“Woah!” Cassandra squealed as she tumbled out of the tree she had been resting in. Her grey eyes sparkling with curiosity at the boy she landed upon. “Who are you?” She tilted her head, she hadn’t seen a child her age in, a large amount of whatever humans measured their earthy existence with. “My name is Damien,” The boy responded, his gaze cautious, “Where am I?” He demanded. For a ten-year-old, he was rather intimidating. “You’re in the forest! My name is Cassandra, but you can call me Cassie!” The small, smiling girl giggled, floating back up onto a branch. This simple action caused Damien’s eyes to widen. “What are you?!” “I’m a star, well, kind of!” She giggled, pulling the other child up into the tree. He gasped in shock, before a small giggle escaped him, the corner of his lips twitched into a smile. “This is the coolest thing to ever happen to me!” The duo played in the trees for what must have been hours, until Damien had to go. He waved goodbye, and the star-like girl gradually dissolved into shimmering fragments of dreams, floating up to the night sky. Over the next few years, Damien visited her every day, after long days at school, or a tiring shift at the café he worked at. Every day, for a few hours, he could escape the clutches of a cruel and unfair society, and he could join the stars. Each day, he found himself saying goodbye, waving farewell to a child who seemed unchanged since their very first meeting. “Damien! Come sit!” Cassandra called out to her friend, who energetically climbed onto a branch. “Yes? What is it?” He questioned; his voice fond. He’d grown to see her almost as a sister. “I got you a flower crown, it’s rainbow, because you’re indecisive and still haven’t picked a favourite colour!” Damien rolled his eyes in mock annoyance, she was rather honest about everything, “It’s not my fault there’s so many!” “You’re just too simple minded…” Sighed Cassandra, only to get shoved off the tree. As she floated back up, she crossed her arms with a playful glare, “Rude!” Damien fell out of the tree laughing. Karma. As Cassandra pulled him back up, she placed the colourful crown upon his head, “Because you’re my king.” He covered his face with his hands, groaning. “Cassie! You’re so cheesy!” All he got in response was the sight of the star child rolling out of the tree and giggling on the floor. It wasn’t until he got the call, that he even considered a life without Cassandra. Yet, the money, the opportunities, he couldn’t say no. Besides, he’d come back to visit soon enough. “What’s with the long face, Damien?” Cassandra questioned, looking curiously at the now adult. Damien shook his head silently, swinging his legs back and forth as he refused to make eye contact. Cassandra huffed, floating beside Damien and poking him, trying to get him to smile. She refused to let her friend be sad, because that wasn’t fun. Although… She pushed him out of the tree. “Hah! Now you have to talk to me! Or at least push me back? Look! My hands are off you can push- “ “Enough, I don’t have time for your childish games.” Damien snapped, glaring at the smaller girl, who gasped softly. Cassandras expression morphed from desperate to hurt in mere seconds, this wasn’t the playful boy she’d watched grow up. “What’s wrong? You can tell me, I’m a good listener, I swear!” She cried softly, little tears of stardust forming a pile on the grassy floor. “It doesn’t matter, I’m leaving.” Damien answered curtly, walking away, leaving behind a lonely star with her tears. Cassandra fell to the ground, her small body crumpling forward as she sobbed. Part of her always knew this wouldn’t last, but it didn’t make it any easier. In fact, it made it so much worse, because it proved her theory, she was unlovable. No human would ever remain as young as her for long enough, and no star dared get to close to another. She would always be alone. Damien stood on the train, far away from the child he used to adore. It didn’t matter, this job opportunity meant he could finally pay back all his debts, he could be free. Once he was free, he’d go back home, he’d make things right. At least, that’s what he told himself he’d do. It was many years before Damien finally made it home, a decade, to be specific. He had hardly been an adult when he left, now he was in his late twenties, and he could care less about the life he’d built for himself. He missed the girl he left behind, and he was finally going to see her again. Or so he thought. When he found himself back in his homeland, burning buildings surrounded him. It was chaos, and he did not care. As long as Cassandra was okay.
He made his way to the old tree, where he found her. Just, not how he desperately wished to find her. The small crumpled body on the floor was still, her eyes shut peacefully, pale skin and a white dress. Damien gasped, tears welling up in his eyes as he sank to the floor, placing a hand on her arm. Ice cold. “Who did this…?” He cried softly, before his fists clenched. “Who did this?!” A scream of pure hatred came from the grieving man. As he turned to leave, he promised he’d come back, “I just need to do something.” So, he returned to the city, and got his revenge. A grin spread across his face as he watched the people cower. Maybe setting them on fire was a bit extreme, but they took the only person that meant anything to him away. He climbed atop the fence that separated the city from the forest, “Does it hurt? Knowing no one can save you? At least you’re dying together.” Damien cackled as he wreaked havoc on the place that had once been his city, but it was never his home. An arrow finally shot him down and he fell onto the grass of the forest. With all the energy he could muster, he made his way back to the fallen star. As he lay down next to her, for the very last time, a tired smile appeared on his face. “Cassie, you’re safe now, no one can hurt you again, I look forward to joining you in the sky.” He whispered, as his eyes fell shut, and his breathing grew shallow. Like two fallen stars that had once lit up the night, they reunited in the cosmos, villains in everyone's story but their own.
