Taemin didn't think he would feel so sad leaving. It was funny how much his view of that mansion had changed, and how attached he had grown to everyone there. He would miss working with Jinki and Jonghyun, and even his odd interactions with Kibum. And of course, he would miss Minho (and even all his moodiness.)

Whatever few belongings he had acquired since coming there were packed in one bag, along with his mother's dress. He decided to wear her cloak though, since that wouldn't look too weird, but it wasn’t really necessary. It was a clear bright morning - the perfect weather for traveling.

He would be home before evening, back where he belonged.

Minho, Jinki, Jonghyun, and Kibum were all waiting for him in the foyer when he finally left his room. They were all waiting to say good bye, and he could tell that despite their smiles, they wanted him to stay very much.

Jinki was the first person to approach him. He handed him a bag with some fruit in it. "For the journey, in case you get hungry on the way."

"Thank you," he said. He gave the man a quick but warm parting hug, wishing him the best. He would probably miss that housekeeper/butler/maid/cook the most. He hadn't met many people in his life who were that genuine. He hoped he could manage to still clean the whole house without his help.

Jonghyun came to him next. The gardener looked like he was about to cry. "Write to us sometime, okay? It'll make things feel less stagnant in here."

"I will," he assured as Jonghyun pulled him into a hug too, squeezing him much tighter than Jinki had. When he pulled away again, he really was crying, but he tried hiding it as best as he could.

Taemin then turned to Kibum. The magician didn't embrace him, but then again, he didn't expect him to. "Do me a favor," he said, "Tell your dad I'm sorry, you know, for the whole...number thing."

Taemin nodded. He wasn't sure he would ever get over that, but he could tell Kibum really was sorry. As much as he could be anyway. "Sure."

That was all that was said between them.

Minho, of course, was last. He stood nearest to the door, holding another bag for Taemin to take with him. He handed it to him, and once Taemin felt its weight, he realized what it was: more riches. He peaked inside to see just how much riches.

"It's not a lot," Minho explained. "Just enough so that it won't be burdensome."

"Minho, I think you've given me enough."

"It's a parting gift. Something to remember us all by."

"Don't worry, I won't be forgetting any of this any time soon."

"Still, I want you to have it. It's the only thing I have to give you."

Taemin smiled as he slung the bag over his shoulder. "You've given me my freedom. That's a better gift for me than any riches."

"I'm sorry I couldn't grant it sooner."

He was no longer bitter about it. Everything seemed to work out for the better. It seemed like it was the right time to leave. Like he really had done enough for them to make up for him saving Daevy's life; and Minho had done enough to pay him back for all the damage he had caused. Even though Taemin knew he was leaving him far better off than when he found him, he felt that something was left undone.

They were all still trapped, after all.

"Sorry I couldn't free you guys."

Minho only shrugged. After all, how could he regret something he really had no control over?

They both stood there for a second, not saying or doing anything. Taemin was the first to move, to pull Minho into an embrace. It was as tight as Jonghyun's and as warm as Jinki's.

"Thank you," Minho whispered in his ear. "For everything."

When they parted again, he knew it was time for him to leave. He looked to them all, gave them one last smile, and then left through the open door. He started his walk down the long cobblestone path, leaving behind the mansion and the people he had grown so fond of. He glanced back at them one last time, as they all stood in the doorway watching him, and he silently promised them that he would find a way to save them.

It was relieving to see that whatever damage Minho had caused to his village was repaired by the time he returned. If he hadn't been there, he never would have guessed the beast had actually torn through the place, injuring people and ruining property. He wondered just how much damage had actually been done. He at least hoped no one had been seriously hurt.

Taemin stopped on the road that would lead him back to his home. For some reason, he felt reluctant to return. He supposed he was still angry at his father for locking him up, and at his siblings for not helping him.

Even freed, he had a feeling it would take a while to put Minho behind them.

"That's a pretty color on you." The familiar voice made Taemin freeze. Warily, he turned around to face the woman who stood behind him on the road. Krystal was there in all her witchy glory, garbed as usual with a mocking smile on her face. "This is a surprise."

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, suddenly afraid for his family. He had no idea how vengeful Krystal could be, or how far she would go to vicariously hurt Minho.

"Just traveling. I come here a lot, you know. The sweets at the bakery here are the best." It was an obvious lie, and she knew he knew it too.

He closed the space between them in one step. "Stay away from my family."

"Relax, kid. I'm not here to hurt anyone. At least, not them."

"Then why are you here?" he pressed. "I doubt this is just a coincidence."

She shrugged. "I thought maybe there was something here I could use to my advantage against our dear Minho."

"There's nothing here. Now leave!"

"Well you're here, aren't you?" she asked, while taking his chin with her fingers. "Now how did you manage that?"

"If you must know, Minho let me go."

She looked genuinely surprised. "Really?"

He knocked her hand away and continued his trek back home.

"He just let you go?" she called after him, "Just like that?"

He stopped and turned back to her. "He didn't want your curse to trap me too."

Instead of surprised, she now looked amazed. "I didn't think he had that much selflessness in him."

"He's changed, you know. He's not the same man who hurt you."

"Maybe not, but he's the only one who can prove that to me."

"How can he when you won't even give him the chance? You keep him locked in a mansion with no hope of anyone ever crossing his path who can love him."

Offended, she stepped closer to him, pressing into his personal space. "Minho is the only one who keeps himself locked in there. He has the power to free himself."

"You mean..."

She didn't give him the chance to finish his sentence. She turned and walked away from him, taking another road that led away from his home. Taemin stood there for a moment, trying to figure out what she was implying. When he could come up with nothing, he gave up and followed her.

Krystal had walked all the way to the tavern, to the very one he used to work at. And the very one his father would get drunk at. He half expected to see his father sitting in there, but luckily the old man was nowhere in sight.

Krystal took a seat at one of the tables in the corner and obviously waited for him, despite how bothered she still looked by his assertion. He went and took the seat across from her, ready to meet her at her level. If there was any way to help Minho, he wasn't going to find it by arguing and accusing her.

"What do you want?"

"What?" she asked, honestly confused.

"What is it you want? There must be something you're after, to go through all this trouble for so long. What do you get out of keeping Minho trapped in there?"

"The satisfaction of knowing he suffers."

"But you loved him, didn't you?"

"Yes," she answered tersely. "But he broke my heart and he needed to suffer for that."

"He has. He still suffers for it. Don't you know how much he regrets what he did to you?"

She didn't reply. She now looked uncomfortable with the turn of the conversation, like even referencing the past still hurt her.

"You still love him," he realized. "Don't you?"

"Don't you?" she asked, purposefully deflecting his question.

"He's my friend. I care about him."

"After he hurt your family and forced you to live with him in that house? You don't care for people who do those things."

"I forgave him," Taemin said, admitting to her what he hadn't even admitted to himself.

"Then you've done something I never could."

He suddenly pitied her. He couldn't imagine living almost twenty years with such bitterness and revenge. He couldn't imagine what all those painful emotions must have been doing to her.

"Then what do you want?" he asked again, "I'll give it to you, if you'll set him free."

She scoffed and shook her head, as if she found the whole scenario ironic. "It's not in your power, or my power, to free him."

"But you're the one who cursed him."

"Yes, I set it in motion, but I can't stop it. Only he has the power to break that curse."

"If he can make someone fall in love with him," he said.

"No. If he falls in love."

"Wait, what?" Taemin asked, confused, "He said someone needed to fall in love with him."

She shook her head, "He misunderstood the curse."

"And you never bothered telling him he had it wrong?"

She shrugged, unapologetic.

Taemin took a moment to let what she was saying sink in. If it was true, then Minho really did have the power to free himself. It didn't mean he was any closer to that freedom, but it made his situation a little less bleak. He no longer needed someone kind enough to see past all his major personality flaws.

"He really let you go?" Krystal asked, breaking his train of thought.

"Yes."

She smiled softly. "Maybe he is changing. Maybe the end is closer than he realizes."

"It's still a long way off," he countered pessimistically.

"Maybe you should go back then."

"Why? He's not going to fall in love with me," he said, only half believing the statement himself.

"He's onto a good start. After all, the essence of love is putting another person first. It's sacrificing what you want for another person's good."

"And he let me go...even though he really wanted me to stay."

She shrugged. "I could be wrong. He could still be the heartless bastard I knew and loved."

Taemin smiled softly, glad he had come to see the situation and everyone involved in a different light. "Thank you, Krystal. I hope you find the satisfaction you're looking for."

"Where are you going?" she asked as he rose from the table again.

"Back to Minho."

A/N: See? Taemin couldn't leave Minho after all. Teehee!

Comments are appreciated! <3