"Aria?" Nyx's voice made her jump. The small black cat stood up and leapt gracefully off of the bed. "You're crying. Are you in that much pain still?"

"It's improving," Aria said with a faint, depressed smile. Technically, that was true. She hadn't bothered to go into exact detail about what had happened during the final stage of the war, so no one but the Star Trio's magical girls knew about the direct attacks she had suffered through. Once or twice, Eclipse, Sofia, and Molly had all given her worried looks when no one else was paying attention, but that was it. Her tears fell even faster at the thought of her three friends, who would be departing the next day at sunset, and she hunched her shoulders, unable to even contemplate a life without them. Without her.