Moonlight poured into the room through the workshop windows. Sophia didn’t know when she’d fallen asleep again. The skirt and blouse Miles had asked her to work on were repaired. She was glad for that. The last thing she wanted was for Sir to come home and find that she was asleep again instead of working. Though, thinking about it, she had finished the work that time as well…

She rubbed her eyes and stretched her legs, then thought to check and see if there had been any changes to her condition. Thankfully, it didn’t seem like the black markings had progressed further onto her body. The fact that they were already at her elbows worried her. What did it even mean? Miles said it was some kind of hex or curse, but didn’t explain exactly what that meant. And why would anyone want to do that to her?

The sleepiness she’d been feeling started to fade, which made her realize just how horny she was. What in the world was that dream? The details were still so vivid in her mind. Sophia could still taste Ella. It felt so good to let go, to let her use her just the way she wanted…

Sophia shook her head, trying to keep herself from focusing on just how hot her body was. Being treated like a doll wasn’t something she’d ever thought about before, but her mind clearly kept coming back to it… And every time it did, she felt like she was more and more open to it.

The front door opened. Sophia’s head snapped to face where the sound had come from. “Is that you, Miles?” she asked, stepping to the door of the workshop and poking her head into the hallway.

“That’s not how you address me, Ms. Reed,” he replied, confidently strolling inside. There was a large trunk following him inside, floating behind him as he walked. “But yes, it’s just me. I don’t get many visitors out here. Except you, I suppose.” He smiled at her, and Sophia blushed.

Get yourself under control! “I– Sorry, Sir. Is it really necessary that I call you that?” Because it really makes me want to–

“It’s what I asked you to call me. Is that not good enough?” He snapped his fingers and the trunk behind him settled on the floor just inside a room across the hell. “I’ve retrieved your clothing and many other of your requested belongings. I left your sewing supplies, as you don’t have anything that I can’t provide you myself.”

“I didn’t ask you to get those for me because I didn’t think you had them, you know!” Sophia snapped. “They’re important to me. I’ve been using those for a long time!”

“And now you’ll be using my equipment. Surely you understand why I would prefer you do this,” he said. Miles gestured to the room he put the trunk down in. “This will be your room now. It’s well furnished, and I think you’ll find the accommodations pleasant.”

Sophia walked into the room. She was shocked to find a large bed with a number of blankets, a spare wardrobe, and a full vanity. “This was all just here already?” she asked, walking to the bed and running her fingers over the blankets. They were incredibly soft.

“Yes. I do entertain guests from time to time, Ms. Reed. You never know when you’ll need a spare room for someone to stay,” he explained. “I trust that this is enough for you?”

He phrased it like a question, but something in his voice told Sophia that he wasn’t going to be making adjustments just for her. She felt his gaze on her back. “Yes, Sir. I… I honestly couldn’t imagine asking for more on short notice.”

“Excellent. Now, if I may, would you mind having a seat on the bed here? I would like to take a look at your arms again.” He gestured to the bed.

Sophia nodded and sat. He took a seat next to her, closer than she expected him to. Stay calm. Just stay calm. Don’t let him see what you’re feeling. He took her left arm in his hands and raised it in front of her, then suddenly let go. “You can let it drop, Ms. Reed.” She tried to let her arm relax and fall back to her side. It stayed positioned straight ahead in front of her.

“I… I think I’m stuck? I can’t…” She strained now, desperately trying to regain control of her body. It seemed determined to fight her every step of the way. “I can’t move it, Sir,” she admitted, anxiety creeping into her voice. “Did… you do something?”

“No. As I said, I'm just inspecting.” His golden eyes shone as he put his hands back on Sophia’s arm. He traced his fingers over the marks on her joints. “It’s fascinating though. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen anything quite like it myself. And you don’t feel any different?”

Goosebumps lined her skin, the touch of his fingers driving her mad. It’s just my arm! Why does it feel like that!? This was a feeling beyond mere sensitivity. Every contact, every inch of her skin he put his hands on made her so incredibly aroused. She bit her cheek to try and distract herself. “N-no, I can't say that I do,” she stammered. “I haven't felt any different. I tried to tell you before that I've been having these really vivid-”

“Again, Ms. Reed, I am not interested in the dreams you've been hav-”

“People keep treating me like a doll in them!” Sophia blurted the words out before she could stop herself. She could feel her face turning flush, her ears bright red and hot. The hand that wasn't frozen snapped to her face to cover her mouth. Stupid. I sound so stupid. “And they almost feel… real? It has to be connected. I… Right?” she asked.

The room went completely silent for a moment. Miles’ eyes were boring into her, shining gold. He didn't say a word, then traced his fingers over the markings on her arm again.

Electricity ran up Sophia's arm, and for a moment her mind went completely blank. A soft moan escaped her lips. She couldn't help herself, but still hoped that Miles hadn't heard her. His lips were curled into a slight smile. Of course he heard. “My my, Ms. Reed. You should get a hold of yourself. This is a simple inspection.” He flashed a grin at her. “If you're this sure about it, I'll take your dreams into account.”

He let his fingers stray from her elbow up to her shoulder. It took every ounce of willpower she had not to moan again. “Thank you, Sir, I just– I do think there's some kind of connection. They started on the same night I first noticed the curse, so…”

Miles brushed his hair away from his face, still smiling. “We'll figure out what's happening to you, Ms. Reed. You should rest. It's been a long few days for you.”

He put Sophia's arm back down at her side. She managed to shake it now that he had put it down, and a wave of exhaustion and relief swept over her. “You… You might be right. It's strange. I've been sleeping more than usual, but I rarely feel refreshed when I'm waking up.”

“Well ideally, now that you're here we can start trying to counteract that. If it is connected, anyway.” He stood, then took Sophia's chin in his gloved hand. Miles tilted her face up to gaze into his eyes.

He was so handsome. Sophia couldn't look away, trapped by his gentle hand, his thumb firm on her chin. When he stared at her like this, it almost felt like there was a gentle glow behind him. She wanted to tell him to stay, to gesture to the bed under her and hope he understood just exactly what she meant. Instead, she stayed stock still, the only movement she could offer the gentle parting of her lips. She wanted Sir so badly. Arousal pulsed through her every vein, every nerve in her body. She needed him.

He pulled his hand away. “Good night, Sophia.” He quickly turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

“Good night, Sir.” Sophia whispered.

***

“Stubborn. Disobedient.”

Each word felt like a wound. The voice was harsh and piercing. There were strings attached to her arms, pulled tight against the bed. They seemed to come from nowhere, attached to her from just beyond each mark on her skin.

“You argue. You disrespect me. You disobey those I send you to.”

Sophia still couldn’t move, her eyes covered once again. The voice seemed to come from all around her. Something about it felt so strong, as if it were tugging on her mind. Hearing it berate her like this filled her with dread. She hated feeling this way.

“We’re doing this for your own good, doll. You will be happier when you’ve accepted what you are. Every little rebellion just delays the inevitable.”

She heard herself whine softly. It was the only action she could manage like this. The strings tugged her arms, pulling them to lay above her head, spread as wide as her legs were. Her whole body ached with arousal.

“Is that regret I hear?” She could hear the voice’s owner smiling. “You poor thing.” Fingers brushed against her ribs. “But I’m growing tired of waiting for you to understand your place. I wanted to do this as organically as possible, but… I suppose not every experiment is a success.”

A shiver ran through her. What does that mean? Her thoughts were interrupted by a hand grabbing her breast. She groaned instantly, suddenly aware that she hadn’t cum in days. She needed more. She’d… she’d do almost anything for more. Every nerve in her body begged for her to take action, to pleasure herself, to do something to quell the fire burning within her. The strings wouldn’t let her move. Even when they weren’t actively pulling her, she couldn’t fight them.

“Repeat: A doll obeys.”

“A-ah,” she gasped, mouth falling open. Something inside her was still fighting for control. A stubborn part of her, insisting that she wasn’t just some toy to be played with. Reminding her that she was a real person, not a doll. “I– please–”

“I told you to repeat.”

She didn’t want to. She wasn’t just a doll. She couldn’t be. She had never been that before. It didn’t matter how many dreams she had. So many hot, pleasure-filled dreams where she was taken and used. Dreams where she was forced to obey whoever Sir sent her to.

Those dreams did feel good though, didn’t they?

“A doll obeys.” Sophia swore she heard herself whisper it, slipping out from between her traitorous lips. She couldn’t think about how good it felt. She couldn’t imagine being frozen, put in compromising poses, mindlessly obeying anyone she was told to. How right it felt to let someone else make all of the decisions. How incredible it felt to stop thinking and finally let someone else take over.

“Louder, doll.”

“A doll obeys!” Something inside of her shifted. Repetition would become belief. The voice was trying to change her. The voice was changing her.

“Repeat, doll. Obedience is pleasure.”

She tried to bite her tongue.

“Obedience is pleasure!”

The words came out anyway.

“Again.”

“O-Obedience is pleasure.” Sophia said it herself this time. It was true. It felt so good to obey the voice. To do as she was told. Her mind wandered back to Ella, being forced to comply with her every demand, and how good it felt to finally receive her approval. Her mouth watered thinking about it. “Obedience is pleasure,” she murmured.

“That’s a very good doll.”

Praise. It made her heart flutter. If she did what the voice told her, it treated her so much better. The words echoed in her head. It was the truth. Maybe obeying the voice was what she’d needed to do from the start. All it was trying to do was help her understand how much better it felt to give up her responsibilities. Her life was so unnecessarily burdensome in comparison to this pleasure.

A gentle hand caressed her cheek. “Relax. Let me do this.” Fingers traced from her cheek to her jaw, then gently turned her head to her left. “I’m not going to let you actually remember this, Sophia. I think you already know the truth, but… It’s more fun this way. These changes are going to feel so natural to you.

“I’m not naive enough to think that this will be everything you need to finally accept your place. No, no, not at all. I’m going to relish doing this to you. The perfect candidate for me to take, to train, to shape. A beautiful girl, so alone in town, overworking herself every day to take care of those around her. It’s admirable. But you’ll be so much better suited to this life, Sophia. A life of mindless bliss, serving me, offering me your devotion and the magical ability no one ever taught you to harness.” Whatever had covered her eyes was gently pulled away. Her eyes snapped shut as the light finally reached them. Everything was too bright.

“No, doll, look at me. This is your one and only chance to truly understand what’s happening to you before I take it away and we start again tomorrow. Don’t you want to know? Don’t you want to see me?”

She opened her eyes.

Miles looked down at her, smiling.

She didn’t know what to feel.

Betrayal, knowing that this was why he took her into his home?

Flattered, knowing that such a handsome man wanted her this badly?

Fear, understanding that he was going to keep doing this to her, without her remembering?

Devotion, understanding that if she obeyed him, he could make her feel pleasure like she’d never felt before?

It was too much. Far too much.

“Yes, that’s exactly the reaction I was hoping for.” He gently tied the blindfold back over her eyes. “You’re going to forget this, doll. You’re going to internalize every lesson I’ve taught you, but you’ll never know it was me. When you awake, your real training will start. I have so many plans, Sophia. But for tonight, I need just one thing: for you to forget.”

Her consciousness faded once again.