"Mio!"

   Onew grabbed her arm and dragged her back into the mansion, shutting the door and locking it. Mio was still screaming, eyes wide with terror.

   "Mio, stop! Mio, please!"

   The others ran down the stairs. "Onew, her negative energy is rising! Get away from her before you go crazy---"

   Onew stiffened, a shudder running through his body. He suddenly looked less human, more frightening. His teeth seemed to sharpen into points, and he started to shake uncontrollably.

   Minho tackled him before he could do anything, throwing him to the ground away from Mio. They wrestled for a bit, Onew struggling to get to Mio and scratching at Minho with his suddenly-clawed hands. Despite being scratched on the cheek and foreahed and chin, Minho didn't let him go, and Onew calmed down after a while.

   Mio stopped screaming, but she was still scared.

   "Where did you take me?" She whispered.

   Jonghyun squirmed uncomfortably. "Um....our house. This is our house."

   "You took me to HELL?" She screamed, and they all flinched.

   "No. Mio.....we didn't take you to Hell. This is the borderline between the human world and Hell." Taemin whispered.

   "Take me home."

   "Where is your home?"

   "Home is the orphanage."

   "Then why did you leave?"

   "WHY DO YOU CARE?" She screamed again, and they all flinched harder at her harsh words. She didn't care if she hurt them or not, she wanted to go home. "WHY DO YOU CARE SO MUCH? JUST LEAVE ME ALONE AND TAKE ME HOME! NEVER BOTHER ME AGAIN! I CAN HANDLE THE SINS AND THE DREAMS, JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"

   "Do you hate us?" Taemin whispered.

   Mio faltered at his expression. "N-no....I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that.....I-I just meant, why do you worry so much about me? Why did you bring me to your house? Why did you always stay around me?"

   They all stared at her, their eyes full of longing.

   "Mio....." Key whispered. "Have you ever been in love? Do you know what it's like?"

   Mio was startled at the question. "Um.....no."

   "Love...." Jonghyun mumbled. "it both heals your heart and rips it apart. It makes you feel like the happiest man on earth, and also the most miserable. It makes you want to never leave that girl's side, never let her out of your sight. You are content just staring at her, all day long. Just seeing her smile is enough for you."

   Onew nodded. "Every single word she says, ever single motion she makes, it draws you closer and closer to her. It's like you're drowning in both happiness and sorrow, except you don't want to save yourself. You want to sink in more. You want to know what she's doing, what she thinks, how she feels, what she says about things.....you want to know everything about her, do everything with her. Be with her forever."

   Mio realized they were all moving closer to her. "Can you love someone, Mio?" Taemin whispered.

   "I-I think so. I think I can love."

   "What if it's not human?" Minho whispered breathlessly, touching her arm lightly and staring at her with a desperate, hopeful look in his eyes. "What if he's an angel? A dark angel? Could you still love him?"

   Mio thought about it, now aware they were all very close to her. "Um.....I think so. Love is unconditional, right? It doesn't matter if it's a human or a monster, if you love someone, you love them."

   They all looked so relieved, so incredibly joyful at her words, a suspicion sparked in her. Could they.....?

   "Um.....can you please take me home? Please?"

   "No."

   "What do you mean, no?"

   Jonghyun's face hardened. "We want you to stay."

   "I don't think you want to go outside in the borderline to Hell. Things even worse than Sins are out there." Onew added, his face tightening.

   All their faces were hardening. They looked deadly and dangerous, threatening.

   Key gripped Mio's arm. "I don't think you should try to escape again." He said, smiling. The smile didn't reach his eyes, and it didn't match his tone. His grip became vice-like, and Mio pulled it away.

   "Um....okay. Um....I'm really tired, could you lead me to my bedroom, please?"

   They all smiled again, their threatening faces gone.

   "Of course, Mio!" Taemin chirped, grabbing her hand. "This way!"

   "Don't you dare touch her hand, you brat!" Jonghyun hissed. Minho put his arm around her shoulder and led her upstairs with Taemin. Onew and Key grabbed her hands, and Jonghyun placed a hand softly on her hair. They all seemed to want to touch a part of her.

   They bade her goodnight, and as soon as she was certain they were gone, she ran out of bed, closed the door, and locked it. She also grabbed a chair from a desk and wedged it under the doorknob so it couldn't open. Then she ran into her bed and hid under the covers, shivering.

   They loved her. Uncontrollably, and irrevocably.

   And they wanted her to live with them, in this mansion.

   And they'd stop at nothing to keep her here.