Santa set the bag containing Liam upon his sleigh and went off to continue the yearly distribution of gifts across the world. Liam squirmed and shouted out his anger from the tightly tied bag yet he wasn’t aware that he was joined by other unruly children that Santa would deal with once delivering all the gifts was over for another twelve months. As such, as the day of the 25th of December rose upon the last regions of the world, Santa, under timid rays of the sun, arrived at his destination with a satisfied sigh. Another year, another successful delivery and sets of joyful moments for good children around the world. He was not at the North Pole, though. Not yet. He was in Central Europe, in the deep of a dark forest, right at the door of a great castle. Krampus' domain. Where all naughty boys and girls must go. And the horned creature was emerging now, eyes glittering and smile nasty.
"Hello, my friend," he said civilly. "Good catch for me, this year?"
"Indeed," sighed the jolly old man serving as the goat creature's counterpart.
"Must be all the effects of screens and faulty parenting," hummed Krampus, rubbing his chin. "Well, we simply both apply the rules, you and me. What happens next is not your concern. Only mine," he finished with a smile.
Santa sighed again and just watched as Krampus clapped his hands and a series of little misshapen creatures, resembling goblins, arrived and took the squirming bags inside, to place in cells and cages in the dungeons, deep down in the castle. Krampus was right. He just made sure the rules were followed. He shook the reins and flew away. The rest was not his problem, even though Santa did feel remorse for the children, bratty as they might be.
As for Liam, he emerged from the bag to find himself in a cell, still naked, next to other children, also all in the nude. He backed away, frightened by the ugly little monsters laughing and pointing their fingers at the different children, mocking them. As for Krampus, he smiled nastily and looked at his prey for the year, expertly judging how he should punish each and how he should transform them. The fay realm from which he originated always loved transformed children to integrate into their world and he loved to see the nastiest brats reduced to servants in his own lavish household. Yes, he was a true expert, knowing which transformation would profit him the most, whether in servitude or in gold coins at the sale of the transformed brat. Hence his lavish lifestyle. At least the brats in servitude in his own castle held a chance to return home one day. Maybe. If they were lucky. An expertise which came from his long, long centuries of practice. And clearly, this year's harvest of naughty boys and girls promised to bring in bulging purses of gems and gold...