Two days had passed since the encounter with Lom. Kai hardly dared to leave his shelter. The gnawing hunger and burning thirst were weakening him. The Zippo lighter—his mother's last keepsake—was now in the bully's pocket, leaving a void in his heart colder than the winter night's chill.
As darkness fell again, Kai knew he couldn't wait any longer. He had to risk going to a nearby broken automatic water distribution station, where a few precious drops still sometimes seeped out.
Unfortunately, fate was cruel. Just as Kai tried to catch the valuable water, the three familiar figures emerged from a shadowy corner. Lom stepped forward, playing with the Zippo, a triumphant smile on his lips.
"This little rat is still alive?" Lom sneered. "I thought you'd starved to death. No toys to hand over this time, so you'll pay with something else."
He signaled, and his two lackeys rushed forward, easily overpowering Kai, who was too weak from hunger and thirst. They snatched the meager water container, stripped off the jacket that barely preserved his warmth, and landed a punch to his stomach that sent him doubling over, nauseous.
"Remember," Lom leaned down, his voice full of threat. "Next time, if you have nothing, I'll take a finger. Then an arm. You're trash, and trash should be recycled or thrown away."
They left, leaving Kai curled up on the cold ground, the feeling of humiliation and powerlessness hurting more than his physical wounds. Tears streamed down his face, mixing with the grime. "I'm useless... I really am just garbage..." the dark thought invaded his mind.
At the same time, on the Junk-Dragon, Celeste, sitting in the "Stargazer's Nook," suddenly jolted. The Essence Prism containing Kai's emotions in her hand vibrated violently; its murky gray color deepened, and the orange flame flickered weakly like a dying lamp. A wave of physical pain, shame, and profound despair flooded her mind.
"No! He's about to break!" Celeste cried out, clutching the prism to her chest. She could clearly feel the "I am garbage" thought eroding Kai's will.
Celeste closed her eyes, focusing her entire mind on the connection. She tried to send something stronger than comfort. She remembered times she herself had felt scared, and what had made her stronger. It was the feeling of belonging, of being loved.
"You are NOT garbage! Do you hear me?!" Celeste sent a wave of resolute emotion, like a scream within the mind. "You are a precious fragment, just like me, just like sister Ember, just like everyone! Fragments that know how to find each other will eventually form a new star!"
She began to "send" Kai images not of the Junk-Dragon's wonders, but of the Black Storm team struggling to survive: Ember exhausted after a hunt, Teron trying to repair the ship with trembling hands, and even herself hugging her own fear and loneliness.
"We've fallen too. But we got up because we had each other. You can too! You have to get up! Look around you, there must be something that can help you! I believe in you!"
After the night's conversation and witnessing Kai's weakness, Celeste couldn't stop thinking. She remembered times she herself had been comforted: a reassuring pat on the shoulder from Ember, or simply sitting quietly next to Echo. It always made her feel warmer and stronger.
"If I can 'feed' him good feelings, like watering a young plant, will he grow stronger faster?" – The idea flashed through her mind as she watched Teron absorbing energy from a power cell.
While Ember and Teron were busy with plans to hunt Essence for a new O2 filter, Celeste saw her chance. She lied, saying she wanted to stay on the ship to "stargaze and keep watch," something she often did. Ember, though worried, saw that Celeste seemed fine and agreed, telling her to lock the doors tightly.