Chapter 6: Aya vs. The Entire Outside World (And She’s Losing)

Aya had officially escaped the ant colony and was now a free ant.

Yay, freedom.

Too bad freedom sucked.

Part 1: The Search for Food (And Almost Dying in 3 Seconds)

After sprinting blindly into the unknown, Aya finally slowed down to process her new life situation.

She was tiny, fragile, and edible.

The world was massive, terrifying, and full of things that wanted to eat her.

Great. I traded one death sentence for another.

But now, her hunger was kicking in. The kind of hunger that gnawed at her insides like a drill.

Ugh, I need food… but what do I even eat?

She sniffed the air using her new hypersensitive antennae.

Immediately, an overwhelming flood of smells hit her brain like a freight train.

Rotting leaves. Damp wood. Tree sap. The distant musk of some large, horrifying creature.

And—oh.

Food.

Somewhere nearby, she could smell something edible.

She followed the scent, scurrying forward through a maze of dirt and grass blades.

Then, she saw it.

A juicy, delicious chunk of food, a fruit fallen from the tree.

It felt like it was golden and glistening, lying innocently on the forest floor.

Aya felt tears of joy welling up.

I did it. I found food. I—

And then, it moved.

THE FOOD MOVED.

Wait.

That wasn't food.

That was a GIANT BEETLE.

Aya froze in horror as the massive black creature turned toward her, mandibles twitching.

It hissed, its six legs clicking as it charged at her like a runaway truck.

Part 2: The Fight (That Was a Terrible Idea)

Aya's survival instincts kicked in.

"NOPE."

She turned and ran for her life.

But her stupid little ant legs weren't fast enough.

The beetle lunged, slamming into her and sending her rolling across the ground.

Aya landed flat on her back, staring up as the monstrous insect loomed over her.

OH GOD, I'M GONNA DIE OVER A MEAL.

She tried to fight back, kicking wildly with her tiny legs.

Her pathetic attacks bounced off the beetle's thick, armor-like exoskeleton like a weak office worker slapping a steel wall.

Nothing.

It did nothing.

Aya, realizing how absolutely screwed she was, did the only logical thing.

She screamed.

Which, as an ant, meant she let out a very angry pheromone burst that probably just smelled like pure panic.

The beetle clicked its mandibles menacingly, raising a leg to crush her.

And then—

A shadow passed overhead.

A huge, horrifying blur swooped down.

In an instant, the beetle was lifted into the air, screeching in terror.

Aya stared.

A giant bird had just snatched her attacker like it was a free snack.

…And just like that, Aya was saved.

She lay there, stunned, staring at the sky.

"…I hate everything."

Part 3: The Other Ants (Oh, Great, More Problems)

After narrowly escaping death by beetle, Aya decided:

Fighting big bugs = BAD IDEA.Hiding and sneaking = SMART IDEA.

For the next few hours, she moved carefully, staying close to shadows and under leaves.

She ate whatever she could find—tiny crumbs, some weird sticky plant goo, and something that might have been a dead bug leg.

It wasn't five-star cuisine, but at least it wasn't actively trying to eat her.

Okay, okay, I can do this. I just need a safe place to hide…

Then, she saw it.

A small underground tunnel entrance.

It wasn't her old colony's tunnel. It was smaller, rougher. Like a hidden burrow.

Excited, she hurried toward it.

But the moment she got close—

A blur of movement.

Aya barely dodged as a massive pair of mandibles snapped at her.

From the darkness, another ant crawled out.

But this wasn't one of her colony ants.

This one was scarred, its exoskeleton chipped. Its antennae flicked aggressively.

Aya froze.

Oh no. Another ant.

But before she could even react—

More of them appeared.

Three, five, TEN ants, all crawling out of the tunnel, surrounding her.

They weren't welcoming.

They were pissed.

One shoved her roughly, its pheromones screaming:

"INTRUDER. LEAVE OR DIE."

Aya immediately got the message.

OH CRAP, THEY'RE TERRITORIAL?!

Before she could explain, negotiate, or even scream, the rogue ants lunged.

Aya dodged wildly, barely escaping as their mandibles snapped at her legs.

She scurried backward, frantically trying to pheromone out an apology.

But these ants didn't care.

They just kept attacking.

Aya turned and ran for her life.

Part 4: Aya's New Philosophy

After nearly getting murdered by rogue ants, Aya finally collapsed behind a large rock, panting.

She was covered in dust, her tiny body trembling.

Okay. Okay. Lesson learned.

Big bugs are scary. Avoid.Rogue ants are worse. Avoid.EVERYTHING IS TRYING TO KILL ME. AVOID.

She sat there, utterly exhausted.

She had escaped one death trap, only to run straight into a bigger one.

This world?

It sucked.

I was a miserable office worker, and now I'm a miserable ant. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

Aya let out a tiny, pathetic sigh.

Then, suddenly—

A rustle.

Her antennae twitched.

Something was moving nearby.

She turned slowly, dreading what she would see.

And then—

She locked eyes with something much, much bigger than her.

Something…hungry.

Aya's heart plummeted.

"…I hate this stupid life."