He was terrified.

How had a simple trip to the market turned into such a nightmare? First he had lost all of his wares to a bunch of robbers, now he was the prisoner of a monster. He was dreaming. He had to be dreaming.

The room in which he sat was beautifully furnished. It was comfortable and warm. A fire blazed on the far end. Roses decorated all the vases. Beautiful paintings were everywhere. If he hadn't seen the hideous beast with his own eyes, he would have thought he had been brought into paradise.

He had tried to leave the room, but it was locked. All he could do was wait and pace anxiously. Wait till that beast came to devour him, or whatever its intentions were.

It was almost morning now. His children would start to worry because he wasn't home. They might even try looking for him. They might even travel out that far and stumble into the cursed garden like he had.

All his troublesome thoughts were shattered when the door to the great room opened. He expected that hideous beast to push his massive bulk inside. Instead, he was surprised to find a pleasant-looking young man entering, carrying a large silver plate. He was smiling rather brightly - far more brightly than the situation called for.

"Good morning, sir," he said politely, as he walked the tray over to the coffee table and set it down. "Did you have a comfortable night?"

Daevy could only stand there, flabbergast. Did that young man have no idea what had brought him into that house?

"I hope the breakfast is to your liking."

"What...what is going on?"

The young man looked confused. "It's breakfast."

"But the beast! Is it gone?"

"Oh..." His attention wavered, "He's...better."

"Better?"

Before he could elaborate, the door opened again and another young man walked through. The newcomer didn't have a bright smile. On the contrary, he was very serious - almost intimidating - despite the fact that he looked barely older than Daevy's sons.

"That'll be all, Jinki," he said to the servant. With a nod of his head, the smiling man left the room. Daevy wished he hadn't.

The serious young man took a seat closer to the fire and straightened out his fine jacket, before gesturing for Daevy to take a seat across from him. He was reluctant, but he complied.

"You don't have to be afraid, sir. I'm not going to hurt you," the master of the house assured. "Please, eat."

"I'm not very hungry, young master."

"My name is Minho," he said, "Can I ask yours?"

"It's Daevy."

"Daevy?" Minho repeated.

"What's going on? What...what was that beast outside?"

"That beast saved your life," Minho pointed out.

Daevy paused. He hadn't thought of it like that. He had been too terrified to realize the beast actually did something good for him.

"Is it your beast?"

"You could say that."

"Why did it bring me here?"

"Because I wanted you here."

He paused again, confused. "What do you want me for?"

"Because I'm cursed, Daevy."

"And you want me to help you with that?"

"No. You can't. But I am very lonely, and right now you're all I have."

It had been one day since Minho dragged Daevy into his home and honestly, he was disappointed. He was hoping for companionship, for someone he could have conversations with and learn things from - someone who could make his existence a little less monotonous.

He was starting to thinking he might have had better luck abducting one of the robbers...

He couldn't get the old man to settle down. He wouldn't eat any of the fine meals Jinki prepared for him. He wouldn't even give Minho a decent conversation. He barely answered any of his questions. All he did was whine about how much he needed to get home, how much his family needed him, and how his affairs would be ruined if he didn't return soon.

Minho didn't care about those things. What were the normal affairs of life compared to what he was forced to endure night after night?

"Please, young master...please."

He was begging him again. The morning had barely begun and already he was begging him.

"Please let me return home."

Minho sighed heavily and took a drink of the fresh apple juice that had been prepared for them. He was only half-way listening to the old man when the door to the great room opened and Kibum walked inside.

He hadn't seen the magician in three whole days. He wondered what part of the mansion he had slinked away to.

As he entered, even Daevy became silent - as if he too knew something about the man was off.

Kibum was quiet as he came to his side and gave him a peculiar look. "Jinki told me about your new friend."

"I'm not his friend, he's keeping me here against my will," Daevy chimed in before he could answer.

Minho sighed again.

"How very rude of him," Kibum said to the old man, "Minho, don't you know you'll never break your curse by keeping someone here against their will...especially someone like him?"

"I didn't bring him here to break my curse," Minho snapped, "Obviously."

Kibum shook his head and turned to the old man, using a charm Minho could never muster. He went to where the old man sat and planted himself on the arm rest of his seat. "Has Minho hurt you?"

"I haven't," Minho snapped the answer for him.

Kibum glared at him, telling him to be quiet before turning back to Daevy. "Has he hurt you?"

"Well, no, but he won't let me leave. I need to get home. My children, they need me."

"You have children, sir?" Kibum asked, as if he was genuinely interested.

He nodded. "Three of them. They're not very young, but they just lost their mother. I can't have them lose me, too. Besides, the money I made at the market, I need to take it back to pay the rent. Please, tell him to let me go."

"That's unfortunate."

"I already lost half my wares to those robbers. That'll set me back by months and every hour I'm here only makes it worse. Please...please tell him to let me go."

"But you said your children aren't young. Don't you think they can take care of things by themselves for a while?"

"Well maybe, but they're my children. They need their father. Especially my little sweet daughter."

Minho pause mid-bite of his breakfast. "You have a daughter?" he asked.

Key looked his way and an unspoken understanding was exchanged between them.

"Yes."

"Just one?" Kibum asked, continuing his polite tone.

He nodded. "My other two children are boys."

"How old are they all?"

"Taemin just had his eighteenth birthday. Jongin is seventeen. Naeun, she's only sixteen. She's so sweet. She hates when I'm away for long. Please, you have to let me go back."

Kibum didn't reply. He sat there for a moment, pondering the information Daevy had given him. How had he managed to get all that out of him, when Minho couldn't even get his simple questions answered?

Eventually, Kibum turned to Minho. He could see he had concocted a plan in those few seconds.

"Tell you what, good sir...we'll let you go."

Daevy's eyes brightened hopefully. "You will?"

"Yes, but only under one condition."

"What?" he asked. The man wasn't daft enough to know there would be a heavy price.

"You have to bring me back your daughter," Minho said, in a way that left no room for questioning.

"What?"

"You have to bring back your daughter, Daevy," Kibum explained sympathetically. "It's the only way. You see, Minho here needs a girl to help him break his curse. And your daughter just might be that girl."

"I'm not bringing my daughter here! With the likes of you and that beast wandering around."

"That beast is not wandering around, it's in this room with you," Kibum explained.

It took a moment for Daevy to piece together the words and figure out just what Kibum was saying to him. "You're the beast?"

"Not him," Minho said, stalking closer to his chair, "I am."

"What did you think the curse was?" Kibum asked.

Daevy sunk further into his chair, even more intimidated by Minho now that he knew the truth, and now that he was stepping closer to him. "You will bring me your daughter."

"No, I won't!"

"Unfortunately, Daevy," Kibum began, lifting his hand and working a magic Daevy didn't know he possessed, "you're not going to have a choice in the matter."