Didi counted distinct responses to the hive's command as grey radiance seeped through the seed repository ceiling.
The voices answered on separate rhythms, giving Didi evidence that the hive never owned one unified will.
Across the arched ceiling overhead, foreign grey radiance seeped through the masonry vaults, pulsing with the invasive hum of the hive mind.
[Unranked vessels available, command route stable, complete channel within reach]
Aria's mechanical relay chimed sharply from the communication terminal mounted directly beside the reinforced vault entryway.
"Princess, the command route joins their blood to the root beneath the seed planters, so breaking it may send backlash through everyone marked."
Twelve palace gardeners huddled together near the center of the underground vault, trembling under the encroaching alien presence.
Hajin stood between the trembling workers and the descent walkway, his sharp gaze tracking every fluctuation in the surrounding mana.
