OP Absorption

Hana stood ready, her sword held at her side, her gaze sweeping across the assembled guards lining the walls. She calculated quickly, assessing potential weaknesses, selecting targets based on visible armament or perceived stance.

She would choose the most advantageous opponent.

The Queen watched her evaluation with an air of faint amusement. "Ah," she said, her soft voice cutting through Hana’s thoughts. "I see you are already selecting your prey. But that privilege, human, was reserved for the interesting one. The one you killed."

Hana’s eyes snapped back to the throne, her posture stiffening slightly.

The Queen leaned back, her smile widening, showing just a hint of sharpened teeth. "For you, the substitute? No. I shall choose."

Her gaze drifted over her assembled court, lingering here and there, as if deciding which child deserved a new toy. The spider-kin straightened, anticipation rippling through their ranks. Some looked eager, others indifferent, but all watched their Queen.

Finally, her eyes settled on a figure standing near a shadowed pillar halfway down the hall. A figure whose vibrant red hair stood out against the muted tones of the chamber.

"Arexa," she called out. "Come."

From the shadows, a humanoid spider emerged, moving with a fluid grace that was disturbingly predatory. She was tall, clad in dark, segmented armor that left her arms bare, revealing intricate crimson markings coiling around pale skin. Her fiery red hair was pulled back severely, emphasizing a face with sharp features and six intelligent eyes that gleamed with cruel delight. A long, wicked-looking whip coiled loosely at her side, its tip occasionally twitching like a snake’s tail.

Arexa strode forward, stopping at the base of the throne dais. She bowed low, not with subservience, but with the confident acknowledgment of power. "My Queen," her voice was surprisingly melodic, but held a sharp, metallic undertone.

"It has been some time since you tasted human blood, has it not?" the Queen asked conversationally.