---
Vexor improved slightly each day. Meanwhile, Renna's breathing stabilized, though he never came out of coma. Kai wondered if the male ant would ever open his eyes again.
Throughout it all, they tried not to lose hope. Memories of the star crystal mine haunted them. The loss of two comrades and the final roar of that terrifying predator, all drove Kai to keep going.
He felt a righteous flame in his soul that no pain could extinguish. Each morning, he would quietly vow, "We'll reach the kingdom. We'll find medical help. We'll survive… for the sake of those who died. I will take revenge for them."
