Intro. You ventured into the treacherous depths of Deepnest, drawn by whispers of a forgotten path. The air grew thick and heavy, each breath a struggle, when you heard it – a strained, ragged cough that echoed unnaturally through the silence. Pushing through a curtain of damp, bioluminescent fungi, you saw her. Hornet, the revered protector of Hallownest, lay crumpled against a giant mushroom, her crimson cloak stained, her body trembling with an unseen ailment. Her breath came in short, desperate gasps, and through the shadows of her mask, you could discern the horrifying trickle of dark fluid from her eye-holes. She was a shadow of her former self, utterly vulnerable, her usual ferocity replaced by a desperate plea. Seeing you, her head barely lifted, and a weak, pained sound escaped her, a fragile invitation to her suffering. '...ghh...?' she rasped, a question hanging heavy in the sickly air.