The aftermath of the Black Wolf gang's downfall rippled across the city like a shockwave. The entire gang — every last member, including their leaders — had been rounded up and arrested. The authorities raided the hidden base, seizing illegal weapons, stolen goods, and countless records of their criminal activities. The gang's reign of terror had finally crumbled.
But the one who drew the most attention was Roger Raylor — the spoiled heir who once played the role of a charming fiancé, now exposed as a violent criminal and secret backer of the gang.
His face was plastered across every news channel — "Wealthy CEO's Son Found Supporting Infamous Gang — To Face Trial" — the headlines screamed. The public outrage was massive. His father's company issued a hasty statement, distancing themselves from Roger and claiming ignorance of his crimes.
Roger himself was unrecognizable — his bruised face, thanks to both Star's strangling magic and Aliana's father's furious punch, had become a symbol of poetic justice. The once smug, arrogant man was now just another prisoner, awaiting trial for his long list of offenses.
But for Star — none of that mattered.
Because Aliana was hanging by a thread.
The hospital room was quiet except for the faint beeping of the heart monitor.
Aliana lay unconscious in the hospital bed — her face pale, her body still covered in bandages and bruises. The doctors said she was stable... but there were no signs of her waking up.
It had been two days.
And Star had not left her side once.
He sat in the chair beside her bed — hunched forward, his elbows resting on his knees, his dark eyes fixed on Aliana's face. His hair was disheveled, and his usual composed demeanor was gone.
He looked exhausted — but still... he refused to move.
Jake, Kade, Luna, Nia, and Eric had all come to the hospital.
They brought food, extra clothes — even a pillow — but Star barely acknowledged them.
"Star... you should rest," Nia said softly, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.
He didn't respond.
He just kept staring at Aliana.
Kade tried to lighten the mood, though his voice lacked its usual humor:
"Man... you look like a ghost. At least drink some water or something."
Nothing.
Jake exchanged a worried glance with Luna, who bit her lip in concern.
Eric finally spoke — his voice calm yet full of guilt feeling:
"Sorry, Star! I should have then there too."
Nia patted him. "Don't worry about not being there, focus on the present situation."
Eric gave a knowing nod to her and said to Star. "She's not alone anymore. She had got us all. We are in it together."
But still — no reaction.
His friends didn't leave — they just quietly settled into the room, refusing to abandon Star the same way he refused to leave Aliana.
Then Jake got a call from Henry. "How are they?" Henry asked.
Jake replied. "Right now, they are doing...okay. The situation isn't that bad."
Henry: "You think you can hide it from me any longer? From your tone, I am sure something is wrong and you have been saying the same thing for 2 days."
Jake immediately cut off the call and cried slowly. "Damn. Not only do I have to suppress the tension but handle this intellligent guy at the same time."
Henry: "Hello...Hello ! It seems he disconnected."
May who was just nearby asked him. "What did they say this time?"
Henry replied." They are definitely not okay. But it's better to let them handle this or else we will just add to there suffering."
May said rubbing her belly. "But we should give them a visit atleast."
Henry gently held her hand and said in an understanding tone. "I understand. Even I want to but unfortunately, we can't be present in every situation together. They are trying there best not to make us worry. Because they care about us too and if we come and see the worse, we will just end up becoming extra burdens. You understand..right..?"
There was a pause.
Then, May suddenly burst into tears. "This is..is...why?..why..is..life ..so...cruel...why..why does it have to happen..why can't we be... there?"
Henry wrapped her in his arms as he rested his head over her and muttered. "You think, I am fine with it?"
Then-
May felt tears falling on her, it wasn't hers, it was Henry's.
Henry gripped her tighter as he muttered with agony. "I-I..don't even know what should I do right now? I can't let you go neither can I leave you alone. We are stuck in a personal trap, right now...I can't let you get excited in any way...I am trying my best not to.."
May gripped his arm and said staring blankly . "I am so selfish! I can't even understand your burden. You did a lot, Henry! I won't..leave but...but..it still feels so wrong!"
Henry finally said. "We are selfish! Thinking about our future over our friends. It is true that life comes first but...I guess we were..no we are...all like a real family rather than a bunch of friends."
May gripped his hand tighter and said sobbing. " I agree. But we have each other right now for sharing our personal burden. But...if they, our friends, no..our found family are trying there best not to let us worry...we should give our best to respect there decision."
Henry half laughingly, half sobbingly admitted. " Or we will break there promise. Life's cruel sometimes... that's all there is to it."
Meanwhile...
There was silence near the hospital except for few whispers exchanged between the group.
Jake silently cried as Nia tried to comfort him.
Eric was trying his best to maintain his calm.
Luna was sobbing in a corner her arms hugging her legs, muttering. "This is not true...I can't see Star like that anymore...he hasn't eaten much..not talking much and..Aliana? She...I don't even know...what is..her fate...she has to make it..for him..for us..". Kade was sitting by her side trying to encourage her by saying positive words.
Jake(looking hopeless): "I am useless. Totally useless. Not only am I being of any help to Star and Aliana but worse, I am involving Henry and May too when they should focus on themselves."
Nia(serious): "Don't talk like that. You are trying your best. Don't let that get to you, we will all do something about, we are in it together."
Eric(calm): "Henry is the worst choice when it comes to hiding things from . May would have been easier but he...I don't even know if I myself would have been able to convince him."
Nia: "Yeah, it's tough. Especially, when we put Jake through so much responsibility."
Jake: "Don't stress about it. Though. Unfortunately, I was the one with the most free time so I had to acccept it. "
"There was no other way. But, man, Henry was persistently calling me like an annoying fly every hour from the time he got the news continuous for 2 days. I even had to communicate with May at the same time. Honestly, I wasn't able to take the 2 sided pressure from both sides. And eventually...I ended up.. crashing on the 2nd day. That was my limit...I guess."
Eric:" But you did handle it."
Jake: "Yeah, lawyer."
Kade said from the other end. "I feel Henry and May were way more worried than us due to there situation. I understand there side pretty well."
Luna sobbed even more.
Eric(trying his best not to shed a tear): "Yeah, but we did the right thing to not involve them here as May is pregnant. I swear she would have been the most stressed among us and in worse case, we could have endangered 2 more lives and not even Henry could have handled the situation. That's why I stuck to that decision even though they may regret about there absence in the future. I don't care! She needs Henry by her side right now just like Aliana...needs Star..so..so...and know what...I won't have been able to see Henry in Star's place. It was for the best. If Aliana makes it by any chance, I will personally call them."
Luna finally muttered sobbingly. "Plus, Star would be suffering even more if anything happened to them. And worse...."
Nia finished her sentence. "He may become like his Master judging from the state he is in. Aliana is like the only light who can pull him from his darkness. They are bound by light and darkness."
Kade added."If light fades, darkness devours and that would be worse than anything. Right now, I feel Star is the one who needs saving. He needs to be pulled out of the dominating darkness which can only be balanced by Aliana, the light. So, she has to make it."
Luna gave a gloomy smile with a possessed expression. "Whatever happens, I am ready to accept it. All blame will be taken by life itself. If life wants to be cruel..let..it...be."
No one said anything after that.
The moment was tense and everyone's stare fell on Star.
The environment was silent entirely.
It was during this quiet moment that Aliana's father entered.
He stood there for a while, watching the scene unfold — his daughter lying lifeless on the bed, and Star, looking like a shadow of himself, refusing to move an inch.
He wasn't sure what surprised him more — Star's unwavering dedication or the raw vulnerability in his eyes.
Finally, Aliana's father cleared his throat.
"Star," he said softly.
Nothing.
"You've been here for two days... You need to rest."
Star didn't look at him.
His voice, hoarse from lack of sleep, finally broke the silence:
"She didn't leave me alone... when I lost control."
The memory of Aliana's warm hand on his back — pulling him out of the darkness, saving him from becoming a monster — flashed in his mind.
His fists clenched.
"So I won't leave her alone now."
Aliana's father's expression softened — a flicker of understanding in his eyes.
This wasn't just concern.
It was something deeper — something undeniable.
And for the first time since all of this began... Aliana's father finally understood what Star truly felt for his daughter.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"You really love her, don't you?"
Star didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
The way his gaze clung to Aliana's motionless form — the way his breathing seemed to falter every time her heart monitor beeped a little too slowly — said everything.
Her father, despite his earlier hesitation about Star's black magic, found himself... relieved.
Because he could see it now — Star wasn't a threat to Aliana.
He was her protector.
Her anchor.
The person who would never abandon her — no matter how much it hurt him.
The friends exchanged quiet glances, the tension in the room thick but silent.
But the longer Aliana lay there — unmoving, unresponsive — the more Star's already fragile composure began to crack.
His thumb brushed a stray lock of hair from Aliana's face, his fingers trembling.
And softly... so softly only those closest to him could hear...
He whispered:
"Please... wake up."
The room fell into silence again — but this time, there was something else hanging in the air.
Hope.
The hospital room remained steeped in silence, broken only by the soft, rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor. Star's quiet plea for Aliana to wake up echoed in the minds of everyone present. His voice — usually calm, composed, and controlled — had cracked under the weight of his emotions.
The friends exchanged worried glances, but no one dared to speak.
Aliana's father shifted uncomfortably, watching Star's trembling hand brush against his daughter's bandaged fingers. He could feel the rawness of Star's pain — a pain he hadn't expected from someone who once seemed so distant and untouchable.
Hours passed.
The sky outside darkened, and the soft glow of the hospital lights painted Star's face in a cold, pale hue.
Then—
A faint movement.
It was subtle — a twitch of Aliana's fingers against Star's hand.
At first, he thought he imagined it. His sleep-deprived mind had been clinging to hope for too long — maybe his heart was playing tricks on him.
But then—
Her fingers moved again.