Sophia didn’t have time to start panicking before Sir swept her up. He immediately took her into his study and sat her in a rotating chair, commanding her to sit and stay. She did. She couldn’t imagine doing anything else at the moment. She still couldn’t find her words, though thankfully Sir wasn’t asking much more than yes or no questions. Trying to explain that to him when he found her seemed to have worked.

He asked if she knew when this had happened. She didn’t. She had fallen asleep again.

He asked if she felt any differently. She shook her head. Even if she did, she couldn’t explain it right now.

He traced his fingers over the markings now on her ankles. She felt more helpless than she ever had before. Here she was, in a strange man’s house, seemingly threatened by an unknown mage, desperately hoping that she could find out what was wrong with her. On top of that, it was becoming more and more clear that someone was trying to turn her into a doll– whatever that actually meant.

But the worst part wasn’t even the fear. No, the worst part was being so desperately horny while he took his time inspecting her skin. He had kneeled down next to her. She did her best to steady her breathing, but every time he made contact with any of those markings, she couldn’t help but gasp.

He asked if it hurt. She shook her head. No, Sir, I’m just hornier than I’ve ever been and it’s lasted for days, she thought.

He stood and walked to a window nearby, staring outside. The sun was setting now, the last bit of light disappearing behind the mountains. Sophia watched him as he gazed out into the forest. She wished she could tell what he was thinking. He really was still such a mystery to her. He was harsh, sometimes rude, but she was beginning to appreciate him outside of that. He clearly cared when he tended to her, and every time she met his golden eyes her heart skipped a beat. She wanted him to want her. She didn’t know if that was just her sexual frustration talking or a true desire of her heart, but it didn’t matter at the moment. One way or another, she wanted him.

As if on queue he turned to look at her, his expression serious. “I’m sorry, Sophia. It appears that keeping you here isn’t having the effect that I intended. I was hoping that I might be able to figure out what was happening and how to cure it. This week has been quite the challenge. I've spent more time with my nose in books than I have in quite some time. I've yet to find anything that might be related to your condition. Nothing definitive, at least. Today has been… discouraging so far, let’s say.

“I would understand if you declined to continue on this request I’ve made of you. I do hope that this progression hasn’t completely convinced you that I can’t help, but… I would understand if that were the case.”

Sophia stared at him. Why was he telling her this? He had moved all of her things here within the last two days! And now he just… expected her to leave? Just like that? Just because things hadn’t been fixed in a day? She could feel her cheeks turning red with frustration.

“Apologies, I forgot you were having diffi–”

“Don’t you dare try and kick me out of here this quickly,” Sophia hissed, standing from the chair. The sudden rush of emotion had brought her voice back. “I will not be leaving! I expect you to continue trying to figure out what is wrong with me until we can get it under control!” She stepped toward him, backing him up against a bookshelf, her voice growing louder. “You cannot seriously mean all of this. You moved my life on a whim and now you’re discouraged!?” Her hands were at her sides, fingers balled into fists. “I want you, Miles, to finish what you started!”

And he smiled at her about it. His stupid annoying handsome smile.

So she reached her hands to his face and pulled him to her, kissing him full on the lips. Sophia didn’t know why she did it, but it felt like the only thing that she could do with the fire raging inside of her. His lips were softer than she expected, but his hands finding her sides were exactly as she’d imagined. She pressed herself against him, letting him hold her for a few seconds longer before breaking away.

Then she pushed herself away from him and turned away, cheeks burning. That was so stupid why did I do that why di–

“Well. I will admit that wasn’t exactly the response I expected,” he said, putting a hand on his chin. She could feel his eyes on her back. “But I do appreciate the show of faith. Are you feeling okay, Sophia?”

She was mortified, but at the same time… shouldn't she start taking the things she wanted? And if she wanted Miles, and he seemed to like the idea, then why shouldn't she have this? The thoughts swirled in her head. Maybe this whole ordeal… Maybe it would all be worth it.

She cleared her throat but didn't turn to look back at him. “Yes, I think I'm okay. I've just… Had a lot on my mind, as you can imagine.” She didn’t want to face him.

“I can imagine,” he said. He seemed to be much more relaxed than Sophia was feeling. “I promise that I’ll continue working on this, as you requested. We’ll just have to hope that I’m quick enough to stop whatever this is. Perhaps I should be thinking about where this would end…” He trailed off, walking around Sophia to sit back down at his desk.

Sophia kept herself turned away from him as he went to sit, then took a step towards the door. “If– If there isn’t anything else you need from me tonight, I– I think I might return to my room,” she stammered.

She heard him turn a page in one of the books. “No, you’re free to go. Let me know if anything else happens tonight, but have a restful night otherwise. I’ll be in here if you need me.”

“Thank you. Good night, Sir.” She stepped out of his study, closing the door behind her.

She spent the next hour almost on autopilot, getting herself something to eat. Despite the fact that she didn’t remember anything after she started working, her stomach growling was more than enough to remind her that plenty of time had passed. Thankfully, Sir had enough food for the both of them already.

After she ate, she looked back at the sewing room and chewed on her lower lip. What is it about being in there that makes me sleep? What if I just… She looked back at the closed study door. Surely he won’t mind if I poke around. I’m living here right now. He couldn’t possibly blame me for wanting to know the house better. Sophia took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

Everything was where they’d left it after Sir woke her up, the repaired clothing still lying on the table. She took a step inside. Nothing looked particularly strange. All of the equipment that Sir had supplied her was exceptional, almost as if it had never been used before. She supposed that wasn’t too surprising. He didn’t seem the kind to sew himself. It was a lot of clothing for him to have living alone though. She opened the wardrobe where the clothing she was to work on was stored.

There didn’t seem to be anything amiss. She looked through it, garment by garment, enjoying the feeling of the various fabrics brushing against her. She went through it twice, then closed the door again. I don’t know why I thought that would do anything. She sighed, turned to leave, and then stopped. Maybe… She opened the wardrobe again, this time removing a teal dress. It was gorgeous, with the upper section of the chest completely sheer. The same fabric was used on full length sleeves, and the bottom half had slits cut from the ankle up to the hip. Why on earth would he have a dress like this? Looking at it, she was also having trouble finding something wrong with it. Presumably, everything in the wardrobe needed to be repaired. But this…

She took it and turned around to look at the workbench. Maybe… She set it down on the table, then sat down at the bench. She grabbed the dress, pulled it closer to her, and then reached for the sewing machine.

And nothing happened.

She sighed, then stood up. This was silly. At least it suggests that there isn’t anything special about these clothes, or this machine. She hoped, at least. Unfortunately, she didn’t have the expertise to know whether or not something was cursed; That was why she was in this position in the first place. She looked down at her hands. It was all she’d been able to focus on for days now, and seeing them out of the corner of her eye didn’t surprise her anymore. She was a little worried about that. The last thing she wanted to do was get used to seeing herself as… well, as a doll. She couldn’t get the word out of her head.

She stood up from the bench and put everything back. What would I even have done? Told Sir that I fell asleep at the sewing bench again? She rolled her eyes at the thought and went back to her room. There wasn’t anything else to be done tonight. She changed into a much more modest nightgown than she’d been wearing in the morning, then slipped underneath the covers.

***

Sophia was back in her own bed, unable to see, once again tied to each corner post. This time, however, it almost felt… right? She was getting used to being in these kinds of situations. She just hoped that today, whoever was doing this to her would finally give her the release she was craving. It was even more intense now feeling cold air on her bare skin.

“Are you getting desperate for me, little doll?” The voice teased. It was coming somewhere from her right, or so she thought. It was hard to tell. “I told you, you'll need to be a good doll for me. If you don't, it's all just going to get worse and worse. Do you think you're truly desperate right now?

“I plan to leave you thoughtless, doll. Your only instincts are going to be serving me and offering up every bit of magical energy that doll body of yours– of mine, really– can muster. The more you comply, the better it will feel, Sophia. I know that vapid little mind of yours is beginning to understand. Good dolls get rewarded. Bad dolls like you get punished.”

The insults stung, her cheeks bright with embarrassment. Why did it feel so horrible when they talked to her like this? “I… I’m sorry! I’m trying, I just–” She was cut off by a hand roughly grabbing her inner thigh. Fireworks started going off in her mind. She needed whatever this voice, this person, was offering her. “I– I am desperate. I’m so desperate. You know I’m–”

“Quiet, doll. I didn’t ask you to speak. A doll doesn’t move on its own.”

“Yes, Sir.” She hadn’t intended to say anything, but the words came out automatically.

“Good girl,” the voice purred. She could hear their smug grin. “You’re learning, even if you don’t realize it.” They paused, and ghostly hands fondled her whole body. It left her breathless. Every moment made it all that much worse. She needed to cum. She needed it more than she needed anything else in the world. She opened her mouth to beg, but she couldn’t speak.

“Obedience is pleasure, doll.”

“Obedience is pleasure,” she echoed.

“You’re a doll. You’re a beautiful, obedient doll.”

The words hammered against her mind. She wanted to refuse. She couldn’t.

“If you weren’t a doll, you wouldn’t be changing like this, would you? Your body knows what you are already.”

She moaned as loudly as she ever had, squirming against the bed. She couldn’t deny that something was happening to her. Her arms were covered in those markings, and now her legs… She looked like a doll. She felt like a doll. She couldn’t touch herself. She couldn’t do anything without the voice, without the dozen hands groping her. And… And good dolls got rewarded.

Something inside of her snapped. She’d do anything, anything! She yanked as hard as she could on the strings keeping her held against the bed. It didn’t matter. It wouldn’t budge. She went completely limp, letting the hands have her. They touched every inch of her, teasing her, pinching her, groping her.

“This is what you’re for, doll. You exist for pleasure. You exist to be used.” The voice came from the end of the bed now, where her legs had been spread apart.

“I exist to be used,” she repeated. She was panting, driven wild by the stimulation. A good doll would let this happen. It wasn’t her place to argue with this. And why would she? It felt so good. It felt so good to be touched, it felt so good to please others, it felt so good to do what she was told.

“You’re a doll, Sophia. You’re an obedient doll.”

“I’m an obedient doll,” she gasped. “I’m an obedient doll. I’m an obedient doll.”

Teeth sank into her inner thigh. Sophia’s eyes rolled into the back of her head. Every sensation in her body reinforced what she was accepting. She couldn’t help but continue repeating what she knew now. “I’m an obedient doll. I’m an obedient doll.”

Sophia felt the voice’s breath on her cunt. She was so close. She needed it. She’d do anything to finally get release. “I’m an obedient doll! I-I’m an obedient doll!” She wanted to beg for more, but that was the only thing she could say. It was the only thing she could think. She was an obedient doll. There was nothing more that she could imagine being. She felt the markings on each finger, on each wrist, on each elbow, on each ankle, all begin tingling.

Familiar hands on her legs. Touching her. Encouraging her. Pushing any remaining thoughts out of her mind completely. She was a doll. She was meant to be played with. She existed to obey her owner. Her… owner?

“That’s it, doll. You’re so close, aren’t you? So close to giving me everything. So close to giving me all of you. It’s going to feel so good when you do, doll. It’s just a matter of time.”

Why was she resisting, again? Her head felt so fuzzy. She tried to conjure up a reason to fight this, a reason to tell the voice that she didn’t want any of this. But… It kept happening anyway. Whenever she resisted, she lost. And it was driving her mad.

Wouldn’t it be better to just… give in? To become what the voice wanted her to? To let it take her, claim her, make her exactly what it wanted?

No! I can’t!

The voice of resistance echoed quietly from the back of her mind. You are not someone’s doll! She squeezed her eyes shut and pulled as hard as she could on the ropes keeping her in place. Something started to budge. She wrapped her fingers around one of the ropes and pulled, strength she didn’t know she had left inside of her willing her to fight. You can–

“Freeze, doll.”

Sophia’s entire body seized. Please– I was so close, please–

“Why, Sophia? You want this so badly. I can see it in your eyes! I can see it in the way you look at me! You’re always so close to surrender, but you hold yourself back.” The voice sighed, and she felt it backing away from her again. “No matter. You’re already well on your way. There’s no stopping it now.”

***

Sophia woke with the sunlight just beginning to stream through her windows. She pulled the blanket tight to her and buried her face in the pillow. There was another void in her memory where a dream should have been. She found herself caring less about that today. What could she even do if she couldn’t remember the dreams anyway? What did it matter?

It’s not like dolls need to dream. She nodded to herself.

She pushed the blankets off of herself and began to get dressed, taking a dark green skirt that fell to midthigh and a white buttoned blouse out of her trunk. She put them on, then put her hair up in a bun. She had a feeling her hair would need to be out of her way today.

She repeated the same tasks she had the morning before, making breakfast, then setting a tray. This time, she brought it to Sir’s room. She raised a hand to knock, then stopped herself. Better to just surprise him, she thought. She opened the door quietly, then brought the tray in to him.

Sir was still sleeping, and he wasn’t wearing a shirt. She did her best not to stare while she brought the food in. “Good morning, Sir,” she said softly. She set the tray down out of the way, then put her hand on his shoulder. “Freshly made! Just as requested.” She smiled down at him.

There was a soft groan as Sir woke up, unhappy to be disturbed in his sleep. He seemed ready to say something about it before recognition appeared on his face. He smiled. “Good morning, Sophia. I was only joking about this yesterday, you know.”

She picked up the tray again, waiting for Sir to sit up, then set it in his lap when he was ready. He was up now, his back against the headboard. Sophia couldn’t help but notice his hip sticking out from under the covers. It was bare. Is he… naked under there? She couldn’t help the thought. “Well, it only seemed polite. You’ve done a lot for me by allowing me to stay here, a-and I kind of have a thing for helping whenever I can.”

He was still smiling, now beginning to eat as well. “About that. As you know, I was back to the books after…” He trailed off, eyes locked onto Sophia. She blushed and looked down at her feet. After I kissed you like a love drunk fool? “Well, it got me thinking. Sophia, have you ever been formally trained in magic?”

She furrowed her brow, looking at him. “What do you mean? No, of course I haven’t.”

“You’ve been done a great disservice.”

“I–I don’t know what you could possibly mean by that! Th-there’s no way–” She stumbled over her words. She didn’t know why.

“There is. Any mage should have been able to sense your aptitude, and yet here you’ve been, back and forth to my home, and I hadn’t noticed a thing. I think you may be special, Sophia.” He was looking at her with the utmost seriousness. “I want to teach you a few things. Magic is often best channeled into one’s self, and it’s possible that we can use this to try and cleanse the spell you’re currently afflicted with.” He took a sip of the tea, studying Sophia’s reaction. “What do you say?”

“I– You– What are you talking about Sir? I’m no mage! I have no idea how any of this works! I don’t know how to use magic! I’ve never been told that I have magical potential!”

“Well, you don’t often kiss mages, do you?” He smirked. “That’s when I felt it for the first time. There’s a well of power within you, Sophia. I think we should help free it.”