Moonlight filtered through a narrow crevice high above the cavern ceiling, casting pale silver beams across the grotesque nest below. The light painted everything in shifting shadows—the thick curtains of webbing draped between jagged stone pillars, the clusters of pale eggs pulsating faintly along the walls, and the countless spiderlings scuttling through the darkness like living stains.
Raiden, Xavier, and Xylo stood rigidly at the mouth of the chamber.
Before them towered Mother Celeste.
Xylo swayed weakly beside Xavier, his breathing uneven. The damaged side of his face had been cleaned as best as possible, but the wounds left behind by the maggots remained raw and painful.
Then cave trembled violently.
Dust rained down from the ceiling as chunks of stone broke loose and crashed against the silk-covered floor. High above, through the narrow crevice splitting the cave roof, an eerie blue light spilled into the nest.
Raiden's eyes widened.
"No..." he muttered.
Xavier glanced toward him. "What's going on?"
Raiden stared upward through the crack, his skill of foresight saw through the thin crevice beyond.
The night sky above was no longer empty.
Streams of ethereal blue and green light danced across the night sky like flowing rivers. The sight resembled the Aurora Borealis, stretching endlessly across the sky.
His expression darkened.
"The portal..." Raiden whispered.
"The portal's opened."
Xavier's heart skipped a beat.
"What?"
Mother Celeste turned toward Miriam.
"Go, child," she said softly. "I believe your path home has revealed itself."
Miriam lowered her head respectfully.
"Thank you, Mother Celeste."
The spider empress gently rested a hand against Miriam's cheek.
"You have served me well."
Miriam nodded before turning toward the tunnel leading deeper into the cave system.
"MIRIAm!!!!"
She paused.
Slowly, she looked back.
Her gaze settled on Xavier.
For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Xavier clenched his fists.
"Miriam!" he shouted. "You won't get away with this!"
Silence lingered between them.
Then, unexpectedly, Miriam smiled faintly.
It wasn't mocking, nor was it cruel.
It was almost... regretful.
She raised a hand toward him.
"Maybe in another life," she said quietly.
Then she blew him a small kiss.
And without another word, she disappeared into the darkness of the tunnel.
Xavier stood frozen.
Anger boiled beneath his skin.
Behind him, Raiden's expression remained grim.
But Mother Celeste's soft laughter echoed throughout the chamber.
"My, my," she mused.
"Young hearts truly are fascinating."
Before Xavier could react—
Something wrapped around his neck.
His eyes widened.
A thick strand of webbing had coiled tightly around him.
"What—?!"
YANK.
The force ripped him off his feet.
"XAVIER!" Raiden shouted.
Xavier was dragged helplessly through the air.
He crashed directly into Mother Celeste's waiting arms.
The towering spider woman held him effortlessly against her.
Up close, Xavier could truly see her.
The upper half of her body possessed an almost unnatural beauty. Smooth obsidian hair cascaded down her shoulders. Green eyes gleamed beneath long lashes, carrying an elegance that belonged more to royalty than to a monster.
The scent of silk lingered around her.
Mother Celeste gently tilted Xavier's chin upward.
"My, what a beautiful child."
Xavier stiffened.
One slender hand moved slowly across his cheek.
Cold fingers traced his skin with unsettling gentleness.
Those eyes admired him carefully.
"Such lovely eyes," she murmured.
"And that hair..."
A pleased smile spread across her lips.
"You truly are exquisite."
Xavier felt his stomach twist in disgust.
Mother Celeste leaned closer.
"Makes me want to keep you, even more."
Xavier's eyes widened.
"What?"
"You'll make a wonderful pet."
The hand caressing his face lingered.
"Perhaps I'll even spoil you. Wouldn't you like that, hmm?, Xavier"
The horrifying sincerity in her voice made Xavier's blood run cold.
Then—
BOOM!
A blazing fireball erupted against Mother Celeste's side.
The explosion forced her backward.
Her grip loosened instantly.
Xavier dropped to the ground, the webbings loosened around him.
"Run!" Xylo shouted.
Xavier scrambled away immediately, retreating behind a large rock formation as debris scattered around him.
Mother Celeste slowly turned.
Her expression had darkened considerably.
Standing opposite her, Xylo lowered his trembling arm.
Despite the wounds covering his body and the exhaustion evident on his face, flames still danced across his fingertips.
"You know," Xylo said weakly, "that's probably the creepiest thing I've ever seen."
Mother Celeste stared at him.
"You dare strike me?"
Her voice had lost its warmth.
"You were supposed to have been devoured by my children."
Xylo gave a tired grin.
"Yeah?"
He raised his burning hand.
"Well, they must've had terrible taste."
Raiden stepped forward.
Wings unfolding behind him.
Steel-gray eyes remained fixed on Mother Celeste.
"Xavier!" he shouted without looking back.
Xavier peeked out from behind the rock.
"Find Elra!"
"What about you guys?!"
Xylo snorted.
"We're just buying time."
Raiden hardened his expression.
"Go!"
Xavier hesitated only briefly before nodding.
"...Be careful."
Mother Celeste chuckled softly.
"You think two wounded little birds can stop me?"
Raiden slowly reached toward one of his wings.
His fingers wrapped around a feather.
He tore it free.
The feather instantly transformed.
Steel replaced softness.
Its edges sharpened into a deadly blade.
"We don't need to stop you," Raiden said calmly.
"We just need to keep you busy."
Xylo stepped beside him.
Flames burned brighter around his hands, continuing the speech.
"Besides," he added with a weak grin,
"You have to pay for what your little bastards did to me."
Mother Celeste's smile vanished.
The cave around them shifted. Without hesitation, Xylo attacked first, flames erupted from both his palms.
BOOM!
Two fireballs shot through the air.
Mother Celeste twisted unnaturally.
One attack missed entirely.
The second exploded against her side.
The blast forced her off course.
She hissed.
"Persistent little pest."
Raiden moved immediately.
His wings spread wide behind him.
He gripped one of his feathers.
With a sharp pull, he tore it free.
The feather hardened instantly into steel.
He lunged forward.
Mother Celeste raised two spider legs.
CLANG!
The steel feather scraped against the black chitin.
Sparks erupted.
Raiden's eyes widened.
He had expected resistance.
Not this much.
Mother Celeste smiled.
"My turn."
Four spider legs stabbed toward him simultaneously.
Raiden's wings folded around his body.
Steel spread rapidly through every feather.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The impacts echoed throughout the cavern.
Even with his hardened wings absorbing the strikes, the force shoved him backward several meters.
The stone beneath his feet cracked.
Xylo seized the opening.
Flames surged across both of his hands.
He thrust them forward.
A stream of fire exploded toward Mother Celeste.
The spider empress extended one hand.
Silk erupted from her fingertips.
The webs layered over each other, forming barriers.
The flames engulfed them instantly.
Yet somehow—
The webbing held.
Mother Celeste tilted her head.
"Did you truly think that would—"
BOOM!
Raiden burst from the smoke.
Using a powerful flap of his wings, he launched himself upward.
He drove the hardened steel feather downward.
Mother Celeste crossed two spider legs.
CRACK!
The steel feather shattered from the impact.
But Raiden had never intended to pierce through.
He twisted his body midair.
His hardened wing slammed into Mother Celeste's face, slapping her.
The impact forced her backward.
"Xylo!" Raiden shouted.
"I know!"
Xylo thrust both hands outward.
Twin fireballs roared through the cavern.
Mother Celeste dodged the first.
The second exploded against one of her legs.
She shrieked.
"You insolent insects!"
The entire cavern suddenly moved.
From cracks within the walls came thousands of skittering sounds.
Spiders.
Maggots.
Spiderlings.
The swarm surged toward them.
Raiden's expression darkened.
"We're getting overwhelmed!"
Mother Celeste lunged forward.
One massive spider leg sliced toward Xylo.
He narrowly ducked beneath it.
A second leg came from the side.
He blocked with flames.
A third struck him directly.
THUD!
Xylo was sent flying.
His body crashed through layers of silk.
He rolled violently across the cave floor.
Finally—
CRASH!
He slammed directly into a cluster of eggs.
Pain shot through his body.
"Cough—"
He forced himself upright.
The translucent eggs surrounding him pulsed softly.
Inside them, undeveloped spiderlings shifted.
Mother Celeste froze.
The fury on her face vanished.
Instead—
Fear appeared.
"No..."
Xylo blinked.
"What?"
Mother Celeste took a step forward.
"Stay away from them."
Xylo frowned.
A spiderling charged toward him.
But instinctively, he swung his burning hand.
The flames brushed against one of the eggs.
WHOOSH!
The egg ignited instantly.
The fire spread unnaturally fast.
The silk surrounding it burned like oil.
The egg burned violently, engulfed in flames.
Then collapsed.
Mother Celeste stopped moving entirely.
"...No."
Xylo stared.
Then glanced at his burning hands.
Then at the eggs.
Then back at Mother Celeste.
Realization struck.
"They burn?"
Another spider leaped toward him.
Xylo thrust his palm outward.
The stream of flames missed the creature.
Instead—
Several eggs erupted into flames.
The fire spread from egg to egg.
The surrounding silk ignited immediately.
Screeches echoed throughout the cavern.
Mother Celeste's expression shattered.
"No!"
She rushed forward desperately.
"NO!"
Raiden landed beside Xylo.
"What are you doing?!"
Xylo slowly looked toward him.
Then grinned weakly.
"I think..."
He extended both burning hands toward the nest.
"...I found her weakness."
Fire exploded outward.
The nest lit up like dry tinder.
And Mother Celeste screamed.