A princess in my dreams. A nobody in reality. That's how my story begins.
"In the body of a poor man, he searched for love within the body of a beautiful woman he had never known… Who is truly the victim?"
The old woman's voice was soft yet chilling as she ended her tale.
She pushed herself off the floor and crept toward the door. Her socks muffled each step.
Her head buzzed. The key slipped from her fingers.
The sudden clatter echoed liliken animal scream.
Panic. What if someone heard? Heart hammering, she snatched up the key and rushed inside.
She kicked the door shut and leaned against it.
Her room was a disaster-clothes, papers, cups everywhere.
"If the princess weren't such an idiot, she'd be perfect,"
she muttered.
"Falling for a slave? Sounds like something I'd do."
A sudden gust of wind shoved the curtains inward, ballooning them.
The sound wasn't just wind-it whispered.
She froze. The apartment was sealed tight. Was it even windy outside?
"Don't be stupid. It's just the wind."
She stepped closer. The air turned colder.
A shadow perched on the windowsill-a trembling, thin rat with one cloudy eye staring straight at her.
Another burst of wind slammed the window open, sending the creature tumbling inside.
"Eww!"
It hit the floor, squealing. Something glinted between its teeth-her earring. The one she'd lost weeks ago.
The rat spat it out. She stared, numb.
A shiver crawled up her spine. She covered her mouth, backing away until she hit the wall.
The wind howled again, rattling the frames as if laughing.
Her reflection flickered across the window-pale, wide-eyed. For a moment, it didn't move with her.
She blinked. Shook her head.
"Okay, I'm not dumb. Own the house as you wish."
Her landlord would evict her soon enough anyway. Debt would drag this place under.
She forced herself out, creeping down the stairs.
That's when she froze.
The old woman's voice drifted again, muffled but clear, through the hallway.
Was she continuing her story? I missed the end!
Her feet betrayed her. She was back at the door.
"The young man's eyes had changed. Since no one cared to look twice at a slave, the true danger went unnoticed."
A jolt of realization hit her.
"...Alas, the boy's body was collapsing, consumed by the greedy Death-Bringer. BUT!"
The voice swelled with fury.
"When the executed body died, the Death-Bringer would perish too. He accepted every risk."
Oh my god!
"I just dropped my key… on that old rat,"
she blurted out.
My overthinking always ruins the moment!
Too late. She'd spoken aloud.
Horror swept through her. She'd always listened outside. Tonight, she'd made a mistake.
Footsteps approached from inside. Her chest hammered.
The door creaked open.
Something inside her snapped-then eased.
Her face twisted with confusion as relief briefly drowned her fear.
"A monkey?"
The creature sat at eye level, a wild ball of fur and teeth. It stared back, almost-understanding.
Quick as a blade, it swung its left arm toward her ear.
Instinct kicked in. Her right hand darted out, catching its hot, furred wrist.
Adrenaline flooded her. Fear vanished. For a pulse, her body was pure courage.
Then its other fist smashed into her right elbow.
Her scream tore out-a raw, ugly sound. Pain exploded. Her arm bent wrong, a sickening twist. Dislocated.
"Shittt!"
The pain burned. I'm not going down without a fight.
The monkey moved again-fast and furious. She tried to dodge, but her body lagged.
"YOU SON OF A BIT-"
White exploded behind her eyes. Her head felt like it would split. She took one last, ragged breath.
I should've listened to myself just once...
Silence fell.
The creature crouched over her, panting. Satisfaction filled its breath. Two fingers pressed against her eyelids.
At least pissed one last time..
Around them, the room shuddered.
Reality cracked. Objects twisted and blurred. The air tasted like melting metal.
The morphing went on.
She began to hear sounds-her flesh stitching itself back together.
She was being dragged forward! Agony tore through her.
Everything stayed black.
Am I blind? If this isn't death… then what is?
She gasped-hot breath bounced against her face.
Voices. Foreign, yet perfectly clear.
A man's voice filled the air:
"As our honorable king commanded, the guillotine has been installed. The palace residents await the execution in the central hall."
King? Guillotine?
Her arm throbbed.
"Ouch."
She stumbled a step forward-too short, too weak.
"Arghh!"
Her chest hit the ground hard. Something was wrong.
Darkness smothered her-a hood. She ripped it off.
"Eeeek!"
One of the guards screamed. She screamed back, voice deep and booming.
"AAAAaaaAAA!!"
My voice! It's deep… like a man's!
Her hand flew to her throat.
Her heart pounded. The second thing she did was look down.
"I-I'm a man!"
Where the hell are my boobs!?
Both guards froze-one in rage, the other in disbelief.
"Didn't you look at his cursed face when you bagged his head!?"
"You were on guard all night… maybe his beard just fell off from stress?"
"What the hell are you talking about, dumbass!? How can someone turn into my aunt in one day!?"
"Didn't you hear him? He said he's a man!"
"Shut it, idiot! What are we supposed to tell the king? We'll be executed too!"
The first man trembled, clutching his head.
After a few seconds of helpless writhing, his face settled into grim determination.
"...What if we execute him while his head's still covered?"
He turned to the other guard for support. The second man nodded slowly, convinced.
Her jaw dropped.
"EXECUTION!?"