Prompt: The red sting of fate: the believe that a red strong connecting two lovers together by fate. Following the string leads you to your future mate. At what cost will they go to in order to reach each other? What will they overcome?.. Anime.

Everyone knew what the red room was. You stood in the center while the magic activated, and the room would glow with smokey light. When it stopped, you would be able to see the red string tied to your pinky.

At some point in their life, everybody had a red string tied to their pinky finger. It connected them with their soulmate, appearing when their mate was born and disappearing when they died. Soulmates came in many forms, from best friends to enemies to working partners, and more.

Even with the string to guide your way, it was sometimes hard to find your soulmate as they all created a tangled maze together. What made it more difficult was that not everyone went into the red room, for not everyone wanted to know their soulmate.

Julian wished that his soulmate problem was simply a tangled mess. But no. The day he came out of the red room, he saw three strings tied together.

Considering the reason for his many soulmates, he wondered if he had one for each of his passing genders, but he abandoned the idea when he realized he would need two more soulmates for that to be true.

He decided to follow the strings to each of soulmates.

He had high hopes when he sat in a theater, his string running over the rows of seats to the curtain covering the stage. Waiting patiently, he hoped to see his soulmate in the ballet.

The lights grew low, and a hush fell upon the audience. As the orchestra started playing, the curtain rose to the sound of applause.

When a single light fell on the stage, he knew what was going on. His eyes were fixed on the figure with golden hair rising from the ground as the music awoke her. She raised her hands in a fluid motion, the red string on her pinky waving with each stroke.

Aweing her grace, he followed her movements as she began her dance across the stage. She was mesmerizing, each step and twirl perfectly timed to capture the vision of the music. A smile spread across his face as his heart fluttered at the sight.

He barely paid attention to the story of the ballet, entirely fixed on her instead. When she was lifted high above her dance partner, he felt a twinge of pain, wishing that he was the one holding her.

After the show was finished, he tried to get into the back to find her, but the attendants turned him away, telling him not to stall them from the after party. Impatient, he went to the reception early to wait for her.

The time grew late, but he did not see her come in. Confused, he looked at his string to find it pointing in a different direction. At first, he wondered if he had lost track of the strings, but closer inspection revealed that it was still in the room.

Letting it lead him again, he found himself outside a small booth away from the conversing crowds. There sat his soulmate, hiding behind her glasses so she could sip her drink in peace.

Taking a deep breath, he walked up and sat in front of her.

"If dances were snowflakes, I'd want a blizzard from you," he said.

She choked on her drink, coughing out iced tea onto the table. Concerned, Julian rushed to her side to steady her. The coughs turned into giggles as she steadied her breathing.

"I think you need to work on your introductions. You're not supposed to kill people with them," she remarked, her voice a bit scratchy from the coughing.

He shrugged, moving to sit beside her. "I dunno. It certainly got your attention."

Her expression changed, shifting from humored to interested. Something in her eyes caught his attention, some flicker of joy that reflected the blushing beauty she tried to hide.

"Oh? And why are you so desperate to get my attention?" she inquired.

"Because if I don't have your attention, how am I supposed to ask you on a date?"

She giggled again, hiding her face to the side as she regained her composure. Clearing her throat, she teased, "I could have a partner already. Then you'll have to find some other girl to flirt with."

He reached for her hand, bringing it up to his lips so he could kiss his thumb. As their fingers met, a flash lit up the string between them, turning it a deeper red than it was before: the sign of true sight.

She shined when she saw it, staring intently at the short string between them. Grinning at her faction, he said, "Darling, I'm the only one for you."

∞

Of all the places Julia's second string could lead, it just so happened to be to colosseum, and, of course, it connected to the hand of the infamous Violet, the greatest warrior of the city.

It didn't feel right for her to confront her as she had with Junebug, her sweetheart. Instead, she joined the fighters of the collesuem, learning every bit she could about Violet as she worked her way up the ranks.

The first opportunity she had, she challenged her to a duel. The warrioress had a knack for tearing down men of power who foolishly challenged her, but she didn't even bother to turn her down. Julia persisted, giving her the same challenge every chance she stole. Months later, the colosseum decided to hold a tournament, and she joined in a heartbeat.

The preliminary round was a free-for-all in a single ring. She mostly avoided fights, earning her a spot in the surviving sixteen. When they lined up to receive their matchings, she saw Violet clearly.

Violet wore no armor, instead wearing a garment meant for practicing. Sweat glistened on her rounded muscles, matching her irritated expression.

The official came to them, stealing Julia's attention. "As usual, the ones with the most points get to choose their opponents," he explained.

Before she realized it, Violet was strolling around, studying each contestant. They glared at her, shifting uncomfortably when she lingered too long.

With pride, she realized that her strength unsettled them.

"Mine," she declared, refusing to wait until she reached her.

Her eyes darted to Julia, and she stepped towards her. Chuckling, Violet folded her arms over her chest. "Does you're hearing work, because you, of all people here, do not get to choose your opponent," she stated.

Julia shrugged, "You know what I want. If you don't choose me now, I'll just have to keep winning until we face each other."

Angered by her words, she agreed. Their battle was swift and vicious, Violet's speed overcoming Julia's skill. Soon enough, she had pinned her to the ground.

She walked up to Julia as she rolled onto her knees. "Now that you got the humiliation you wanted, will you stop trying to defeat me?"

Seeing the calm on the girl's face, she held out her hand to assist her. She took it, smiling as a light flashed between them. Violet was unfazed by the sign, focused on Julia instead.

"No, I'll keep trying, because defeating you would be the greatest honor I could earn."

∞

When it came to finding their third soulmate, Jules had no motivation. The only time they decided to start looking for them was when the string flashed, signaling their exit from the red room. If they want to find me, it would be rude not to do the same, they considered.

Their journey lead them not too far away, same as their other soulmates, to a forest bordering the county. They tried to follow the string directly, yet it did not run along any trails, leaving them to fend for themself through the underbrush.

"If this just leads me to the other side of the woods, I will be so mad for not taking a road, " they mumbled as they struggled to free their foot from a tangle of dead vines.

They leaned against a tree for support--

"Don't put your hand there! That's poison moss!"

The voice startled them, and they fell backward. The leaves crunched behind their head as she approached them. They strained their head to look up at her leaning over them.

They examined the intricate tattoos on her skin that created connected webs and symbols over her entire body. It reminded them of protective runes, yet these were different than the ones on the temple priests, suggesting that she used a different magic art than them.

"Kidding," she laughed, sticking out her tongue in jest.

Annoyed, Jules ripped off the vines so they could stand before her. She straighten her back, hugging herself.

"Oh, don't give me that look. How could I resist teasing the soulmate that was late finding me?"

She waved her hand, her fingers fiddling with the thread between them.

They rolled their eyes, amused by their new friend. "In that case, my apologies for the wait. I should not be such a lazy man," they admitted.

True, but are you a man right now?"

"More man than a woman." After some consideration, they continued, "But how did you know?"

Chuckling, she walked her fingers up their chest. "I'm the witch of the woods, Thalia. There's a lot of things I know."

∞

Julian didn't expect for their soulmates to know each other, but when they took Junebug to the arcade, she treated Violet like an old friend

"Hello, Julia! Junebug, " Violet said.

Raising her eyebrows, Junebug replied, "Hey, did you just call my boyfriend 'Julia?' His name is Julian."

Julian froze as they watched Violet's expression turn to one of confusion as well. "What do you mean, Julia, is a woman, right?" she asked, looking to the person in question.

"Sometimes," they replied. "Sometimes I feel like a woman, sometimes I feel like a man, sometimes I feel like both."

The ballerina's eyes lit up, "Why didn't you tell me? Or, us, apparently?"

Shrugging, Julian said, "I always feel manly with you." Before Violet could open her mouth, they turned to her, adding, "And I've always felt feminine with you."

Pausing, Violet asked, "Then what are you now?"

"Confused?"

The girls stared at him, neither knowing how to react. Dreading their response, Juilian continued talking, "You two have every right to be mad because I didn't tell you about my identity, and I want to tell you the other secret I was scared of you finding out."

They paused, taking a deep breath to build their confidence.

"I somehow have three soulmates."

Unfazed, Violet glared past them, folding her arms over her chest. "Let me guess: Thalia's the other one?"

They turned to see the witch approaching them. They weren't surprised, knowing better than to question her mysterious appearances.

"Julian, why didn't you tell them about the other soulmates?" Thalia stated.

Julian blinked. "I--I didn't know how you all would react, and I didn't want to have to choose among you."

Frowning, Junebug grabbed their arm, rubbing them softly.

"Thalia, I think it's time, " Violet stated. "We separated and met our soulmates on our own. We should go back."

They looked to Thalia for guidance, and she held up a finger to them. Holding her up her pinky, she motioned for the other girls to do the same. Sighing, they followed, triggering a spell that enveloped them in a sparkly poof.

When the dust cleared, Julian saw a single figure remaining. Confused, they looked to their red string for direction, finding that all three strings were entwined into one--one leading straight to her.

Seeing them speechless, she said, "We're actually three souls in one body, but Thalia cast a spell so we could have freedom. Although, until recently, I didn't know we all had the same soulmate."

Julian rolled their eyes, knowing that somewhere, some god was having way too much fun with building their life...