Chapter 141: Sister Clashes
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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.
Far below, on the transparent floor of the Crystal Court, Thea was standing, strode across mosaic runes. Her segmented pauldrons clicked with every step, the quartz-spines along her spine flaring pale light as she addressed a knot of admirers. Mia’s ears picked up every acidic word she spoke.
"She lost their prize asset, her toy boy." Thea hissed, mandibles flashing like pearl knives. "And now our precious Dawn-Blade Captain mopes in balconies. The predator had eaten her pet, that is why she looked like a loser."
The taunt carried. Mia vaulted the balcony rail in a single bound. Her legs jointed power limbs that could kick through limestone absorbed the drop with a dull thud. Court attendants scattered as she advanced, irises burning violet.
"One more insult about Kai," Mia warned, "and you’ll wear your own spines as earrings."
Thea’s lips curled. "Does a failure give commands? Your little toy boy is gone. I didn’t lie, just said what everyone else knows. Accept reality, little sister."
Mia’s breath caught, her fingers flexing, long, elegant, and tipped with aura hardened to claw nails.
From both sisters, aura erupted. Thea’s shimmered liquid silver, coiling like a living blade around her arms. Mia’s burned lurid green, her hair lifting as if caught in an invisible storm. The marble tiles beneath them cracked in spider web patterns, the Crystal Court groaning under the pressure.