Chapter 1: Waking Up in a Strange Body

"Ugh... It's so cramped..." a hoarse voice came from a girl.

"Why does it feel like... I'm in a tight space?" The girl's hands groped around, but accidentally bumped into something hard.

Thud!

"Ouch!" the girl whimpered.

Who was that? a young man thought to himself. I heard a girl's voice in pain just now, but... why is my vision pitch black? And why does it feel like my hand just hit something?

"Hey, who's there?" The girl's voice was soft.

Wait... why does her voice sound so close? Ah, I can't see anything!

"Ugh, it's so dark!"

Without warning, the girl covered her own mouth in the darkness.

Someone... is mimicking my words. But where? Where am I, actually?! The voice mimicking me... it sounds so close, but my eyes can only see darkness! Am I blind?! the young man panicked inwardly.

"Don't mimic me!" the girl shouted. Then, a second later, she reflexively covered her mouth again.

This... this is terrifying! There's a mimicking monster?! Damn it! But why does this monster seem to know exactly when I'm talking?

"Show yourself, Monster! Eh, hah!" In the darkness, the girl's eyes blinked twice, her mouth slightly open.

Wait, wait a minute! This voice... these words... I need to make sure of one thing! The girl raised her hand slightly in the darkness and then...

Smack!

"Ouch!" She slapped her own cheek.

No... this can't be... it hurts. It hurts right on my cheek?! the young man's panic grew.

"Hah... ha... ha..." The girl's breathing was heavy, the air feeling hot in the cramped space. "This monster... not only is it imitating my voice, but it's also slapping its cheek at the exact same time?!"

Her slender hands trembled, slowly trying to grab anything in the darkness. But, at that moment, her fingers touched the smooth skin of her own neck.

Why is my skin so soft? What is really happening here?!

The young man's mind became increasingly confused, his hands groping in all directions. Panic and chaotic thoughts made it impossible for him to calm down. He moved his hands lower to find something else to touch.

However, his hands accidentally bumped into two soft and massive meat buns.

Squish!

"E-eh?"

He patted the two meat buns again. Pat! Pat!

Her face instantly turned pale.

"W-What is this?" the girl's voice lowered slightly.

This time, she tried to touch the soft buns more firmly, pressing them once. Soft. She tried to squeeze them a little more. Very soft.

"W-WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" she screamed hysterically. And this time, she realized... the scream came directly from her own throat.

"WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE?! WHY DOES MY VOICE SOUND LIKE THIS?! AND WHAT DID I JUST TOUCH?!"

Even in the dark, the girl's eyes were wide, her breathing spiraling out of control. Panic and the feeling of suffocation mixed together.

The girl's hands groped in all directions. When her fingers brushed the surrounding area, she only felt the hard, rough texture of wood.

She tried to get up, but failed. She tried to turn around, but failed as well. The place she was in now seemed to have narrow walls, only big enough to fit one person.

"Ugh, what kind of place is this?! Why can't I get up?!" the girl shrieked.

Her hands groped the wooden board directly above her face. She tried to hit it.

Thud!

The sound was loud, but the wood felt slightly hollow compared to the sides.

"I have to get out of here!"

Thud! Thud! Thud!

"Come on! Harder! Uaahhh!!"

Thud! Thud! Creeaak! Crack!

The wooden board above finally gave way, revealing a small sliver of light shining through the edges.

"Hah... finally!" Pushing with both hands, she lifted the wooden lid.

Instantly, the light from outside hit her face directly.

"Ugh! It's so bright!"

Her body, which had just awakened from a long sleep, forced itself to sit up.

"It's heavy... why does my chest feel like I'm carrying lifting weights?!" she complained in a low voice. The girl's eyes were still closed as she tried to grab whatever was around her.

She had only just woken up, still trying to balance her own body weight, before... a second later, she slipped right out of the coffin where she had been sleeping all this time.

Crash!

"Agh!" The girl rubbed her head, which had just hit the cold marble floor below. "Ouch, my head."

Slowly, she opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was… two large meat buns resting on her chest. Wrapped in a tight red gothic corset dress that made them protrude, they looked massive inside the tight-fitting fabric.

"T-This can't be..." the girl muttered with a trembling voice, slowly raising her hands. Her hands were very white, her skin as smooth as silk, and her slender arms were covered by tight, detached sleeves that left her shoulders completely bare.

"This is a joke, right?"

With trembling hands, the girl slowly lowered her reach toward her stomach, then further down, stopping just below her belly. There... where her proud 'heirloom' from the past used to be, there were no long pants or thick fabric covering the area.

Only a short, split skirt, barely long enough to cover her upper thighs, was visible. Meanwhile, the sides and back of the dress flowed down to her calves.

"I... have to check... this... is the last proof... I have to make sure," the girl stammered, her voice breaking.

Her slender hand went down, sweeping into that forbidden territory, trying to find the sacred 'heirloom' that should have been there. However... she only patted empty air. Slowly, very slowly... her hand tried to touch the Bermuda Triangle down there.

Pat. Silence.

The girl's eyes slowly widened, her pupils trembling wildly.

"AHHHHH!! HUPH!!" With a quick reflex, she covered her own mouth, stopping the shrill scream.

DAMN IT! WHY?! WHY IS MY PRIDE AND JOY GONE?! I CAN'T FEEL MY LITTLE FRIEND ANYMORE?! AND... AND WHAT WAS THAT THING DOWN THERE?! WHAT WAS IT?! ARGHHH!! The frustrated thoughts of a young man echoed in her mind.

While still covering her mouth, the girl looked around. The room where she woke up was lit by small candles placed in the alcoves of the marble walls. On the right was a long table with incense burning slowly on it.

On the left was another long table, covered with a collection of blooming roses in small pots. And in the middle stood a 2-meter-tall glass window facing outside.

However, the girl's focus was solely on a large mirror standing next to the window.

With mixed feelings, still processing what had happened, the girl dragged herself forward. She couldn't walk properly because her legs were still weak from the sudden shock.

As she finally stopped in front of the large mirror, the reflection of the girl who had just woken up appeared. Radiant blonde hair with a small ahoge (cowlick) standing up in a curve, emerald green eyes reflecting the light, and a glowing, beautiful face were now clearly displayed in the glass. She was Seliana Kennada.

Seliana stared at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a deep red gothic dress with black floral lace and bare shoulders. The front of the corset was cut in a sweetheart neckline. Around her neck was a tight black lace choker with a teardrop-shaped red ruby pendant.

And of course, at the bottom, just below her stomach, the front skirt was humiliatingly short. She could see her own long legs wrapped in black fishnet stockings, connected to a garter belt above.

"I-Is that… me?" the voice that came out was incredibly soft.

"Am I… a girl?" Her delicate hands touched her own cheeks, gently stroking them up and down.

Five seconds later, Seliana's face changed from pale white to bright, tomato red. Imaginary smoke practically came out of her ears.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I... I'VE BECOME A GIRL?! a frustrated scream echoed from within. Yes, the one screaming inside was the soul of a young man—Lien Vernahart.