the Queen shifted, cracks spreading through the resin as jagged spikes of earth shot upward, wrapping around the Queen’s stinger and pinning it to the ground. The Queen screeched in fury, her wings thrashing violently as she tried to break free, but Caelum held the spell as long as he could, keeping her immobilized.

  Aurelia, seeing her chance, pushed her Sting deeper into the Queen’s chest, forcing more venom into the Queen’s heart.

  The Queen’s body convulsed one last time, her movements slowing as the venom finally took its toll. Her wings twitched weakly, her once powerful stinger now trapped in the earth, and her venomous aura flickered and faded. The suffocating presence that had dominated the hive was finally breaking.

  Caelum collapsed to the ground, his breath ragged as the weight of the battle lifted from his shoulders. He could feel the Queen’s power fading, her grip on the hive finally shattered.

  The Queen let out one last, pitiful screech before her massive body crumpled to the ground. Her multifaceted eyes dimmed, her legs twitching weakly before falling still. The once-great Queen of the hive, the terrifying force that had nearly destroyed them, was finally dead.

  Aurelia, her Sting still buried in the Queen’s chest, trembled as she pulled back. She collapsed beside the Queen’s lifeless form, her body shaking from the effort, but she was alive.

  It’s… over, Aurelia sent through their telepathic link, her voice filled with relief.

  Caelum, barely able to move, reached out to her through the link. You did it. We did it.

  Aurelia, though exhausted, managed a small smile. We survived.

  They had fought, bled, and sacrificed everything to defeat the Queen, and now it was finally over. The hive was silent, the buzzing of the Queen’s guards and drones fading as the Queen’s death left them without a leader.

  Caelum, lying on the ground beside Aurelia, closed his eyes, allowing himself to breathe for the first time since the battle began. They had won. Together.

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