Taemin was still upset, even though the majority of the tension had settled down. He hadn't talked to his father. They continued to ignore each other, even as they walked around their house and Daevy carried on like nothing had happened. He just tried to pretend that he hadn't done just as much harm as he was trying to spare him from.

Jongin and Naeun didn't speak of it either. Then again, Jongin was mostly working those three days - taking over the tasks that Daevy should have been doing himself. If he was really trying to be a father and protect his children, he should have been the one taking responsibility, not his children. If it wasn't for Minho's gift, their landlord probably would have evicted them by then.

Naeun, as usual, didn't voice whatever she was thinking. Whenever a fight broke out in the family, she remained quiet. She didn't like strife, and she didn't like taking sides. Chances were, she never would have locked him in that room, but then again, she wanted him to stay just as much as Daevy did.

Taemin was at least glad that Kibum's spell hadn't worked. There was a "0" still on his chest, but that was all that was there of the magic. Maybe that was all the magic Kibum was capable of – trickery.

"What are you going to do?" Naeun eventually forced herself to ask. She sat with him in his room while he ate. She had been quiet for the most part, but Taemin knew she was just waiting for the right time to speak.

"I don't know," he lied. He fully intended to keep his promise to Minho, but he couldn't risk telling her that.

"Obviously, the spell didn't work."

He didn't say anything.

"Maybe you won't have to go back?"

Normally, he might have agreed with her rationale, but after the way his father had treated him, he felt like returning just to spite him. "It's not that simple."

"But Taemin, after everything he did to us...why would you go back?"

"Because I gave him my word that I would."

"Couldn't you break your word just this once?"

"He'd think I deceived him, that I planned this all along."

"You deceived him before, when you took my place. Why is this different?"

Her point was valid. He had deceived Minho. Just as Minho deceived him. Was that all they were meant to do to each other?

"I did that to save you."

"You don't have to save me anymore. That beast can't reach me here. We're free of him, Taemin."

But Minho had changed. He was trying. Maybe that was the reason why he felt so compelled to go back.

He sighed heavily. He didn't know what to do. He had spent every moment in that mansion wanting to leave, and now that he was back, he wanted to return. He did have an opportunity to stay, to put that mansion and everything about it behind him, but he couldn't do that. That decision would never let him be settled. He would always regret not keeping his promise.

"This isn't about you anymore." He said the same thing to her that he did his father. And it was true. It was his problem now. His choice.

"Taemin, since you've been back, things have gotten better. Our life is almost normal again. You didn't see father every night. You didn't have to go drag him from that tavern--"

"I did that every night after mom died," he snapped, offended that she had forgotten - or assumed that he had.

"I know. I know that, Taemin. And it hasn't been that long since we lost her...We can't lose you too."

Naeun had a way of reaching him like no one else could. He always had a soft spot for his little sister. He hated upsetting her. He hated that she had to deal with all the things he couldn't take care of in his absence. "I'm sorry," he said, as he pulled her close.

He was sorry that she had gone through all that...and sorry that he would inevitably leave her to go through it all over again.

Taemin was awoken by a scream in the distance, coming from outside. Disoriented, he rose from his bed and listened to the commotion outside his window. He heard men shouting orders, and a second later, the village bell sounded an alarm, which usually meant there was a fire or a cyclone or something that posed a threat to the entire village.

There was another loud scream of terror.

Taemin ran out of his bedroom and met his family, who were also woken by the noises.  "What's going on?" he asked, as if they knew.

Jongin went to the window and looked outside.

"Monster!" he heard a man screaming, "Arm yourselves!"

"A monster?" Naeun repeated in disbelief.

Taemin looked to his father and his fearful expression. He didn't need to say anything for Taemin to know he was thinking the same thing he was: Minho.

But it was impossible. Minho couldn't leave his house. There had to be something else outside the village. A wolf or a bear, something so large it caused the villagers to panic. It wasn't Minho. It couldn't be.

"What are you doing?" Naeun asked as he unlocked the door and stepped outside.

"Stay here, please," he told her.

"You can't go out there!"

He didn't listen to her. Neither did Jongin, who joined at his side. Taemin looked in awe at the town guard that was gathered suddenly to defend the people. He heard the clamor and commotion, and among it all, the angered howl of the monster invading their town. It was a familiar sound.

"No," Taemin said quietly. He ran from his home in the direction the fighters were running, only he wasn't armed. He had no protection of any sort as he ran head first into the fight.

A man was thrown into him and knocked him back with a surprising force. He slammed into the ground and lost his senses as he hit his head. He saw stars and heard screaming. The alarm continued to chime loudly, but it was drowned out by the monster's howls.

When he opened his eyes again, he heard its footsteps bounding through the village. Arrows were shot its direction and pierced its flesh. Taemin couldn't see any of that in the darkness and chaos, but he knew. He could feel the monster's fear and anger, and he knew it was Minho.

He pushed the unconscious soldier off his body and rose to his feet, staggering a bit from the blow to his head. His vision was spinning, but he could make out the beast's bulk as it charged through the village, knocking aside anything that attacked it. Arrows were sticking through his flesh, but they didn't stop him in the least.

Women and children were fleeing for safety. More men were futilely coming to slay the beast. Taemin was afraid, for them and Minho.

"Minho!" he screamed. He didn't hear him over the fighting.

He tried to get closer, but Minho continued to move through the village, looking for what was already behind him. After all, he had come there for Taemin. What other reason would there be?

"Minho!"

One of the soldier's cries filled the night as Minho's teeth sank into his arm, shedding the first blood. Taemin watched in shock.

"Stop!" he screamed, "Minho, stop!"

Finally, he managed to get his attention. The beast stopped its rampage and turned to him. His yellow eyes reflected the light of the lampposts. They also softened the moment he saw him. Taemin knew he had found what he had come for.

Still recovering from his fall, he approached him slowly. Minho didn't seemed to notice anyone else anymore. Not like there were many people left around them. Even the soldiers had begun running away. Besides the injured, there was only the two of them, as he stalked closer to Taemin, panting heavily from his exertion.

He still couldn't believe that he was there, that he had resorted to such violence to get to him. He could only stand there and stare at him, utterly disappointed.

"Taemin!" Jongin screamed.

Both he and Minho turned to his brother. He ran toward them with a torch and waved it at the beast's face, forcing him away. He grabbed Taemin's arm and pulled him back.

"Run!"

"Jongin, I have to go with him," Taemin argued, pulling on his arm in return and urging him back toward their house.

"You can't!"

Minho howled and lunged at Jongin, more to scare him than harm him. But Jongin wasn't frightened and he fought back bravely.

"Stop!" Taemin said, putting himself between them. He faced his brother and pushed him back from the beast. "Please, just take care of dad and Naeun."

"Taemin!"

Minho grabbed the back of his shirt between his teeth. The two brothers could say nothing more to each other before Minho pulled away from him. Taemin was ripped from Jongin's grasp as the beast hauled him onto his back.

Taemin had barely any time to clutch onto his fur, before he took off running.

He took one last look back at his brother and their wounded village, before Minho ran back into the forest, and his home was blocked from his sight.

A/N: Yeah, not exactly the romantic reunion you all thought it would be. XD

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