The door creaked open.
There she was.
Aliana.
Now 20 years old, she was taller, more composed — dressed in a way that matched the high-class home behind her. Her hair was styled neatly, and her eyes — the same ones that once looked at Star with concern and warmth — now seemed distant.
She blinked at him, expressionless. "Yes? Can I help you?"
Star opened his mouth but no words came out at first. The storm of feelings inside him crashed all at once — happiness at seeing her, shock at her tone, confusion at her unfamiliar gaze.
He finally found his voice. "...Aliana... it's me. Star."
She didn't react.
Star swallowed hard and tried again. "I'm... the one you helped. When I was trapped with my master. You saved me. You stayed with me when I was dying. I... I never forgot you."
His voice, though steady, cracked slightly. "I just wanted to thank you. I've changed now. I'm... free. I have friends. I learned how to live."
He looked at her — hoping, waiting — for even the smallest sign of recognition or warmth.
But there was none.
Aliana's face remained blank, her hand still resting on the door. "I don't know you."
Star's entire world seemed to tilt. "What?"
Aliana's voice was calm but firm. "I don't recognize you. You must be mistaken."
Her eyes darted, just briefly, to someone inside the house.
Then, colder than before, "Please don't come here again."
And before Star could say another word — she shut the door.
Right in his face.
Silence.
The sound of the lock clicking echoed in his head.
Star stood there, frozen. His mind refused to process what had just happened.
His chest — which had felt so full just moments ago — now felt... empty.
The pain hit like a blade, sharper than anything his master had ever done to him.
The curse mark had once burned him, poisoned him, nearly killed him.
But this...
This was worse.
Kade broke the silence first. "...What... the hell was that?"
Nia looked at Star, worried. "Are you okay?"
Star didn't answer. His gaze was still on the closed door — his breathing slow but unsteady.
Henry gently touched his shoulder. "Star...?"
Finally, Star spoke — but his voice was hollow. "Was this... betrayal?"
The friends exchanged looks.
May shook her head. "I don't think so... maybe she—"
Star cut her off softly. "She didn't even remember me."
He wasn't angry — just broken.
Eric stepped in. "We don't know why she acted that way. Maybe something happened. Maybe—"
"Or maybe," Star whispered, "I never meant anything to her."
Luna, standing closest to him, grabbed his hand tightly. "That's not true."
The friends quickly surrounded him — a protective, comforting circle like they once did when his master tortured him years ago.
Kade gritted his teeth. "Listen, whatever that was — we're still here."
Henry nodded. "You're not alone in this."
Star didn't say anything.
Because no matter how much his friends comforted him — Aliana's cold words echoed louder in his mind.
And for the first time in years...
Star felt the sting of abandonment again.
The silence weighed heavy as Star and his friends slowly stepped away from Aliana's door. It was as if the world around them blurred — the bustling sounds of the city distant and muffled — leaving only the echo of her words in Star's mind:
"I don't recognize you."
His heart ached, not with anger, but with something deeper — the hollow sting of rejection from the very person who once gave him hope.
As they walked down the street, the others kept a close eye on him. Star's usual composed expression was gone — his shoulders slightly slumped, his gaze distant.
Luna finally broke the silence, her voice soft but steady. "Star... please talk to us."
Star blinked, as if pulled from a trance. "...I just don't understand."
Kade sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, me neither. What was that about? She helped you. She saved you. Why would she act like you're a stranger?"
Eric adjusted his glasses thoughtfully. "It doesn't make sense... unless something happened to her during these years. People don't just forget something so important."
Henry nodded. "There has to be more to this."
But Star's mind wasn't there — it was still trapped at that door, still hearing the lock click.
He muttered, almost to himself, "Did I... really mean so little to her?"
Nia's heart broke at the raw pain in his voice. "Star... people change."
May stepped closer. "But that doesn't mean you did something wrong."
Star's jaw clenched slightly. "She was the first person to ever show me kindness. I thought... I thought I was important to her — even just a little."
He shook his head, his voice quiet but trembling. "But she didn't even remember my name."
Luna squeezed his hand tighter. "That doesn't erase what happened between you two. She was there for you once. That moment was real — even if she's acting like it wasn't now."
Eric placed a hand on Star's shoulder. "You're not wrong for feeling this way. It hurts — and that's okay."
Star's breathing was slow, steady — but inside, his emotions were a storm. It wasn't just about Aliana not remembering him... it was the hope he'd carried for five long years — the dream of seeing her again, of showing her how much he'd grown, of maybe... just maybe... feeling that warmth again.
But that dream shattered the moment the door closed.
Kade, sensing the growing silence, finally said, "Let's get out of here. No point standing around like ghosts."
The others agreed, gently guiding Star away from Aliana's house.
—---
They found a quiet park not far from the city center. The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the grass. It was a peaceful place — the kind of spot that might have once calmed Star.
But not today.
He sat on a bench, his hands resting loosely on his knees. The others gathered around, giving him space but refusing to leave his side.
After a long pause, Star finally spoke.
"...I don't want to hate her."
His voice was soft — almost a whisper.
Eric nodded. "You don't have to."
Star's gaze was fixed on the horizon. "But I can't pretend it doesn't hurt."
Luna leaned against the bench beside him. "It's okay to feel hurt. It doesn't make you weak."
Kade, trying to lighten the mood, muttered, "Yeah, if feelings made people weak, I'd be a puddle by now."
It earned a small — barely noticeable — smile from Star.
Henry crossed his arms. "Look, Star... not everyone you care about will stay. That's life. But you've got people here who did stay."
May nodded. "We're not going anywhere."
Star's heart twisted again — but this time, it wasn't just pain. It was the strange, bittersweet feeling of knowing that even though Aliana had turned her back on him... the people standing with him now hadn't.
Nia spoke softly. "Aliana may have forgotten... but we remember. Every step you took. Every bit of progress you made. We've seen you grow."
Star finally met their eyes. "But what if... what if more people leave?"
Eric adjusted his glasses. "Then we deal with it. Together."
Luna smiled. "Because you're not alone anymore. You have us."
For the first time since Aliana shut the door, something inside Star shifted — not quite hope... but a small spark of understanding.
The pain wasn't gone but his friends' words reminded him of something important:
Even if some people leave... there will always be others who stay.