He was once a young king. Handsome, sought after. Powerful. He waged war and unified the continent, going down into history.

But that was so very long ago, it didn't matter now. His beauty, taken, his kingdom now rubble.

His people not even a memory.

Except his. And even that had begun fading. All he could seem to remember was rage and endless darkness and her.

He stared at her as she showered, looking about her room. It was filthy. He wondered what had broken her so completely she couldn't let herself face it.

"Why are you here?" She called from the bathroom.

He glanced back. "How did you know?"

"Gets colder." She shrugged, coming out of the shower, wrapping a towel around her waist. She was a woman alright, though young compared to him.

Then again, everything was young compared to him.

He imitated her shrug before sighing. "Will you tell me your wish now?"

"I wish you would go away."

"No."

"I wish you would leave me alone."

"Uh-uh."

"I wish you would disappear."

"Been there, tried that. Still here. Always will be."

She sighed and shrugged again. "Then I'm all out of wishes. That's how genies work right?"

"Are you just going to keep trying to apply random magic rules from different magical creatures onto me, and just see what sticks?"

"Yeah, essentially."

She wasn't the brightest but she was quite sexy, so he'd let it go. Couldn't have it all. Beauty, intelligence, bravery, integrity. Something had to give.

And she fled like a coward at every situation so he knew she'd lost on the bravery front.

So far she had beauty.

"Deary you're making me a mite irritated, if I'm honest. Because I've asked you repeatedly to tell me your hearts desire and you're being obtuse."

"I told you, I don't know what wish you're taking about. What does it matter? You can't grant wishes, since you're not a genie."

He thought to refute that, but he considered it a waste of breath at this point, he didn't even breathe. She was being willfully ignorant and there was nothing he could do. He'd tried scaring her.

Just a bit. Nothing too nefarious. She'd grown used to him, or at least used to the fact the he came and went as he pleased.

He closed his eyes, feeling her come near. "What is it that you do?" She asks softly.

"I am a catalyst of fear, and death in this world. What do you do, Lana?"

"Um...I clean. I be painting sometimes. Occasionally."

He opened his eyes, narrowing them. "You be painting?" He mimicked her eyes with incredulity.

She shrugged. "Sometimes."

"When will you admit to yourself?" He stood, looking down at her belly.

She looked down at it as well. "Admit what?"

The worst fear he could ever unleash was the truth. "Admit that that child inside you is dead. And you sought me out to revive it."

Her eyes widened. She stumbled back, her mouth agape.

"What are you—get out."

He sighed, lifting himself up. "I didn't want to go here, deary but you're trying my patience. You must admit the truth to yourself. Look around you."

Lana looked around the room, swallowing roughly, her throat dry.

"I..."

Amidst the trash, was hidden a crib, letters ripped off the walls.

"I don't..."

He reached out and touched her belly? Her eyes soaking with tears.

"You came to me to try to bring this child back. You sought the devil. And you are a...wonderful mother, if not a bit unhinged."

She shuddered. "No...I don't know what you're talking about."

"I see. Then if I offered to bring it back. This child. If I told you I could return it, you would decline me. Since...you don't know what I'm talking about?"

Her eyes drifting down, and back up at him. He grinned; pulling a curl behind her ears. She couldn't seem to get her bearings. He stepped forward. She stepped back.

He kept walking, his steps deafening as she finally hit the wall.

"There is a matter of payment though, deary. There are also some...conditions. I would happily give you life you so desperately want, that you've shut everything out for."

She shuddered. He lifted her face, giving her a smile.

"I can bring back the child. But you will never see it again. And if you ever lay eyes on that child...it would disappear. That is the condition."

Her head was swimming. What was happening? This wasn't like him.

He raised her face smiling. "And the payment remains. You heart; is that child. And your soul...is mine. Now...you have only 3 months before the child is to be due, correct?"

What was happening? Really? Was it a bad dream?

"If you do not form this contract within that time, fate will resume, and the child will be born dead. If...you chose to contract with me, your fate is mine."

He stepped back, turning his back.

"Think carefully, dear."

Lana dropped to her knees, she held herself. She almost forgot. She almost forgot. She almost convinced herself it never happened.

Almost.

"What do you gain?"

He looked up at her. "I gain you. Make the interesting choice, Lana dear. I haven't had anything fun to do in so very long."