The red string of fate (unmei no akai ito, 運命の赤い糸) is an East Asian belief that every person in the world is connected to another by an invisible red string tied to the little finger of their left hand. The two people connected by the red string are destined to be lovers. Closely related to the concept of soulmates.
Sometimes also used in a non-romantic fanart context to imply a character has an unavoidable or plot-relevant fate - the implication being that they are tied to their fate.
The non-romantic variation may be more closely connected to the Greek myth of one's life being represented as a thread on a spindle that will be cut by the Fates (Moirai) upon death.
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