Amina stared at the stranger like he'd grown wings.
"Alive?" she repeated. "Like... alive alive?"
The mage nodded grimly. He moved past her, boots clicking on the wooden floor, and circled the dress like it was a wild animal. "The spell is old. Forbidden. Someone laced this fabric with blood-binding magic."
Amina crossed her arms. "I just sew. I don't do blood or binding."
"You don't have to," he said, eyes flicking to her face. "Your skill with the needle was enough to activate it. That's rare."
"Great," she muttered. "So I'm cursed with talent now?"
He smirked, just a little. "Something like that."
She watched him more closely. The flickering candlelight caught on the edges of silver charms dangling from his belt — protection runes, enchantment stones, maybe even a lock of hair tied with red thread. His cloak looked like it had seen battle. His voice, though cold, had the kind of tired behind it that only came from carrying something heavy for a long time.
"What's your name?" she asked, voice softer.
"Kael."
Just Kael. Of course.
"Well, Kael," she said, trying to sound braver than she felt, "if this dress is dangerous, why not just burn it?"
His jaw tensed. "Because it's not that simple. Burning it might trigger the spell's release. Or worse — it might finish what it started."
Amina looked at the gown again. It sat there, so elegant, so still… and yet something in her gut whispered run.
"So what do we do?" she asked.
Kael's eyes met hers. "We undo it. Together."
She blinked. "I'm not a mage."
"You're something," he said, walking back toward the mannequin. "The thread reacted to you. That means you have a connection to the curse. You're not just a seamstress — you're the thread's anchor."
Amina's stomach dropped. "You're telling me I stitched a curse and now I'm tied to it?"
"Yes."
"Well," she huffed, "this is going to be a long night."
Kael gave her a rare, small smile. "You've got scissors. I've got spells. We might just survive this."
They stood there in silence, side by side, staring at the cursed dress. One seamstress. One mage. And a spell that wanted to destroy them both.