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The royal halls of the capital of the Ant Kingdom had never felt this colder and lonely to Mia. She stood on a balcony of veined jade, eyes fixed on the northern cavern mouth where Kai had vanished weeks ago. Moon orchid lanterns glimmered above, yet not one spark eased the heaviness inside her heart.
Her lavender carapace normally shimmered beneath court lights, now it looked dull. She kept worrying about Kai, her fingernails pressed against the rail, carving idle gouges while her eyes twitched for any rumor of Kai's return. None came.
Behind her, the royal promenade buzzed with a different tension, nobles ants bristling, courtiers whispering, the faint crackle of aura from two seven star ants circling the same throne room. They were talking about Darius, who killed him? Who was that silver-haired man? Many questions were raised, but no answers found. Darius' mother was furious. She wanted to find the murderer of her son.
