Xiao was woken up by the gentle chirping of morning birds, her face was bathed in golden sunlight. For a moment, she thought she already reached heaven.

　　But then, a stinging pain from her abdomen gave her realization that she's still alive. She tried to sit up, but a sharp pain made her collapse back to the hard ground, her messy dark hair fluttered around her shoulders as she laid there helplessly for a second.

　　"Ouch." She said, clutching her stomach.

　　She was sure she aimed the sharp wand at her heart, but why is her wound a bit above her hip?

　　She could barely move, her entire body ached. What happened? Why isn't she dead yet?

　　"Little one." The deep voice called out to her again.

　　Oh. The Cross Giant who refused to kill her.

　　"Good, you're not dead." He said, but she couldn't pin point where he is, yet she only saw his large shadow hovering around.

　　Finally, she lifted her white blouse a little to trace a finger over her wound, which is an ugly mess of stitches the size of a coin holding her skin together under a layer of bandages wrapped around her waist. She recognized the factory pattern on the bandages, the same ones given in first aid kit every witchcraft student had to carry around in their pouch.

　　The witch knew what happened now, the monster not only deny to kill her, but saved her life and took care of her wound. She tried to stand up, but his deep voice kept her still.

　　"You should sit down."

　　She followed his instructions, and tried her best to sit down on the hard stone ground. Then, she noticed that her hooded gray cape was used as a sheet for her to lay on and her bag was her pillow.

　　Xiao found the remains of her wand, which is now just a useless broken stick, laid next to her bag.

　　"What did you do?" She mumbled.

　　"I gave you one more time to live."

　　She didn't understand, but that didn't matter. "Doesn't matter. Just let me die."

　　"Look, tiny human. I didn't diverted the direction of your wand only for you to kill yourself." The monster talked to her from the shadow of the temple.

　　"What? You have other plans? Why didn't you just kill me instead?" Xiao offered. "A quick death or a long torture session, whatever is fine."

　　"Why do you wanna die so damn much?" The monster stepped out of the shadow, pure toned muscles bath in the morning light. Xiao was thankful for the pants covering his torso or else she would be drooling. Oh, she shouldn't be drooling over a monster.

　　But, he looks so delicious, like heaven had taken a form of something so sinister. She should be dead, and yet paradise is looking down at her. All four of his muscular arms are shackled by his wrists, the chains extended into the temple's walls.

　　"Please, just kill me..." She whispered.

　　A single tear fell from her honey brown eyes. "What's there to live for? I'm only an investment to my family, and they want to marry me out to some rich spoiled brat. They killed my motivation, took away my freedom, so what's left?"

　　He raised a curious eyebrow, "What about your magic powers? You're from the witch academy, right?"

　　"What's the point of me studying magic if I'm going to marry some bastard and bare his children once I graduate in four years?"

　　Then, she blinked as he sat down in front of her. All four of his eyes stared into her pair of dull ember eyes.

　　"If you don't have a reason to learn magic, then make me your reason."

　　...What? "Wha?"

　　"I...I'm not really...I mean..." He fumbled over his words for a bit before clearing his throat and lifted his hands, showing her his shackles.

　　"I was chained here for more than haft a century, but I still look the same as the day one." The monster explained. "These shackles were forged by the strongest of wizards they could lay their hands on. Their goal is to make me suffer in loneliness. Making me immortal while being here forever sounds 'bout right."

　　She still couldn't process all this, "What... What are you asking me to do?"

　　He gave her a smile. "I'm asking you to release me from these chains, of course. I hope they still teach crafting at the academy."

　　"You know about magic crafting? Or forging?" A glint of light appeared in her eyes.

　　He nodded. "It was a hobby of mine before this happened." He gestured to the chains. "How else could I diverted your wand?"

　　"Then, you should know how to get out of here." She bit back.

　　"Listen, if these chains don't hold back ninety-nine percent of my powers, I wouldn't need your help."

　　"But?"

　　He smiled at her again, and she felt a bit lightheaded. "But, your help would be nice. I'm sure you're an amazing wizard, or whatever you call yourself at the academy."

　　"I'm still a student, I have a lot to learn." She said back.

　　"Then I'll teach you." He added. "I'm no expert in whatever they teach, but I roll pretty well with magic crafting."

　　She gave him a strange look, as if to say 'And?'.

　　"I know of solutions to forge the key to my shackles, I just need you to do it for me because I can't."

　　His hand lifted her chin up to meet his eyes. "If you have no reason to be alive, then let me be your reason. You have four years until you graduate, right? Four years for us to undo these shackles, and then you can come with me."

　　"But..."

　　"Don't worry, it's not that far to travel. Just across the border to the Dark Kingdom, and you'll be my retainer."

　　She bit her lip nervously, her mind moving a mile a minute, going from the fact that this monster just casually convinced her to let him out of his prison to the fact that he looks kind of cute when he's eagerly waiting for her response.

　　He wants to give her life purpose, and that purpose is to serve him.