One day, a young master from a well-off family went to bed after an ordinary day of strolling around the park and studying dutifully. He fell asleep quickly, sinking into the soft blankets and many plush cushions.
And as it was the case for every night he closed his eyes and thought of the stars, praying for the fulfillment of this one wish of his.
Oh I wish, he was thinking wistfully while sinking deeper into the cushions and traveling to the land of dreams...

In his dream he was standing in a dark forest.
But there was a clearing ahead, lit by colorful paper lanterns, torches and strings of fairy lights. Enchanted by the lights the boy stepped closer until he was faced with a tall entrance gate. The dark violet metal was curling elegantly and shimmered in the flickering of the fire.
He wanted to peek through the metal bars when a person jumped in front of them and he flinched back. But the creature looked friendly - neither man nor woman with snow-white hair and a dark violet suit oddly matching the gate. The person smiled excitedly, the gate was opened wide and with an inviting gesture the person was ushering the boy inside, speaking in a quick voice as if in a hurry.

"Yes, that's right! Welcome to the heavenly chocolate tea party!
    They're waiting for you, they want to meet you so much! Come in now, don't be shy!"

The young master was pushed inside and with a squeaking noise the gate closed behind him.
The creature pat him on the back one last time and left him with a warning.
"Be careful though. Not everyone wishes for your well-being. Eating the food here is really bad for you, but if you are offered candy you must definitely not eat it. If you taste it, your life will end. Remember my words well."
The boy nodded but hardly paid any attention. He didn't even turn around to see where the gate keeper disappeared to. His eyes were already glued to the spectacle ahead of him, greedily wandering over the festival taking place. There were more colorful fairy lights curling around the branches and glass bottles with actual fairies captured inside.
The high grass was completely different from the neatly trimmed one the young boy knew from the park he went to everyday. There were all sorts of people, creatures and animals hushing around, celebrating each in their own way.
A fluffy red cat had been cuddling up to his leg but suddenly jumped away, distracted by a bunch of mice flitting through the sea of grass.
And like the cat, the boy was distracted by the movements of people scurrying around a huge dinner table in the center of the clearing. It looked as if his family was holding a big dinner for the whole family including distant aunts and uncles; only that the fully set dinner was placed here, in the forest. There were also quaint full-length mirrors standing around and he spotted closet doors being carved into the bark of thicker trees. Even a magnificent crystal chandelier was left hovering over the delicious-looking food and blinking with every flicker of light.
Such a pretty place, he thought.
Drawn in by the delicious smell of all his favorite dishes he went down the dinner table, marveling at the sight. The heart of the table was occupied by a huge chocolate fountain, surrounded by a sea of plates with cut fruits, looking fresh and juicy.
Even though the gate keeper had told him not to eat anything, the boy found that he was very hungry. Maybe it would be alright to just try a tiny bit of it? Before he could give in to the temptation, however, a booming voice called out to him and he forgot about the food.
"Hello my little one! Welcome - welcome to our chocolate tea party!" he chanted and the boy involuntarily took a step back at the sight of this strange man. Dressed in a vibrant suit of all colors and with dozens of little pockets he was the most colorful person he had ever laid eyes upon. Tiny, glittering stones were adorning his mop of caramel-colored curls and even fell down to his shoulders like soft, powdery snow. It made him think of sugar.
Everything seemed very friendly about him, besides his height which was intimidating him just a little. But the big, chocolate brown eyes that crinkled in delight at welcoming him were really drawing him in with their warmth like a softly crackling fire on a cold winter night.
"Do you have a ticket?"
The words caught him off guard. He didn't know that he needed a ticket.
Blinking up at him a little helplessly, he shook his head.
"You don't?" he called out in surprise.
The boy was expecting a scolding but the man only clapped his hands in excitement.
"What's your name little boy?"
"Baekhyun..." he replied a little anxiously.
"Baekhyun. Don't worry about it Baekhyun, I have just the thing for you!"
And he pulled out a little round metal box from his pocket which the boy eyed with curiosity. The box was opened and the man offered it to him. A sea of hard candy shaped like little crystals was blinking up at him in all seven colors of the rainbow. They looked really tasty. The boy remembered the gate keeper's warning though, so he hesitated.
Sensing this, the man rattled the box a little in invitation, sending the crystals to jump and glitter.
"If you don't have a ticket, you're gonna need one of these. Don't worry, it's completely safe."
His smile was so wide and inviting. He couldn't imagine this smile to wish evil things upon him, so he gave in and chose a pale blue one.
Without hesitation he propped it in his mouth and yes, it did indeed taste heavenly.
Like a sugary piece of cotton candy on an enchanting fair.
Humming in content he even his lips and the Candy Man laughed heartily, patting his shoulder and told him to enjoy his stay.
The boy thought nothing of it, but the tinier the candy got in his mouth, the more he began to feel odd. A heavy feeling of wariness settled in his stomach. But not only that - all the lamps seemed to shine brighter and the people around him laughed louder. It was enough to make him forget about the uneasy feeling deep inside of him.
"You like it? Of course you did. Feel free to take another one."
It wouldn't be too polite to take him up on the offer but the candy had been so, so tasty.
So he vowed to himself to take only one more. A yellow one this time.
And it didn't disappoint, invading his senses like a refreshing citrus-lemonade on a warm summer day.
Again, it left behind a funny feeling he could not quite place. As if he was suddenly remembering all the times when the housemaids were secretly talking bad things about him. And his parents and friends, too.
It was a little strange since the boy hadn't been able to remember these things before. In fact, he was sure this had never even happened to him.
But the festivities around him seemed to grow once more and he pushed it all aside to enjoy the sparkling light and finally taste the dishes.
All the while the Candy man was around him, laughing and teasing him.

And the boy ate more candy.
He ate a red one tasting like strawberries and feeling like loss.
A green one tasting like juicy apples and making him feel possessive.
He didn't want this to end, he didn't want to share the Candy man's attention with any other guest.
And with every bit of sugar the lights became more pretty, the guests more happy and the place more vivid. What had been a little clearing with a dinner table became a bustling place not unlike an amusement fair.
So even though he felt all these heavy feelings his steps were light as he danced with people he had never seen before, played a game of cards with the enthralling Candy man. And ate more of his candy.
More, more. The boy wanted the party to become brighter, wanted to enjoy more of the sugary treats.
So he greedily tried the orange one and remembered hiding under a table while his father drunkenly threw a glass bottle.
Even though it had never actually happened -and that he was very sure of- it felt so real.
It all changed to a feeling of emptiness though when he tried the berry-flavored violet one.

The Candy man kept praising him for trying every flavor, never ceasing to smile. The boy on the other hand was blissfully lost in all the commotion and different sounds, laughing gleefully at the sight of a pretty carousel, just calling out for him.
He threw himself in an elegant tea cup and while the ride turned the endless festivity around him into a flurry of colors and light he turned to the laughing Candy Man.
"Can you tell me how to get a ticket so I can come back here next time?" he called over the sound of music and people.
"Next time? Don't you worry, little one. Next time you will have a ticket."
"Really? What does it look like?" he asked curiously but the man only laughed and leaned closer to him. So close that he could see the sparkles in his deep brown eyes that didn't look all that friendly up close.
"It's crimson red, like the pain you feel when your mother slaps your cheek." he answered in that enchanting, velvety voice of his.
"It looks like a cool, pale blue; like the anxiety of losing everything. Like ugly distrust towards those around you. Like the alarming orange fear you feel when hiding from your drunkard father who wants to hurt you."
His eyes grew wide at the last point. He remembered these scenes even though he was certain they hadn't ever happened to him.
The ride stopped and the Candy man nonchalantly got up to leave. But the boy was still confused and curios, so he followed him quickly. He didn't understand any of this.
"But I have never encountered these feelings." he called out after him.
"I know..." he said with a soothing smile as he stopped and  ruffled through the boy's hair.
"I know, Baekhyun. That's why you ate the candy. And boy, didn't you eat a lot of them."
At this, he pulled out the shiny box one last time and offered it to him.
"But there's one flavor you haven't tried yet, right? Aren't you curios as to what it might taste like?"
The boy looked at the inviting piece of magenta-colored candy.
"You are, aren't you? Go on then, try it." the man cooed and once more, the box was rattled in such a tempting manner.
He slowly reached for the last candy, as if hypnotized.
The smile never once wavered when the man snapped the now empty box shut and at the deafening sound of the metal sheets meeting each other the whole festival around them vanished like a blown out candle.
There was nothing left but a dark and cold forest. And the gate which stood firmly rooted to the ground and was very much closed.
"This is a place of joy.", the Candy man softly said, "A shelter for those who experienced terror and fear in their young life. Then there are kids like you who are missing nothing and are yet incapable of appreciating what they have. Ungrateful boys like you are what I despise the most."
Even though the words were harsh the tone was gentle and the boy didn't show any immediate reaction, being far too stunned.
"You're scared now, right? You want to flee this place? Go on then. Try the last one. It will be your ticket back to reality. There you will learn how to be grateful by experiencing the burdens you have so greedily and easily taken upon you."
The boy turned towards the gate and thought about it. He thought about it really hard and when he propped the last candy into his mouth, the gate's lock opened with an echoing click.
The Candy man was quietly scoffing in disdain at him but it choked in his throat when the boy began to giggle.
With an eye-crinkling smile he turned away from the door and walked up to the taller one, grabbing him by his suit and kissing him on the lips.
The kiss was deep, full of fervor and had the taste of juicy cherries and deeply rooted anger.
When he finally drew away, he his lips once more.
"So delicious..." he murmured and held up a small metal box to show the man whose expression was one of surprise. He opened said box which he had sneaked out of the man's pocket during the kiss and without hesitation, he placed a candy on his tongue in a slow manner while not breaking eye contact as if to prove something.
And then he broke into a far-too cheery grin while offering the box to the silent Candy Man.
"They are so delicious. Don't you want one as well? They'll make you feel good. Very, very good."
And the man looked into his eyes where he found nothing but truth.
This boy genuinely enjoyed the feelings. More than that - he couldn't get enough of them. Preferred the colorful yet excruciating pain over his empty, bland life.
They say that too much pain or happiness makes you lose your mind.
But somehow he couldn't shake the feeling that Baekhyun had lost his sanity a long, long time ago already.
At this thought, he broke into a twisted little smile and took a sugary crystal of his own.
The moment his tongue met the candy, the festivities around them were back.
Bright, vivid, and warm.
So much fun.

Oh I wish, he had been thinking while slowly drifting off into sleep.
I wish my life wasn't so boring.

His wish was finally granted. But the boy never woke up anymore.