Mandume, Tomas, and Rudra passed by a small shop on their way to the hospital.
"I'll grab something for Star," Mandume said, stepping out.
Rudra and Tomas waited in the car. A vendor passed by, carrying handmade trinkets and ornaments. Tomas's eyes caught a delicate star globe—glass, glowing faintly in the sunlight. Without hesitation, he bought it.
They arrived at the hospital a few minutes later.
"So, Star is awake," the doctor informed them. "But for now, only one person should go in. We need to assess her memory before allowing everyone in."
"You're the one who saved her," Tomas said to Mandume, nudging him gently. "You should go first."
"No, sir. We all saved her life," Mandume replied firmly. "But with all due respect… she'll recover faster if she sees you first."
"Yes, please, sir," Rudra agreed with a soft nod.
Tomas took a deep breath and entered the room.
"Dad…" Star whispered with a bright, tearful smile.
"She's totally fine," the doctor smiled, turning to Mandume and Rudra.
"Wait—she wasn't?" Mandume asked, alarmed.
"Actually," the doctor explained, "head trauma like Star's often results in memory loss. We feared amnesia. But it looks like she's one of the lucky ones."
Mandume's face tightened with worry. "I can't even imagine if Star had forgotten me…"
Inside the room, Tomas approached his daughter slowly.
"My Star… You're back."
"Yes, Dad…" she whispered.
He pulled the star globe from his coat pocket and handed it to her. "Look what I got you… A star—just like you. You fought death and won. Let this globe remind you of your strength. Of how brave and unstoppable you truly are. No matter what comes next… this star will guide you."
Star's eyes welled up. "Thank you, Dad. This is amazing. It's… extraordinary. I love you."
Tomas couldn't hold back his tears. He wrapped her in a long, tight embrace—his shoulders shaking.
"Dad?" Star asked gently, confused by his sudden emotion.
But Tomas let go and quickly walked out, his face wet with tears.
Rudra and Mandume entered as he left.
"Mendu…" Star said softly, her eyes lighting up at the sight of him.
"What happened to Dad? Why did he leave so quickly?" she asked.
"He's just… overwhelmed," Mandume replied. "He's in shock—seeing his little girl alive again."
"Star… how are you feeling?" Rudra asked, standing beside her bed.
"Superb! What about you guys?" she smiled.
"I'm great—as long as you are," Rudra said sincerely.
Star suddenly squinted at Rudra's shirt.
"You look tired… and that's blood on your shirt. What happened?"
Rudra froze, caught off guard.
Star blinked, piecing things together. "Oh, it's Boni's birthday today, right? Did you guys slaughter a goat or something? Must've had quite a party. Wait… how did I end up here?"
"You got sick," Mandume said quickly. "And… he brought you here."
Star turned to him. "And where were you?"
Mandume had no words. Silence stretched between them until Maria and Olivia walked in.
"Star!" Maria rushed to her bedside, brushing hair from her face. "Oh, my sweet girl… I was so worried. I'm just glad you're okay."
"I'm proud of you, Star," Olivia added. "You fought through it all. You're incredibly brave."
"What happened, exactly?" Star asked, puzzled. "Why is everyone treating me like I came back from the dead?"
Just then, Bonita entered with Daniels and a few others, following Olivia and Maria.
"Why would my mom be here?" Bonita asked.
"Maybe she's here for the mortuary," Daniels smirked.
Bonita swatted him. "Daniels! That's a horrible joke."
"Well, everyone's been talking like Star was dead, so…"
At the reception, Bonita leaned in. "Excuse me—where did Maria Davids go?"
"Was she admitted here?" the receptionist asked.
"No. She just arrived. She's tall, fair-skinned, mid-forties, black bob cut…"
"She's here for Star Shining," the receptionist replied. "Room 43. Not to scale."
"Star…" Tiffanie whispered.
"I'm going in," Daniels said, excited. "She's my roommate after all."
"Why are you so eager?" Bonita frowned.
"Same reason you are," he smirked. "I just feel… connected to her."
In the room, Bonita's eyes lit up when she saw Star.
"Oh my gosh, Star!" she cried, hugging her.
"Happy birthday, Boni," Star said, smiling.
"Thank you so much! What you did for me… It's out of this world. I'm so grateful. I can't even put it in words."
"I didn't do anything, Boni…" Star said, clearly confused.
Tiffanie stepped forward. "Hi, Star."
Everyone turned to her.
"Tiffanie! You made it! I hope you guys are cool now," Star said cheerfully.
Mandume narrowed his eyes. "Tiffanie? How did you get here?"
"I came for my friend's birthday," she replied coolly.
Maria's face twisted in fury at the sight of her.
"Oh. After the breakup, I didn't expect to see you again," Maria said icily.
"Hi, Aunty," Tiffanie said politely. "It's been a while. I came because of Star."
Tiffanie stepped closer. "Star, how are you?"
"I'm more than good… now that you're here," Star said with a bright, genuine smile. "Thank you."