After sometime...
A muffled sound came from outside.
Aliana's voice, faint but firm protesting against the master.
Something snapped inside Star.
Without thinking, his hand moved to the door handle.
He didn't care if it killed him.
He just knew one thing:
He wasn't going to lose her.
Star slowly opened the door - just a crack - enough to peek through without making a sound.
His heart was pounding so loudly in his chest, he was afraid the master might hear it.
Outside, the air was tense. The sky was a deep gray, the sun barely peeking through the thick clouds above the forest.
A chilling breeze rustled the trees, but Star barely noticed - his focus was entirely on the scene unfolding before him.
The master stood with his hand still gripping Aliana's arm, his dark aura swirling faintly around him like a living shadow. His sharp, cold eyes studied Aliana as if she were a new toy - something he was eager to break.
Aliana, however, wasn't making it easy for him.
She wasn't crying or begging, she was fighting.
Her jaw was clenched, and her glare was fierce. "I'm not going anywhere with you," she said, her voice low but steady. "I belong with Star."
The master chuckled - a dark, hollow sound. "Belong?" he repeated mockingly. "He belongs to me. Just like you will."
Star's fists tightened at his sides.
The master leaned closer to Aliana, his voice a whisper - but loud enough for Star to hear. "You have a fire in you, that's rare. Perhaps I'll break it slowly. Watch it flicker out... bit by bit."
Aliana yanked her arm back, but his grip only tightened. She winced but didn't stop glaring at him.
"You can't keep me," she growled. "I'm not one of your puppets."
The master's smile faded. "You will be soon."
Star's breath caught in his throat. His mind was a storm of fear and rage.
For the first time in his life, he felt something other than fear in his master's presence.
It was a burning sensation inside him that was making him want to fight against his Master.
He didn't fully understand it but it was there, simmering, growing hotter with every second he watched the master treat Aliana like she was nothing more than a possession.
His hand hovered near the door handle again.
He wanted to run out, to stop this, to grab Aliana and take her away but what could he do?
If the master noticed him, it would all be over.
He had to think.
Then, Aliana glanced toward the house, ever so slightly, as if sensing Star was watching.
Her eyes - filled with silent hope - seemed to plead: Don't give up on me.
Star's mind raced - his master was too strong to face alone. But he wasn't alone anymore.
For the first time in his life, he had friends - no, siblings even if they were under his spell right now. If he could break their hypnosis, maybe - just maybe - they could stand together and save Aliana.
His hands trembled as he backed away from the door, his heart thumping against his ribs like a drum. Every second counted.
He darted back inside the house, his voice a shaky whisper. "Wake up... I need you..."
The hypnotized group stood there like statues, their eyes blank and unseeing.
Kade, Lila, Nia, Jake, Luna, Gem, Henry, May, and Eric - all lifeless, like puppets on invisible strings.
Star clenched his fists. He hadn't broken a spell since he was five years old - back when the master's cruelty taught him never to try again. The scar on his chest still throbbed when he thought about it.
But this time... the fear didn't paralyze him.
He stepped closer to Kade first. His voice, though soft, held a flicker of defiance. "I release you... from my spell."
Nothing happened.
Star swallowed hard. His breathing quickened.
He tried again - louder this time. "I... release you!"
A faint ripple of dark magic shimmered around Kade's form - the bond of hypnosis twisting and loosening.
And then, Kade blinked. His eyes, once dull and lifeless, slowly regained their light.
"What... what happened?" Kade mumbled, rubbing his head like he had just woken from a deep sleep.
Star didn't answer - he didn't have time.
He rushed to Lila next. "I—I release you.... from... my spell!"
Another ripple of magic - and Lila staggered forward, gasping.
One by one, Star moved through the group - his voice growing louder, his fear slowly replaced by a spark of something else.
By the time he got to Eric - the last of them - he wasn't whispering anymore. "I release you all from my spell!"
A wave of dark energy burst from him - like a chain snapping apart - and all of them jolted back to life.
Confusion filled the room. They blinked at each other, then at Star, whose chest was heaving with exhaustion.
"Star...?" Lila murmured, wide-eyed. "Did you... free us?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he staggered back, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. "Aliana..." he choked out. "The master... he took her."
The room went silent.
Then, Jake's face hardened. "Where is she?"
"Outside... but he's too strong - I can't stop him alone."
Kade cracked his knuckles. "Well, good thing you're not alone."
Gem added, "We're your friends. We're not leaving you or Aliana behind."
Luna grabbed a small rock from the house, clutching it like a weapon. "We'll fight if we have to."
Star's throat tightened. For a moment, he couldn't breathe - not from fear, but from the overwhelming warmth of having these people by his side.
They weren't just friends.
They were family.
"Let's go," Nia said firmly. "Before it's too late."