The Eccentric Entomologist is Now a Queen's Consort-Chapter 401: The New Status Quo (1)

Mikhailis drifted.

Weightless.

There was no pain. No warmth. No cold. Just a soft, formless silence that wrapped around him like a silken cocoon. At first, he thought he was dead. Maybe he was. It was peaceful here, at least, in a way he had never known before. He lingered, suspended in this quiet place, detached from all the chaos, all the violence, all the pain he'd left behind.

But slowly, gently, something began to stir. A distant flicker, subtle at first, like a single star igniting in an endless expanse of night. He felt his attention tugged toward it, a subtle pull of curiosity amid the stillness. It pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat—steady, patient, calling him without words. The rhythm echoed softly in this ethereal realm, pulling him forward even though his limbs didn't move.

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He drifted closer, and the pulse grew brighter, clearer. Warmth, soft yet insistent, spread gently, not enough to burn but enough to remind him what it meant to feel alive. Mikhailis found himself drawing toward it, and as he approached, he saw mist swirling around the beacon. Pale and elegant, it moved with an uncanny grace, floating and folding upon itself in gentle waves.

Slowly, the mist began to take shape, subtly at first. Wisps gathered together, layering into forms he recognized—forms that spoke to him deeply. The delicate curve of silver-white hair emerged first, shimmering softly as if touched by moonlight. It cascaded down the figure's back in perfect waves. A crown rested lightly atop her head, dignified yet understated, and even from this distance, he could sense the calm strength radiating from her silhouette.

Elowen.

Seeing her, even in this unreal space, filled his heart with relief. She stood composed, dignified, every line of her form radiating authority. Yet there was something else, something beneath the surface—warmth, compassion, tenderness—emotions she often hid beneath her mask of calm elegance. He felt it here, clearly, as if her spirit whispered directly to his own.

For a moment, the mist swirled again, reshaping itself anew. Another figure appeared beside Elowen, stepping forward with quiet confidence. This one tall, lithe, graceful. Mikhailis's gaze immediately recognized the distinctive ponytail swaying gently behind her head. The familiar, carefully arranged black hair that spoke of precise control, elegance, yet beneath that precision lay a depth of emotion, carefully guarded yet unmistakable.

Lira.

Her arms were crossed in that familiar, gently defiant way, and her eyes narrowed slightly, a look of playful exasperation on her lips. She always carried herself with such elegant dignity, yet beneath that calm exterior was something warmer, something softer. He knew that side well, had glimpsed it countless times when she believed he wasn't looking. Even here, in this unreal dreamscape, the feeling of her warmth, her protective, gentle strength, lingered clearly.

And then came the third voice, breaking the dreamy silence with characteristic bluntness.

<Statistical error margin: 87%. Your impulse control is appalling, Mikhailis.>

Rodion.

Of course, Rodion was here too. Even in the depths of his own subconscious, he couldn't escape Rodion's perpetual judgment. Mikhailis would have laughed if he could; instead, he felt amusement ripple softly through his formless existence. Rodion's dry, clinical assessments had always grounded him in reality—even if that reality often irritated him beyond measure. Yet he wouldn't trade that sharp, digital voice for anything.

But before he could dwell long on Rodion's presence, a fourth voice shattered the gentle tranquility. Harsh, bitter, tinged with rage and betrayal.

"You betrayed me."

Auron.

The voice cracked through the dreamscape like a lightning strike, sharp and jagged. Its harshness splintered the serene mist, fracturing its beauty momentarily, creating jagged edges where before there had been only gentle swirls. It was the sound of desperate fury, the voice of a prince broken by his own ambition. Mikhailis felt a pang, not exactly sympathy, but an acknowledgment of tragedy. He wished things had ended differently, yet he knew it had been inevitable.

But just as quickly as Auron's voice had emerged, it began fading, swallowed again by the gently swirling mist. The harshness dulled, softened, as if smoothed by the subtle breeze within this strange space. The anger, the hate, slowly dissipated, leaving behind only echoes, faint reminders of the chaos that had brought him here.

Mikhailis's gaze moved upward, instinctively searching for something comforting amid the remnants of bitterness. Above him, high and regal, a new shape emerged from the mist. Its limbs moved gently, yet carried a reassuring strength. Massive yet graceful, with a presence both soothing and powerful, the ant-shaped figure hovered protectively, silently watching over him. He knew this presence intimately, recognized the quiet aura of strength, the protective stance that communicated clearly: he was safe here, beneath its watch.

The Queen.

Not merely any ant, but his own Chimera Ant Queen, her form majestic and imposing yet filled with gentle grace. She loomed protectively, as if shielding him from the darkness that still lingered at the edges of this place. Her presence was grounding, a reassurance he hadn't even known he needed until this moment. He felt a wave of profound gratitude. Even in this strange, otherworldly realm, she guarded him.

His eyes drifted slowly back down, attention captured again by the golden threads that now spiraled gracefully down from above. They wove themselves gently around him, soft as silk, yet firm in their intent. They moved like tendrils of fate itself, twining about his chest, his arms, his legs, encasing him gently yet insistently. As they touched him, he felt warmth flood through him—not painful, not burning, but soothing, steady, anchoring him more firmly into this reality.

For a moment, his mind drifted, memories surfacing gently. Times spent with Elowen, quiet evenings, whispered conversations filled with subtle affection and careful teasing. Moments with Lira, her dry wit breaking through his melancholy, the slight quirk of her eyebrow as she challenged him. The countless times Rodion's voice had pulled him back from reckless impulses, a digital guardian he never asked for but sorely needed.

These memories swirled gently, wrapped together within the golden threads, becoming clearer, stronger. Each memory pulled him gently but steadily away from the comforting nothingness, drawing him closer to something brighter, more alive. The golden threads became clearer, more defined, forming a cocoon around him—no longer trapping him in silent darkness, but guiding him gently towards awakening.

Then, amid the quiet rhythm of the threads, he sensed something new. A gentle beat, rhythmic and steady, quietly compelling in its softness. A heartbeat. He recognized it instinctively—not his own, but familiar nonetheless, steady and reassuring. It resonated through the golden threads, pulling him closer, inviting him gently to return. It was calling him home.

Elowen, he thought quietly, knowing the beat matched hers perfectly. It had always been her. She had always guided him back.

He felt the mist around him begin to fade, unraveling softly like cloth threads gently pulled apart. The silvery shapes dissolved, drifting gently away, leaving behind only clarity, warmth, life. The dazzling light shattered delicately into a myriad of tiny rays, each one gently wrapping around him as if unraveling the cocoon that had held him so long. Each ray of light was a tiny whisper of reality, pulling him back to the world he belonged to—a world filled with joy and pain, chaos and peace, a world he was not yet finished with.

He felt his chest rise slowly, air filling his lungs softly, gently, more real than anything he had felt before. Warmth spread steadily throughout him, flowing gently through his veins. His heart thumped once, twice, steady and real.

The golden threads loosened their hold, gently slipping away. He felt sensation return to his limbs, awareness sharpening, bringing with it the familiar aches of reality—painful yet reassuringly tangible.

His eyelids fluttered, still heavy with fatigue, yet responding to his gentle command. He knew, instinctively, that this dream had done its job. It had brought him home again, guided by voices he loved and trusted, grounded by warmth he cherished deeply.

He breathed.