There was, long ago, a painter, and this painter lost a bet. This bet was to a king, and so he had to give his best child to the king. He called out to his patron Apollo, to help him, and, when he did, Apollo answered him, telling him thus: "The power to save your daughter is withing you. What you create is more than just a fantasy. All that you create is reality."

After these words were spoken, the painter heard a great ruckus from within his house. He entered to find that all of his paintings had suddenly come to life. He watched in horror as his painting of the Nemean Lion came to life and killed his daughter, he begged and screamed as his son's entire body was swallowed by his sketch of a cyclops, and he cried as his wife was ripped apart by his drawing of the Hydra. Turning to Apollo in a rage, he demanded that Apollo pay for what he'd done.

Apollo merely shrugged and said, "I completely my end of the bargain. Your family will be safe forever. They will never be taken by the king. Now I take my price. Any child that you henceforth have shall be plagued by visions, and will be compelled to paint these visions, but as soon as they do, these paintings will come to life, and they shall be doomed to die from their own paintings. Such is what you give for your family's safety." With that, the god vanished, leaving the miserable painter alone.