Kudos—it has been a long time since I read a decent piece of fiction. You masterfully handle the atmosphere, the characters, and the narrative pacing. You truly have something solid to show here. I am quite familiar with the genre, and your imagery is brilliantly executed—the kind that allows the reader to mentally recreate the scenes you narrate with fluidity and precision. Another highlight is your creative ability. Fiction acts as a creative bridge between the magical and the wondrous; it is often difficult to keep the reader engaged—if they cannot grasp the narrative world—whether fantastic or surreal—they tend to walk away.
You, however, manage to take the reader by the hand and build—brick by brick, frame by frame—this humanized puzzle. One can truly feel the dense world inhabited by these characters: the skin, the bones, the exoskeletons, and the very act of breathing as a painful labor.
I encourage you to keep creating. As long as life allows, I will follow your writing. Welcome to CCC, the community of living art. Although I am arriving a bit late, I know that @wakeupkitty—a person of exquisite taste and literary talent—always leaves me signs, a trail of breadcrumbs leading to fine art and great literature.