I never believed in curses until I met Alexander Vale. My first day at Vale Industries, the elevator stalled between floors, and for seventeen seconds, time stopped. When it resumed, he was standing in front of me—tall, pale, eyes like cracked ice—and said, 'You’re the one who changes things.'

He didn’t smile. Didn’t blink. Just handed me a file marked 'DO NOT OPEN' and walked away, leaving frost on the handrail.

Now, three weeks later, I’m the only person he allows in his office. The others say he freezes rooms when angry. But when I’m near, the temperature rises. Yesterday, a rose bloomed on his desk—one that had been dead for years. Today, I found scratches on my apartment door… and a note in handwriting that wasn’t mine: 'He’s starting to feel. Now I’ll take you instead.'

My phone buzzes. Unknown number. One message: 'Run while you still can.'

But when I look up, Alexander is watching me from across the atrium. For the first time, his lips part—not in command, but in question. 'Stay?' he mouths.

And I know: whatever happens next, the curse is no longer just his. It’s ours.