Aliana was chained to a cold, rusted chair in the dimly lit room, her body aching and blood dripping from fresh wounds. Bruises darkened her arms and face, and the pain was unbearable - but the psychological torment was even worse.
Roger Raylor paced in front of her, a sick smile spread across his face, the very image of a sadistic psychopath. His once well-groomed appearance was now rough around the edges, his obsession with control and power twisting him into something darker over the years.
"You know," Roger sneered, twirling a knife in his hand, "I still remember that pathetic little 'magician' friend of yours. Star, was it?" He spat the name like venom. "He couldn't even stop me back then. He knocked the gun from my hand - so what? That was a fluke."
Aliana's heart clenched at the mention of Star, but she didn't respond.
Roger's grin widened as he saw the flicker of emotion in her eyes. "Do you really think he's going to come here, barge in like some hero, and save you?" He laughed, an unsettling sound. "This isn't a schoolyard fight. This is my world now."
He yanked her head up by her hair, forcing her to look at him. "Even if he did come - and that's a big 'if' - what's he going to do? Knock another gun out of my hand?" His voice dripped with condescension. "He doesn't have the power to fight an entire bandit group. He's just a cheap magician playing with tricks."
Aliana's breathing was ragged, her mind clouded with pain, but something inside her flared. A spark.
Even in this broken state, she remembered who Star really was - the man who survived years of torment under his master, the man who fought against his own dark powers to help others, the man who built himself up from nothing to become someone the entire town respected.
Roger didn't know. He didn't know about Star's black magic.
He didn't know the real Star.
Her lips, cracked and bleeding, trembled - but then, with a surprising burst of defiance, she muttered through gritted teeth:
"You... can't even become a speck... of Star."
Roger froze. The words hit him like a slap to the face. His grin twisted into a furious snarl.
"What did you say?" His voice was dangerously low.
Aliana glared at him through the pain, her voice weak but firm. "You're... nothing compared to him."
Roger's entire demeanor snapped. His breathing grew erratic, his face contorted with rage. The knife in his hand shook as he gripped it tightly.
"You... ungrateful... little-"
And then, like a switch had flipped, he lashed out - striking Aliana again, harder, more viciously than before. Each blow seemed more brutal than the last, as if her words had shattered his fragile ego.
Blood splattered onto the cold floor, and Aliana's vision blurred, but she refused to scream. She refused to give him the satisfaction.
"I'll end you right here!" Roger growled, his voice unhinged. "If I can't have you - no one will!"
Despite the agony, despite the overwhelming fear, Aliana's mind clung to one last hope -
Star...
Please... find me.
Star stormed through the base like an unstoppable force, his black magic crackling around him like a dark aura. His eyes - focused, intense, and burning with unshakable determination - seemed to pierce through every corridor as if he could already sense Aliana's suffering.
The once-feared guards of the Black Wolf gang were now either hypnotized into loyal pawns standing at attention, fast asleep, or sent flying by violent bursts of dark energy. Some were hurled so far into the air that they disappeared from sight, the echoes of their screams trailing behind.
Kade couldn't help but let out a whistle. "Man... Star's not even breaking a sweat."
Jake chuckled nervously. "Remind me never to get on his bad side..."
Luna, though impressed, kept her voice firm. "Focus, guys. We're not here to watch a magic show."
Nia's expression was a mix of awe and worry. "He's pushing his magic too hard... If he keeps using it at this rate..."
Aliana's father, running alongside them, was in disbelief. His last memory of Star was of a reserved young man with simple tricks - but this was someone else entirely.
"Is this... really the same Star?" he muttered under his breath.
Kade nodded. "Yeah... but this is what happens when you mess with someone he loves."
Star's movements were smooth and calculated, his magic responding not with fury, but with cold, controlled power. Every time a new wave of bandits appeared - even with guns drawn - Star barely flinched. A flick of his fingers, a muttered spell, and the weapons were ripped from their hands or shattered into pieces.
A particularly bold bandit charged at Star from behind with a knife - but before the blade could even graze his back, Star's black magic flared up like a shield, sending the man flying backward into the wall.
The bandit collapsed, unconscious.
Star didn't even glance back.
The friends exchanged glances - this wasn't just about saving Aliana. Star was on a different level now. The sheer control he had over his magic, the way he used it so efficiently without wasting a shred of energy - this was the result of all his years of growth and discipline.
But despite his unrelenting pace, the path to Aliana was still long.
The base was a maze of endless hallways, staircases, and hidden doors - designed to disorient and trap any intruder. Star's magic allowed him to track Aliana's energy, but the route was twisted, and every few steps brought a new wave of guards trying to block his way.
Even though Star made it look effortless, his jaw tightened. Time was slipping away.
With each minute lost, Aliana was still in Roger's grasp.
And the sickening feeling gnawed at him - the thought that every second he wasn't by her side could be the moment Roger decided to go too far.
His hand clenched into a fist, and a surge of black magic flared around him again, sending a shockwave that knocked out another group of bandits in his path.
His friends were still trailing behind, but Star didn't speak.
He wasn't going to stop.
Not until he reached Aliana.
Not until she was safe.
The real question wasn't whether Star could overpower the base - he clearly could.
The question was - could he reach Aliana before it was too late?
Star's relentless advance through the base was nothing short of terrifying. The once-confident bandits of the Black Wolf gang were now scrambling, their faces frozen in fear as the dark energy crackling around Star swept through the hallways like a storm.
The more mazes they threw at him - the more guards that surged in from every corner - the more merciless Star became.
Blasts of black magic tore through obstacles like they were paper. Bandits were flung across rooms, slammed into walls, and knocked unconscious with a single flick of his wrist. It wasn't just power - it was precision. Every move Star made was calculated, like he was a weapon locked onto a single target.
His eyes... they burned with something far more intense than anger.
It was desperation.
His magic flared higher each time he realized the mazes were slowing him down - the wasted seconds feeling like daggers piercing his heart. His pace quickened. The blasts of magic became sharper, stronger - until it felt like he was tearing the base apart bit by bit.
Kade, Luna, Jake, and Nia followed behind, but even they were now slightly uneasy watching Star.
His raw power - his focus - it was something they had never seen before.
Aliana's father, running alongside them, was visibly shaken. His face had gone pale, and his voice trembled when he finally spoke.
"Is... is this the same Star I knew years ago?"
Kade, panting from keeping up, gave a small, grim smile.
"Yeah... but you're seeing what happens when you push him too far."
Jake nodded. "You should've seen him fight his master back then... The guy who trained him was a high-level dark magician - and Star still overpowered him."
Nia added softly, "His master tried using him... forcing him to gather friends just to sacrifice them for his own immortality. Star didn't just stop him - he destroyed him."
Aliana's father stared in disbelief.
"Destroyed... his own master?"
Luna's eyes stayed focused on Star's back as he moved like a force of nature, not even looking back to see if they were following.
"He didn't just destroy him," she said. "He surpassed him. And now... he's even stronger."
A wave of black magic erupted ahead as Star blasted another group of guards into the walls. The sound of cracking stone echoed down the corridor.
Aliana's father swallowed hard.
For the first time, he wasn't sure if he was more afraid of the bandits - or of the man saving his daughter.
-
Meanwhile, in the dark chamber at the heart of the base, Aliana was barely conscious.
Blood dripped from the cuts on her face. Her once-pristine clothes were torn and stained red. Her body ached - the pain so intense that she could barely feel it anymore.
And yet... she still glared at Roger through swollen eyes.
The psychopath stood over her, breathing heavily, a wicked smile stretching across his face.
"You still think that pathetic magician of yours is coming to save you?" he sneered.
Aliana didn't respond.
Roger's smile twisted further as he grabbed her hair, forcing her to look at him.
"He couldn't even stop me all those years ago," Roger hissed. "What makes you think he can stop me now? His little magic trick back then was nothing. He's probably getting torn apart by my men right now."
Aliana, despite the pain, found herself whispering through bloodied lips:
"He's... stronger than you can imagine."
Roger's eye twitched at the defiance.
In a sudden fit of rage, he struck her again - the sound of the slap echoing off the dark walls.
"I'll end your life right now!" he growled, grabbing a whip from the table.
As he raised it high, ready to lash her once more -
- a faint thud echoed from the corridor outside the chamber.
Then another.
And another.
The sound grew louder.
Roger froze, his whip still in the air, his face darkening with confusion.
Aliana, barely able to move, still managed a small, broken smile.
Because she knew.
He was coming.
_ _ _
The bandits in the chamber shifted nervously, gripping their weapons tighter.
And then -
A final, deafening BOOM shook the walls.
Dust rained from the ceiling.
The heavy steel door to the chamber - reinforced to withstand any attack - began to groan and bend, as though an invisible force was pressing against it from the outside.
Roger's eyes widened.
The door, which should have been impenetrable, suddenly blasted off its hinges - sent flying into the chamber and crashing into the bandits, pinning two of them to the wall.
And there he was.
Star.
Standing at the entrance, cloaked in a shroud of black magic - his eyes a burning storm of fury and fear.
Roger stumbled back, his face a mixture of disbelief and panic.
"No... that's impossible..."
But Aliana... she could only stare at Star through half-closed eyes.
A small tear mixed with the blood on her cheek.
Because he came.
He really came.
And now - the monster standing before them wasn't Roger.
It was Star.
And Roger Raylor... had just made the biggest mistake of his life.
The room was thick with tension - the air heavy, dark magic crackling like static around Star. His aura pulsed, a swirling mass of black energy wrapping itself tighter and tighter around Roger Raylor.
Roger's face, once twisted with arrogance, was now frozen in terror - his body hoisted into the air by the dark tendrils, his throat constricting with every flicker of Star's magic. His legs kicked uselessly, his fingers clawing at the invisible force crushing him.
Star's expression was emotionless - his eyes void, empty - like he wasn't even human anymore. His jaw was set tight, his hand raised slightly, controlling the dark magic like a puppet master pulling strings.
The silence was deafening.
Roger's desperate gasps echoed through the chamber.
Then Star spoke - his voice a low, dangerous growl:
"You did this to her."
His stare hadn't moved from Aliana's beaten, bloodied body - half-conscious, chained, and crumpled on the floor like a broken doll.
"You're the same psychopath," Star continued, his voice colder than ice. "The one who pointed a gun at her... And now, a whip?"
His gaze flicked to the whip still clutched in Roger's trembling hand.
The dark magic constricted further - Roger's eyes bulged, his face turning a deep shade of red.
"You deserve pain too," Star said, his voice barely a whisper but seething with fury.
The tendrils tightened.
Roger's mouth opened, a strangled sound escaping his throat - the sound of a man being crushed.
But Star didn't flinch.
His friends, rushing into the chamber behind him, froze at the sight.
"Star-!" Luna's voice cracked.
But Star didn't move.
Kade's face darkened. He had seen Star furious before - but never like this. This wasn't just anger. It was something darker.
Jake's gaze landed on Aliana - her face swollen, clothes stained with blood - and he cursed under his breath.
But it was Aliana who spoke - her voice weak, but firm:
"Star... stop."
He didn't react.
The dark magic only coiled tighter around Roger, who was now twitching violently, gasping for air.
Aliana, despite her condition, turned to Jake, her voice cracking but urgent:
"The key... unlock me."
Jake blinked, confused.
"But-"
"Do it."
One of the bandits, still knocked out on the floor, had dropped the key in the chaos. Jake scrambled to grab it, his hands shaking, and fumbled with the lock binding Aliana's wrists.
With a faint click, the chains fell away.
Aliana slumped forward, barely able to hold herself up - but her focus was locked on Star.
Her father, still in shock from everything - Star's terrifying power, his daughter's broken state - hissed:
"You're in no condition to move-!"
"Help me get to him."
Her voice was soft but unwavering.
Her father clenched his fists but didn't argue. Together, Kade and her father gently lifted Aliana, supporting her frail body as they carefully moved toward Star.
The dark aura flared again - Star's magic was reaching a breaking point.
Roger's face was turning a sickening shade of purple - his kicks were growing weaker - his body moments away from going limp.
And then -
A hand.
A weak, trembling hand gently rested on Star's back.
It was Aliana.
Her touch, though faint, broke through the storm of darkness.
"Star..." she whispered, her voice cracking, "Please... stop."
Star's body shuddered.
The black tendrils flickered, quivering - loosening ever so slightly around Roger's throat.
Her hand pressed a bit harder against his back - her warmth cutting through the coldness of his magic.
"I'm still here," Aliana said softly. "You don't have to lose yourself."
Slowly... agonizingly slowly... the dark magic began to recede.
Star's hand, once raised and rigid, fell to his side.
The tendrils of black magic evaporated like smoke - and Roger dropped to the floor, coughing and sputtering, clutching his bruised throat.
The silence was thunderous.
Star stood there, frozen - his breath ragged, his body shaking.
His head lowered, his dark eyes still fixed on Roger - but now... they were human again.
"Aliana..." Star's voice cracked - his anger ebbing away, replaced by something else entirely. "If you weren't here... I would've..."
He couldn't finish.
Aliana, her body too weak to hold itself upright, collapsed into Star's arms.
He caught her - his hands, once consumed by magic, now trembling as they held her bloodied, broken frame.
Her voice was barely audible:
"Glad you came for me... Star."
Her eyes fluttered shut, her body going limp in his grasp.
Star's heart stopped.
"Aliana-?"
Roger, still gasping for air, let out a hoarse laugh.
"She's done for," he croaked. "Even if you saved her - she's already half-dead."
Star's head snapped up.
Before he could react -
CRACK!
Aliana's father, his face a mask of pure rage, punched Roger with everything he had - sending the man sprawling to the ground.
"You worthless piece of trash!" Aliana's father roared, his voice shaking with fury. "You lay a hand on my daughter again - and you won't have to worry about Star killing you - because I will!"
Roger, now spitting blood, didn't even have the strength to respond.
Star didn't move - his entire world was focused on the barely breathing woman in his arms.
"Aliana... please... stay with me."