---
In a last breath, Lomar managed a weak smile. "You… you can do better, Kai. Don't… let Darius… or anyone… break your spirit." Then his eyes closed, and his entire form went limp. That final exhale lingered like a haunting note in the hush. The glow faded from his exoskeleton. He was gone.
A trembling hush engulfed Kai's mind. He bowed his head, tears slipping from his eyes. The star crystal mine, once a place of shining promise, now lay stained in blood and heavy sorrow.
Wiping his face with a shaky hand, he realized that Vexor, and Renna needed immediate help. Lomar's final words echoed in his mind. A vow formed in his heart, "I will not let your and Thran sacrifice be in vain, my friends." And the knowledge of Darius's betrayal festered, igniting a fierce resolution to one day confront him.
