<strong>[ Minutes before the present time ]</strong>


    "I''m going to kill that damned bastard," Marse grumbled through her gritted teeth, barely able to put up a space between the soil and her face. Abel buried her with an open coffin, and she had suffocated to death thrice!


    <strong>Yes, thrice! </strong>Did he have any idea of the consequences of each of her deaths?


    "Heh. Let''s just kill them all," Marse suddenly added, but with a different mocking tone.


    "Shut up, will you!?" she yelled at herself, or at the other tenant of this body. "This is all your fault. If you didn''t provoke him or if you behaved — ugh! Forget it! I''m going to kill you someday and have tons of sex with my handsome husband."


    Marse frowned as she stared at the soil inches over her face. Sadness and longing filled one eye, but the other eye rolled.


    "Just choose between my family," Marse told herself. "They will dly bed you."


    "Shut it!" Marse closed her eyes, forcing the other one that was being controlled by the real Marse to close. "Just what is it in that man you are so obsessed with him? I mean, that man only wished for your death."


    <strong>''His expressions are good. Especially every time I kill his wife and children,''</strong> a voice answered in her head, but she was too used to this now that she wasn''t surprised.


    Vera, the woman who had been fighting Marse, for this body only wished for Aries to awaken her true powers. Aries was her only hope of defeating this Marse Grimsbanne. This woman was just too persistent and annoying. Above all, the real Marse had no notion of emotions.


    The only thing that Marse cared about was the things that would amuse her. She would even kill Abel if that would amuse her enough.


    <strong>''I can''t let her out here,'' </strong>Vera thought, only to hear Marse''s sarcastic response.


    "I can hear you, dear. We share the same body."


    <strong>''May this woman die a cruel death.''</strong>


    <strong>''I don''t think my death will be just as cruel as yours,''</strong> said Marse in a knowing tone. <strong>''If I die, I''ll only die once. But you died multiple times already. If that isn''t cruel, perhaps there''s even more cruel death that exists then. Though, I can''t think of anything worse than that. Care to share any ideas to expand my knowledge in this word cruel we are talking about?''</strong>


    Vera kept her eyes closed, breathing in and out carefully. At this point, her mental health was already numbed in Marse''s continuousints and ramblings. One would surely get used to this type of conversation after living in the same body with a psycho like her for quite some time. Or perhaps it would drive someone crazy.


    Good thing they were both crazy.


    "Marse." Vera slowly opened her eyes. "What would you do if you gained control over this body?"


    "Are you seriously asking me that?" the voice in her head replied. "I will kill Maleficent. After all, she''s the only one who can kill a Grimsbanne."


    "And how will you kill her?"


    "Hmm… if I tell you, you''ll stop me, would you?"


    "Then forget I even asked."


    "Aww… why do you give up so easily?" Even though Vera couldn''t see the voice in her head, she could imagine Marse frowning. "You''re no fun anymore, Vera."


    "Shut up."


    Marse sighed. "Fine. I''ll tell you."


    "I don''t want to hear it."


    "I hate you!"


    "And I don''t care."


    "I''ll kill you."


    "I hope you do before I kill myself."


    "Tch." Marse clicked her tongue. This time, she managed to control the body and push back Vera. They had been exchanging control over this body ever since Abel buried her. Hence, Vera didn''t mind. They were buried and sealed, so nothing could go wrong for as long as this body was within this coffin.


    "The king!" Marse answered sweetly. "He will help me kill her. We made a promise in the past, you know. If only you search my memories, you''ll understand all the things I did."


    "I''m not interested." This time, the voice in her head had Vera''s voice. "I''ve already rummaged through your memories, and I can only gag. It''s disgusting, really."


    "You are so rude, you know?"


    "Sucks. You have to live with me for as long as I live." Vera yawned. Despite being a soul within this body, she could still feel exhaustion because the other soul inside this body was a powerful monster. No one should underestimate the real Marse. She was a real nutcase. And if Vera lowered her guard even for a second, Marse would just devour her soul.


    Marse stared at the soil before her, and Vera took charge of the body when she blinked.


    <strong>''You know, Vera, you shouldn''t try so hard to take control of this body. This body is originally mine.''</strong>


    "But it''s not chasing me out," she repliedzily.


    <strong>''True…'' </strong>Marse rocked her head, and when she blinked again, Marse took charge.


    Vera, the other soul inside, popped her eyes open. She tried taking charge but to no avail. She felt caged in the dark expanse within this body. Marse''s defenses and control were stronger than before. Or rather, Vera had just grown weaker after dying over and over and over.


    "Vera, Vera. This body is not chasing you out because it''s just a shell," exined Marse, noticing a crack in the soil inches from her face. "I learned that rest is productive. Isn''t that the reason we are in this situation? No matter how strong you are, therees a time you have to rest."


    The side of her lips curled up into a sinister smirk as the soil over her was shoved away. "I will take charge of this body in the meantime. You can watch what I will do from these very eyes, or enjoy reading the memories you are so disgusted with. After all, I always had ns for setbacks, knowing my siblings exist and this blood continues."


    As soon as those words rolled out of Marse''s tongue, a pair of silver eyes met hers. The person looking back at her smirked, and in one swift movement, the person ripped the coffin''s lid.


    "It''s nice to see you again, Marse." The man offered his hand to her. "It''s been a while."


    "It has been, Javier Imperial." Marse reached for his hand, allowing him to pull her out of the coffin, and break the chains cast upon her. "You''ve done a good job finding Maleficent a host."


    Javier tilted his head down slightly. "She''s perfect. Although we have a problem —"


    Javier halted when Marse suddenly raised a hand to stop him from talking. She slowly gazed up and smirked.


    "That is not nice, child," murmured Marse and after a second, she disappeared from her vantage point, only for the windows of the Forbidden Mansion to shatter. "You will not mess with my ns."


    When Marse''s eyes met Sunny''s, thetter asked, "where''s my pretty grandma?"


    The corner of Marse''s lips curled up into a sinister smirk. Staring at the child, one could tell Marse would hurt the little girl.


    <strong>''Sunny!''</strong> Vera, who was seeing Sunny from inside Marse, screamed,<strong> ''RUN!''</strong>


    <strong>****</strong>


    NOTE: IF ANYONE WAS CONFUSED MARSELLA''s BODY HAS 2 DIFFERENT SOULS. THEY WERE NOT THE SAME PEOPLE. I USUALLY USE "MARSELLA" IN THE NARRATION FROM THE BEGINNING TO MAKE IT LESS CONFUSING. BUT A CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE TWO SOULS, I DECIDED TO USE THEIR REAL NAMES.


    Vera = the person who trained Aries.


    Marse = is the real sister of Abel.