Avi and Luna were escorted back to the ship, carrying the egg stasis device. When they returned to Genesis Star, they landed in the same spot as before and traveled the empty corridors to Ronra Naad's hideout.

Right as she stopped in front of the entry gate, Avi's heart began beating faster. She couldn't hide her nervousness from Luna.

“Avi, please, breathe and calm down or Ronra will get suspicious.” - Luna warned.

“I'm sorry.” - Avi replied. - “I... just don't know what she's capable of. For some reason, it makes me scared.”

“Just realize that it's only an old, rotting insect.” - Luna said. - “Can someone like that really be dangerous?”

“No, I don't think so.” - Avi answered. - “I kind of... feel sorry for her. She was alone too, for a longer time. Who knows what it can do to a person.”

“Don't pity her until we learn who she really is.” - Luna added.

“You're right, it's too much speculation.” - Avi sighed. - “Let's go.”

The gate opened, and the girls entered, passing the steel platform and the medical facility. Finally, the door to Ronra Naad's personal room opened, and Luna moved inside, holding the fake egg.

“Welcome... cough... cough... welcome back. Do you have what I requested?” - Ronra asked.

“Here.” - Luna showed her the egg.

“Is that... a queen?” - Ronra uttered. - “Incredible... with that, I can rebuild the entire hive!” - A section of the nearby wall retracted, showing an empty slot. - “Please... place it there.”

“First, you tell us how to find Anaari.” - Luna demanded.

“That's not what the deal was. No egg, no talks.” - Ronra coughed out impatiently.

“Fine.” - Luna said, maintaining composure while approaching the slot. When the egg was inside, the drawer holding it retracted into the wall.

“Now, speak.” - Luna requested.

Ronra only coughed, then activated a wide, holographic screen that showed the five neighbouring stars.

“That's,,, Cross of Immortality.” - Avi noticed. - “Are Anaari there?”

“No, but Anaari know that Universal Necrosis is lying waste to those systems. I just sent them the signal to help us purge this place.” - Ronra answered.

“What do you mean by... purge?” - Avi whispered, horrified by her sudden realization.

“This.” - Ronra replied.

Five beams of concentrated light began to converge at the center of the main stars, and their diameter gradually grew.

“NO!” - Avi yelled, her fists pummeling Ronra's sarcophagus in desperation. - “Stop this! There are still people there!”

“That doesn't matter.” - Ronra responded coldly. - “With me, the hive will survive.”

“STOP!!!” - Avi screamed at the top of her lungs.

The suns of the Cross of Immortality transformed into supernovas and illuminated the dark sky. Luna covered her mouth, disbelieving what she was seeing.

“STOP! I BEG YOU! STOP THEM!” - Avi continued yelling, her face in tears.

“Avi...” - Avi muttered in a weak voice. - “It's too late...”

“No... no...” - Avi collapsed to her knees.

“Ah, Anaari's weapon is right behind the Cross of Immortality. There, you'll learn more.” - Ronra said curtly. - “The coordinates are on the screen.”

Luna noted the numbers, but didn't say a word yet. She helped Avi to stand up, get out of Ronra's room, and only added. - “You'll be punished for that.”

---

“Avi...” - Luna said with concern. - “...can you pull yourself together?”

Avi sobbed. - “N-no.”

“We have to move. There's nothing in this place we can do anymore.” - Luna insisted.

“I... I... don't know... I... what have we done!?”

Support creative writers by reading their stories on NovelBin, not stolen versions.

“Avi! You can't blame yourself for it!”

“W-we... w... we...” - Avi broke down crying again. Tears welled up in Luna's eyes, but she bit her lip and helped Avi to keep walking.

When they were on a platform over the factory, Luna felt a sudden rush of adrenaline, and her heart skipped a beat. - “Avi...” - Luna said. - “...pull yourself together, now.”

Avi was still sobbing.

“AVI!” - Luna yelled, slapping her.

Avi stood frozen, confused about what was happening.

“Hide behind me and prepare your cell.” - Luna spoke decisively.

Before Avi could react, Ronra Naad in Anaari's armor rose above the factory, far from the platform. It was one of her replacement bodies.

“The egg was fake.” - Ronra said. - “Where is the real one?”

“You won't get it! We know what you would do with it!” - Luna shouted.

“Even then... so what? With me as the queen, the hive will have a better chance of surviving than with some young brats. You should realize this and give the egg back... or I don't vouch for your own survival.” - Ronra threatened.

“No! With someone like you, the hive will be lost!” - Luna shouted again.

“No, with me, we will conquer the universe.” - Ronra said, materializing blades from orange light on her forearms. - “I know that your spaceship is close... so I don't really need you. I'll find the egg on my own.”

Ronra fired a barrage of a thousand invisible needles from behind her. Luna was quick to notice that they were mainly targeting Avi, so she threw herself at the girl, protecting her with her own body. Her shield of light activated in the last possible moment.

“Avi...” - Luna said as they were under nonstop assault. - “Run to the ship and activate its forcefield.”

“But...” - Avi uttered.

“Don't protest. I can't fight her and protect you at the same time.” - Luna replied. - “I'm serious.”

Avi looked Luna deep in the eyes. - “I believe you... Will you come back?”

“I will.” - Luna said, then turned to Ronra and yelled a loud battle cry. Her shield flared brightly and spread wide, blinding Ronra and shattering all the needles.

Avi ran to the gate, but Ronra quickly switched her visual filter to a different one, then pointed her arm towards Avi. Right before she could shoot, Luna's ray of white light hit her, redirecting the red laser at the steel support, which caused it to be cut in half. The ceiling collapsed right behind Avi, letting her safely escape.

“Keep your eyes on me.” - Luna called. - “I'm your enemy.”

“No difference. I'll kill you, then your pet, and then I'll take what's mine.” - Ronra replied.

Luna didn't get provoked. - “With your obsolete armor? You won't hurt even a fly.”

“Obsolete? Someone didn't do their homework. It's not a model that you saw on my display.” - Ronra boasted. - “A single child of light won't be an issue. I'll wipe the floor with you.”

Luna examined the armor again, in detail, but her scans were suddenly blocked.

“That's what I'm talking about!” - Ronra dematerialized, appearing right behind Luna. Her blade aimed at her neck and was about to cut it, when Luna stopped it with her arm, faster than Ronra was able to register.

Luna yelped in pain and pulled her arm with all her strength, causing the blade to break. She jumped down the platform, disappearing behind the steel containers.

“You can't hide.” - Ronra said, switching her visual filters. Back of her armor deployed two black rocket launchers filled with dozens of missiles and they soon rained devastating fire right where running Luna was spotted.

The girl felt explosions all around her, and she sensed the floor collapsing. One of the containers slid down the slanted, jagged steel, shoving her into the room below. Luna dropped, then manoeuvred between the supporting pillars, lifting the crates with her aura of light, then hurling them toward Ronra, who calmly dodged.

“How funny. The daughter of Anaari, who doesn't know her own technological capabilities. You overestimated yourself.” - Ronra declared confidently and activated the sniper gun on her shoulder. It tracked the target that darted between the columns, disappearing and reappearing.

In Ronra's helmet, 'Target locked' appeared, then a black-and-white ray pierced the air, tearing through everything it touched. Luna's head was hit, and her body disintegrated.

“I was right, obsolete technology everywhere.” - A synthetic voice echoed.

“What!?” - Luna switched her filters, one after the other, unable to find where it came from.

“I made sure you won't be able to use your body replacements again.” - The voice added.

“What... what did you do?” - Ronra uttered.

“Destroyed them. What else was I supposed to do?” - Luna said impassively. She revealed herself, stepping out from behind the pillar, waving her hand.

Ronra yelled in anger, activating all rocket launchers and firing at Luna's image. The ceiling collapsed, crushing it, but the image vanished, like it was an illusion.

Ronra switched the filters with uncontrollable rage, but didn't even notice that her robots stopped moving. One of the drones came from behind, crashing against her head. She turned and noticed that the entire factory was in chaos, her machines were running into each other and exploding, or starting fires. - “Where are you hiding, you coward!?”

“Hmm... It's hard to tell. I'm a bit lost. You have quite an impressive medical facility here, though... so I decided to break a few flasks, shut down the equipment... You probably understand, I'm making sure you have nothing to go back to.”

Ronra realized what was really happening and quietly uttered. - “You can't... without it, the hive won't survive.”

“Uh-uh. No, only you won't” - Luna replied.

“I'll find you and kill you!” - Ronra rushed back to the medical center, but the only thing she found were crushed robots, torn-apart walls and ceilings, and spilled fluids. She felt she was missing something. She activated all of the filters at once, and they lit up like a Christmas tree. - “You... you are everywhere?”

“Bingo.” - Ronra heard from the speakers.

“You're not a child of light. What... what the hell are you?” - Ronra uttered.

“Me...? I'm your reaper.” - Ronra could hear behind her. She checked the camera and noticed Luna there, pointing a finger at her helmet. - “Bam!”

A ray of light pierced Ronra's skull, and she woke up, back in her decomposing body, in the sarcophagus. She couldn't move, she wasn't connected to any systems other than those supporting her life.

Luna loomed over her, full of disdain. She came closer to the glass, knowing well that Ronra can't even speak now. - “No, I won't kill you. My friend probably wouldn't want it. She has too good of a heart... but you, you will stay here, rotting, until your short days run out.”

Ronra, terrified, gazed at the last lights in her room, flickering and dying. There was nothing left, other than her abandoned self and darkness.