I'm Ready To Take It All

Author's point of view...

A beautiful princess of the Monster Land, Maria, sat at the edge of a dark, bubbling lake of blood, her attention lazily drifting between the glowing screen of her tabloid and the silent, spooky landscape surrounding her.

And of course, it wasn't pleasant to the eye. One can literally pass out just by seeing it.

The lake reflected the night sky, stained red as though it held the glow of a thousand sunsets captured beneath its surface.

Beside her, a group of little servant elves stood at attention, their wide eyes following every flick of her finger on the screen, ready with suggestions and insights as she considered the soul-host options for her test.

Maria’s long, claw-like nail tapped idly on the screen as she scrolled down the list, a frown crossing her delicate features with every option she read. The elves crossed their little arms sharing either an 'awe' or an 'Ugh' accordingly.

"First one," one of the elves piped up, its voice high-pitched and eager, “This is the best one, Maria. It's the daughter of the richest man alive! Wealth, luxury, and a life of unimaginable comfort, all yours to command!”

Maria skimmed through the girl’s biography, eyes half-lidded with boredom. “Lavish life, constant pampering… that sounds painfully dull,” she muttered, flicking her wrist dismissively. She craved excitement and challenge—something beyond a life of idle riches.

"Little things, this is my first time to go to earth...I want it to be exciting..."

The elves glanced at each other before one spoke up again, “Then, perhaps the second one? A girl born to very loving parents who adore her. She’s pampered, spoiled, and protected from all harm...look at that...Oh Devils...her Dad is polishing her nails"

Maria rolled her eyes, a scoff escaping her lips. “Ugh, too sugary. I’d probably faint at that gross behavior.”

The elves quieted as Maria continued her scroll, reaching the third candidate.

"Then how about the third one..." they chimed in, “An orphan with a tragic background,” one of them ventured, glancing up at her expression. Maria raised one of her eyebrows, and her beautiful face twitched.

“She’s had a hard life, but she’s... resourceful.”

A flicker of interest sparked in Maria’s eyes, but it faded quickly as she read more.

“Narrow-minded, manipulative... seriously guys...No way...,” she said, her nose wrinkling in distaste. “I refuse to be in a body so gross... that's disgusting...”

The screen dimmed as her finger paused, hovering over the last option. With a sigh, she scrolled to it, more out of obligation than interest. Yet, as the details loaded, she felt a spark of intrigue she hadn’t anticipated.

The fourth option was a girl who had always been treated as an outsider. A bit overweight, she was mocked and belittled by everyone around her, from her classmates to her family. Life had not been kind to her in any way.

"The last one is... I am sure you won't want to go there..." the little elf said in a dismissive tone. There was no way a princess like Maria would stop so low to live a life like that. But... unexpectedly, Maria's eyes lit up.

“Well, this one’s... different,” she murmured, tilting her head with interest.

“Maria,” an elf whispered, “this girl is treated so poorly. You can't be serious... how could you live a life like that?"

A smile curled up on Maria's face.

"Do you think I would suffer in that body?"

The elves around her paused; yes, of course, who would dare to bully the only daughter of the greatest Monster?

"So, you want to help her?" they asked in unison.

Maria nodded slowly, feeling a strange sense of connection to the girl.

“Yes,” she said, almost to herself, “let’s see what’s happening with her right now.”

With a swift tap, Maria activated the screen to view the girl’s current surroundings. The image rippled, coming into focus.

The girl sat alone in a crowded school cafeteria, a group of students snickering and whispering cruelly as they walked past her. She hunched her shoulders, gripping her lunch tray as though it might offer some comfort, her eyes filled with tears.

“Interesting,” Maria whispered, a small, pleased smile forming on her lips. “So she is a pushover. She’ll do nicely.” she paused, amused, and looked at the little things around her, "I would love to kick those asses...! Ha..."

The elves gulped down nervously, partly feeling pity for those girls around that fat girl. They have no idea that the witch is talking about them. God of Devils save them...!

"What will happen to her?" she asked the elves and they exchanged glances before tapping the screen.

As Maria watched the tabloid screen, her face contorted in confusion. Her eyes narrowed as the video unfolded, showing Thea still sitting alone in the cafeteria.

Suddenly, two girls crept up behind Thea, smirking as they poured a full can of pickles over her head. Greenish brine dripped down her hair and cheeks, drenching the white shirt into yellow and the entire cafeteria erupted in laughter.

Maria’s grip tightened on the edges of the tabloid, her voice a low growl.

"Those little bitches..."

Thea gasped, stumbling to her feet, but in her panic, she accidentally bumped into another girl beside her, causing her food tray to crash to the floor, splattering everything around them and on her face. Silence fell as the cafeteria watched in shock.

The girl Thea had bumped into was a senior, none other than the self-proclaimed queen of the school’s social order. Her expression twisted in a blend of fury and disgust, her eyes narrowing to slits as she stared Thea down. But she did nothing, no reaction, no yelling. Instead, she simply stood, brushed herself off, and walked away in cold, eerie calmness.

Maria watched, her lips curling with unease. "What's that girl planning…? Did she pity that girl?"

The elves surrounding Maria exchanged uneasy glances. "Perhaps… she’s saving it for later, Princess."

Maria clenched her fists as the video continued. When the last bell rang, Thea trudged down the hallway, clearly relieved her day was nearly over. But before she could escape, a group of senior girls surrounded her, pushing and shoving her roughly into the girls' restroom.

"What the heck...!" Maria slammed her fist on the table next to her and the elves tumbled with a jolt.

"Princess...! Calm down, please..."

They gulped down nervously before leaning in to watch the rest of the video.

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