Cruel Cycle of Life

Haeto's battered body trembled with relief, exhaustion coursing through him as he allowed himself a moment to bask in the triumph of his possible evolution.

The translucent glow of the system screen faded, leaving him in silence.

He exhaled a shaky sigh, finally believing that the nightmare was over.

But then, something caught his attention.

At first, it was a little unnoticeable.

A faint buzzing sound, soft and distant, barely noticeable over the rustle of the forest.

Haeto's non-existent eyes instinctively turned upward, scanning the sky.

What he saw sent a shiver coursing through his plant body.

Countless black specks dotted the pale blue expanse above, moving in erratic, chaotic patterns.

The insects were flying aimlessly, weaving through the air like drunken phantoms.

Their numbers grew rapidly, blackening the sky with their swarming mass.

Haeto's stem stiffened, unease creeping into him like a slow, insidious black mamba poison.

The buzzing intensified, a relentless drone that grew louder with every passing second.

It was an oppressive sound, suffocating in its sheer volume.

For Haeto, it's different.

It wasn't just noise—it was a declaration, a warning.

Something was wrong.

Deeply, terrifyingly wrong.

He could feel it.

At first, the swarm moved aimlessly, as if caught in the morning breeze. But then, one insect—just one—broke away from the chaotic dance.

It spiraled downward in a slow, almost lazy descent, its tiny body catching the light like a shard of dark glass.

Haeto's nonexistent heart pounded in his chest.

He watched as the insect drifted closer, its movements unhurried, as if it had all the time in the world.

It wasn't coming for him.

No, its trajectory was different.

The creature landed softly, its tiny legs barely making a sound as it touched the forest floor.

It wasn't headed toward Haeto.

It was headed toward the corpses.

The first corpse it approached was that of the largest carnivorous plant—the one that had been mercilessly slain by the six-armed rat.

Its massive body lay crumpled and broken, its once-proud leaves now torn and wilted.

The insect scuttled forward, its antennae twitching as it picked up the scent of decay.

Haeto froze, his stem rigid as he watched the insect's every move.

The way it walked was deliberate, almost methodical, each tiny step filled with an unsettling purpose.

Its legs clicked against the ground, the sound sharp and unnerving, like the ticking of a clock counting down to something inevitable.

It climbed onto the fallen plant's wilted leaves, its tiny mandibles twitching as it explored the surface.

Haeto could feel his body tensing further with each passing time he watched it.

The insect moved slowly, crawling over the torn edges of the plant's stem, pausing occasionally as if to inspect the damage.

"What are you going to do?" Haeto muttered, acting like he had no idea, though he knew the answer would come soon.

He couldn't look away.

His gaze was locked on the insect, every instinct screaming at him that this was something he wasn't supposed to see.

The insect stopped at a jagged tear in the plant's stem.

It hesitated for a moment, its antennae waving in the air, tasting the scent of the wound. And then, without warning, it lunged forward.

Crunch.

The sound was sharp and visceral, a sickening noise that echoed through the clearing.

Haeto's body trembled as he watched the insect's mandibles sink into the flesh of the plant, tearing away a small chunk of its decayed body.

"Shit," Haeto whispered, his voice shaking. "Shit, shit, shit…"

But the insect wasn't done. It bit down again, and again, its tiny body quivering with savage intensity as it tore into the corpse.

Each bite was accompanied by that same nauseating crunch, a sound that seemed to grow louder with every passing second.

Haeto's thoughts raced, his mind struggling to comprehend what he was seeing.

These insects weren't scavengers—not the kind he was used to.

They weren't just cleaning up the remains.

They were consuming them.

Devouring them.

And then, the first insect was no longer alone.

From the sky above, more began to descend.

One by one, the dark specks broke away from the swarm, spiraling downward in a slow, deliberate cascade.

They landed in unison, their tiny bodies scattering across the clearing like a plague.

Each insect moved with the same eerie purpose, their legs clicking as they made their way toward the fallen plants.

Haeto's nonexistent heart pounded harder, his body quivering as he watched the swarm converge.

The second corpse fell victim next. It was a smaller carnivorous plant, its once-bright colors now dulled by death.

The insects swarmed over it like a living tide, their mandibles tearing into its flesh with a horrifying frenzy.

Crunch.

Rip.

Tear.

The sounds were unbearable to Haeto's ear, though he didn't have any, a grotesque symphony of devouring that filled his ears.

The insects didn't stop.

They didn't hesitate.

They consumed with a hunger that was almost mechanical, their tiny bodies vibrating with the intensity of their feast.

Haeto's stem shuddered, his mind racing as he understood the sheet horror unfolding before him. "The- The cruel cycle of life?" he whispered, his voice trembling.

He felt his body grow cold as a chilling realization crept into his mind.

These insects were behaving naturally. But to him, they are behaving unnaturally.

This wasn't the way scavengers acted.

They weren't just cleaning up the remains.

They were erasing them.

His nonexistent eyes widened as he saw the first corpse—the largest carnivorous plant—begin to disappear.

Piece by piece, it was being consumed, its massive body reduced to nothing but scraps.

The swarm moved with precision, devouring every last fragment of the fallen plant.

Within minutes, there was nothing left.

No leaves.

No stem.

Not even the roots.

Haeto's body trembled violently as the realization burned him like a lava flow his roots.

And now, they were moving toward the next corpse.

Haeto's nonexistent heart pounded in his chest as he watched the swarm converge on another fallen plant.

His mind screamed at him to move, to do something, but his body refused to obey.

He was frozen, paralyzed by the sheer weight of his fear.

"Hurry! Evolve me!" he whispered, his voice shaking and pleading.

The swarm didn't answer.

It didn't need to.

Its actions spoke louder than words.

Haeto's stem quivered as he watched the swarm devour the next plant, their mandibles working with relentless efficiency.

The sounds of their feast filled the air, a grotesque symphony of destruction that seemed to echo in his mind.

And then, as if sensing his fear, one of the insects turned toward him.

Its tiny, glistening eyes locked onto him, and for a moment, Haeto felt as though he were staring into the void itself. His body trembled as the insect began to move toward him, its legs clicking against the ground like the ticking of a clock.

"No," Haeto whispered, his voice trembling. "No, no, no… I'm still alive!"

But the insect didn't stop. It kept coming, its movements deliberate and unrelenting.

Haeto's body shuddered as he watched the insect approach, his mind racing as he tried to think of a way to escape. But there was no escape.

Not this time.

And then, as the insect drew closer, Haeto saw something that made his nonexistent heart freeze.

More insects were turning toward him.

They are coming.