Next Day...
The rays of the morning sun crept through the cracks of the old, eerie house. Dust particles danced in the warm glow.
Aliana, still handcuffed to him, stretched her arms and smiled in the direction of the door.
"Alright, Star," she said softly but firmly. "Today, we're going out to find you real friends. People who'll stand by you, not as mindless followers, but as true companions."
Star flinched at the thought.
His face remained mostly blank, but the slight quiver in his voice betrayed his fear.
"I... I can't go out during the day," he whispered, his eyes darting nervously around the room. "Monsters lurk during the day. Master said so."
Aliana blinked, then let out a small laugh-not mocking, but warm and light.
"Monsters?" she chuckled. "There are no monsters out there, Star. You've been tricked."
Star, trembling, pressed his free hand to his chest-right over the scar his master had left him long ago.
"But Master never lies," he muttered. "He said the day is filled with terrible creatures-he told me never to leave this house in the light."
Aliana softened her voice, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"He lied, Star," she said softly. "You've been locked in his shadow for so long-but now it's time to step out of it."
Star's eyes darted toward the door.
He could feel the daylight waiting just beyond it-like some invisible threat.
His handcuffed wrist twitched.
Aliana gave him a reassuring smile.
"If there are any monsters," she added with a playful grin, "then I'll protect you."
Star's face didn't change, but his voice quivered.
"You... will?"
"I'm handcuffed to you, remember?" Aliana raised her wrist, the chain clinking between them. "I'm not going anywhere. If a monster wants to get you, they'll have to go through me first."
Star didn't know how to respond to that.
The fear of the unknown warred with an unfamiliar spark of trust in his chest.
After a long moment, his lips parted in a weak whisper:
"...Okay."
----
The door creaked open.
Star, still clutching the chain between them, hid behind Aliana's back-his dark hood pulled low over his face.
He peeked over her shoulder like a terrified child.
The daytime was... strange.
The world wasn't as different as he expected-it looked like night, just clearer.
The trees, the dirt paths, the distant town-all of it was the same as he remembered, but now bathed in light.
Star's fear slowly gave way to curiosity.
His black eyes darted everywhere, taking in the crisp details he could never see in the dark.
The colors were sharper-the trees weren't just dark shapes, but vibrant with green leaves. The sky was a vast blue expanse.
But then-
A bright yellow ball in the sky.
Star's gaze locked onto it.
Within a second, his vision blurred and burned-he stumbled back, grabbing Aliana's arm in panic.
"Aliana-" he choked, "He...lp... a... monster blinded my eyes!"
Aliana spun around, alarmed-then realized what happened.
The Sun.
She bit back a laugh, gently pulling Star's head down so he wasn't staring straight at it.
"That's not a monster," she said softly. "It's the Sun."
"S-Sun?" Star blinked rapidly, his vision slowly returning.
"Yeah. He lights up the world so we can see during the day. But..." she added with a smile, "he doesn't like it when people stare at him too long. So... maybe don't."
Star blinked a few more times, the pain fading.
"So... it's not a monster?"
"Nope."
He let out a small, shaky breath of relief.
"Oh..."
For a brief moment, he just stood there-eyes still wide, mind racing.
"So this... was what Master warned me about?" he wondered.
----
With Aliana leading the way, they slowly made their way down the path toward town.
The further they walked, the more nervous Star became.
His hands were trembling again-his body hunched over as if trying to shrink behind Aliana, using her as a shield.
Then-they reached the edge of the town.
And that's when Star's fear was replaced by shock.
The town was alive.
People were everywhere-talking, laughing, moving about-children running with toys, merchants calling out from their stalls, and groups of friends chattering on every corner.
The colors, the noise, the sheer energy-it was overwhelming.
Star had never seen anything like it.
At night, the town was quiet-empty-like a lifeless shell.
But now it breathed.
"There are... so many people," Star whispered, his voice quaking.
Aliana gave him a reassuring smile, still keeping him close.
"That's what daytime looks like." she said softly. "It's not full of monsters, it's filled with life."