Wooyoung didn't get a wink of sleep. All night, he cowered in a corner of the cold room, not daring to light a fire and not daring to lie down on the soft, dreamy bed in the chamber, for he feared falling asleep and waking to a white mask hovering above him.

By the time morning dawned and scarcely lit the castle overgrown by ivy and the nearby forest, Wooyoung was drained. With reddened eyes, he sat in his spot, too wired to sleep and too tired to wake. His mind was empty of thought and he so dearly wished himself back with Yeosang in their cosy home.

The scare of last night sat in his bones and rendered his spirit weakened. He couldn't comprehend what he had seen and thought his mind was tricks on him. Undoubtedly, the voice had belonged to the beast; the demonic appearance with the mask. Yeosang had conversed with it, too, so it must have been real. Had the feux follet also been real? Was this place doused in magic?

Hunger drew Wooyoung from his trance around noon. He had denied the gnawing ache in his cramping stomach for as long as he could bear, but soon, he couldn't resist his weariness anymore. Since he had spent so much time waiting for Yeosang the day prior, he hadn't eaten in a while. Paired with the lack of sleep, that could soon mean his inevitable decline by fainting. If Wooyoung wanted one thing less than anything else in the world currently, it was to pass out in a castle owned by a monster that kept magical sprites as its pets.

Wooyoung stood from the corner between the bed and the vanity dresser. He dusted off his clothing after the long time spent in the guest room that looked as if it hadn't been touched in ten years. The grime settled in his nose and made him sneeze, but he painfully suppressed the noise.

If he was lucky, the beast only came out at night. Perhaps it concealed its hideous appearance from the blessed rays of the sun. If so, Wooyoung could make a quick dash to the kitchens and steal some food.

He had promised to stay here in Yeosang's stead, but now that he was here, everything in him screamed for an escape. The cold and dark castle depressed his fatigued mind. Knowing the beast lurked in the shadows without break added to his terror. Would Wooyoung's purpose here be to be chased by the beast and be its toy to play with? Would every day be as sickening as last night?

Wooyoung did not need to be secretive about his presence since he got locked in last night, but he still tried for absolute soundlessness as he clicked the lock open. With apprehension in his chest, he glanced left and right down the corridor. Dust danced in the air at regular intervals wherever the sun beamed through the windows. The thick red carpet was greyed by it. Wooyoung's steps whirled up the still picture.

He guessed the kitchens were downstairs, beyond the scary dining hall, where he had been ambushed that night. At the thought of crossing it once more, dread almost froze his feet to the ground. What if the beast was bound to that room and no other? What if its white mask would melt from the shadows to chase after Wooyoung in perfect stillness?

With a grand effort, Wooyoung made it to the stairs. He peered through the railing into the entrance area before he started his descent. The stutter of his heart when he spotted another feu follet made it worth the caution.

This one had a different colour than the ones Wooyoung saw before. Instead of a ghostly blue or a treacherous gold, this one glowed in a delicate pink, like the blossoms of cherries in spring. The gentleness of the colour sent yearning through Wooyoung. Yearning to be free, out in his village, and share the merry days of the blossoming flowers with his townsfolk.

Crouched on the stairs, Wooyoung watched the orb idling around. It busied itself with the chandelier that had crashed into the corridor. Labouriously, it carried piece by piece of the splintered glass from the ground to a basket and cleaned up the area. Since it was little, just enough to fit in the cup of Wooyoung's hands, it performed a challenging task.

Contrary to the two last night, this one didn't seem malicious. Its tireless duty seemed joyful in its flow.

Wary, Wooyoung scrutinised it a while longer, but his heart softened like a sponge. He wished to help anyone working hard, especially when he presumed this work only needed to be done because of his and Yeosang's intrusion.

As he crept down the stairs, he waited for a shift in the mood. He waited for the feu follet to screech, to alert its master or to outright attack Wooyoung if it had anything to threaten him with.

However, as he came closer, all he picked up on was a humming voice that originated from the orb. The melody was cheerful and unfitting of the cold and uncomfortable castle. The feu follet seemed to have the time of its life cleaning up.

Wooyoung cleared his throat when he was close enough to face it. Through the polite distance between them, the velvety and soft voice of the magical flame squeaked like a mouse.

"May I help you with this?" Wooyoung pointed at the shards.

The feu follet bounced in the air and its pink flame trailed after it, wavering.

"Oh! You don't need to. This is no work for you, you might cut your hands."

But Wooyoung already crouched and gathered up the shards with nimble fingers.

"I like to help," he muttered, aware of their peculiar situation.

The feu follet hesitated only for a moment before it went back to work. Despite its oddness, its curiosity was clear as day.

Wooyoung sought words. How unusual he was for speaking to a floating flame. Did this place turn people mad?

Before he could embarrass himself, the flame spoke up.

"My apologies for not greeting you last night when you arrived. My name is Seonghwa, I'm the head servant of this place."

Wooyoung thought he had heard wrong.

"Pardon me? The head servant?" How was a magical orb a servant? Did this place have a need for hierarchies? Was the beast that set on owning this castle as its ruler?

Also, it meant that this orb was a different one than the ones Wooyoung had seen last night. That made them three already.

"Yes! Or I was, before the curse."

"The curse," Wooyoung echoed in confusion. He shovelled the last shards into the basket and stood as his stomach grumbled. A faery-like little laugh tinkled from Seonghwa. The pink orb danced in the air.

"You don't know it yet, so I shall teach you. Since you must be hungry, follow me to the kitchens. We can talk while you eat."

The feu follet merrily floated on its way towards the large open area that led into the dining room. Baffled, Wooyoung followed along, if just for the lack of anything better to do. This spirit seemed much kinder than the other two, and in its presence, the room also seemed less dark as they crossed it.

"Almost seven winters went by since this castle got cursed. It feels like an eternity has passed." The orb danced over the tables that were cleared aside from two lonely vases with bare branches instead of flowers in them. They grew into the air like gnarly fingers and reminded Wooyoung of the arched horns that the beast had worn on its mask. Or had they been part of its appearance? He couldn't remember. Only fear marred his memories.

"What happened back then?" Wooyoung knew, but he was circumspect of their account. Had the head servant any information that had passed the rumours? Or would the residents lie about their infernal plans at overtaking this human settlement?

"I was human once, just like you," the faery light spoke. It floated through the gap in the door to the kitchens and Wooyoung followed, only opening the entrance as far as he needed it to squeeze through.

In disbelief, Wooyoung perched at the kitchen desk while the orb drifted around. It was joined by a second of its kin, the eerie blue one from last night that had been stirring the ladle sitting in a massive pot. Wooyoung didn't understand how they were physical to the touch, but he supposed he didn't know magic well enough to judge upon that.

"We all were, even the prince."

"The prince?" Wooyoung echoed. Yeosang's tale was fresh in his mind. He remembered that the prince's ignorance had caused the downfall of this castle, but what else had happened back then?

The pink feu follet sighed deeply. As the blue one balanced a plate over to park in front of Wooyoung, the boy stood from his stupor to help with their demanding tasks. He set out dishes and cutlery and helped them season the meal to their wishes. It seemed the blue one was responsible for cooking. Its patience was thinner than the pink flame's.

"Our prince is the most honourable person in these lands. People should bow before him but instead, they shiver in fear and call him a monster," the blue flame cursed. Stunned, Wooyoung sat while the two hovered above the table opposite of him.

"Don't be harsh, Jongho. It's not their fault. The curse made it so he would be hideous to look at and sent the people into despair." Seonghwa bounced his flame against Jongho's until their colours blurred into a delicate violet.

"Please start at the beginning," Wooyoung appealed. Their grief touched his heart, and he wished to help them so dearly, but their riddles led them nowhere.

Seonghwa sighed, then he gathered his words. Seven years of memories resonated with him as he told the tale.

"Seven years ago, our prince, San, the most charming and sought-after prince among these lands, hosted a ball for his twenty-second birthday. His father was in despair, for he sought to hand down the throne soon, but San wasn't married yet despite his age and popularity. Time and time again, he refused marriage proposals, and no one understood why. He claimed he was too young to settle for something as whimsical as love and that he would rather enjoy meeting people and continue his search for one worthy settling for."

Wooyoung tried his stew as he listened with rapt attention. Though humble, it tasted most heavenly. As worthy of a royal cook. Were these truly the souls of the once human castle staff?

"During that ball, a faery approached our prince. Her beauty challenged that of the sun and her grace made every human woman in the room jealous. She was beguiling and everything one might desire."

Awed, Wooyoung tried to imagine such a fairy. In the forgotten splendour of the castle, she must have shone like a star.

"However, she, too, wasn't what San thought. He refused her, unthinking at what her indignation might cause. For she was obsessed with our prince and wanted him at all cost, but refusing a faery was permanent. She got angry with him and cursed him so that he might never be handsome again and would be hated by all until he found the love he so foolishly sought. As we were the friends beside him, we also got cursed to live with his horrific new self so we would regret ever taking his side."

The feu follet looked as downtrodden as one of its kind could look. Pity swelled in Wooyoung's chest and constricted his throat as he let the spoon sink. He found it hard to believe that such a simple refusal had turned the faery's wrath on them. Perhaps the prince had been crueller than they made it sound.

Yet, the outcome was obvious. The staff had turned into faery lights and the magical curse shrouded the forest and appalled all people in the village.

"Now, our prince is trapped here until eternity, unable to find the one he seeks. We never saw that faery again, no matter how we begged for her forgiveness."

"So, the prince is the one they call the beast now?" Wooyoung asked. His voice had quietened as the downtrodden flames at the same table drooped so sadly. Their role was even more wretched than that of the picky prince. He had been the one to enrage the faery, but his friends suffered with him for so long.

"He is. Our precious prince. I wonder if he aged since then? For sure, he is still beautiful under the hideous mask."

Wooyoung doubted it. If he were, he wouldn't have spooked Yeosang and demanded Wooyoung as a sacrifice. He wouldn't have haunted Wooyoung either.

"Finish your food," the blue flame grunted. "We don't expect you to understand."

Wooyoung wished he could understand.