Chapter 2

ARIN

I snuggled up inside my blankets, Hongseok's hand on my waist was wrapped around tightly…. The Rainy days were much more romantic after getting married… It's been 6 months already, living a normal human life with my lovely husband…. Everything was going on perfectly… My work, my married life, except….

My phone rang loudly waking up the shit out of me… Yes everything was going fine EXCEPT THIS.

"Yahhh !! Adrestia!!! Have you gone crazy?? Is it really necessary to wake me up at 5 AM daily when I am having some sweet sugar sleep with my Man??? Huhhh???" I yelled at her over the phone.

"Ohhh so sorry did I disturb our lovely couple? But you know what Arin-ah, I love disturbing you….I love you right?" Adrestia said while laughing from the other end. That laugh annoyed me every morning, after the evening I got married.

"Cut out your nonsense and get to the point. So….which port, island do you want me to visit today? Hmmm?" I said while rubbing eyes.

"South Jeolla Province. Jindo Island."

"Yahhhhhh!!!!! You've finally lost it right? I am spending our weekend vacation in JEJU ISLAND , you want me to fly over to Incheon and then travel to Jamjindo port today???"

"Yes"

"NO!! I'm not your servant!!!"

"Yes you are, forgot about our contract?"

Oh yes…..Contract….signing that contract was the biggest mistake of my life. It's been 6 months, I am serving for this demon…. Visiting different sea shores…..ports…. Islands…. On her orders. Even lying to my husband…. I told him I was working on a marine microbiology project and he even believed me…. Or maybe he does know I am lying… but still he's the most understanding husband on this planet and I love him for that.

"okay…send me the spot where I have to wait…."

.

.

.

I waited outside Incheon airport, at the bus stop. The bus stop was crowded than usual, and looking at the number of foreigners I figured out there was some festival going on in South Korea. I got down at Incheon sea port, and took the ferry towards Jamjindo port. This might be the 20th island I am visiting in 6 months. Honestly I was tired of following this routine which actually brought me nothing productive, I was wasting literally so many days after this stupidity. Don't know what's going on through that witch's mind….. Ferry boat reached jindo island, I still couldn't understand what was this hype all about. The Island seemed like some fun fair was happening there. As I walked outside the port harbor…. A huge banner welcomed me… Welcome to Jindo Sea Parting Festival. Sea Parting?? What?

Even though it's been quite a while I started living in South Korea, But I never really visited South Jeolla province… This was like the south end part of SK….

I checked my mobile. Adrestia had sent me the location on the beach where I had to camp for next 2 days. She usually tells me to return back in just a day….but this time she wants me to stay? Something was really gonna happen here in next 2 days…..I could sense the wrong…. I searched for the location, it was few hundred meters away from the sea water. I set up the tent and waited inside with my binoculars…. 5 PM… And suddenly a big crowd of people gathered up at the sea shore.

And as the time passed by…..my eyes couldn't believe the scene happening right before them…..The sea water started splitting away displaying a maybe 200 meters wide rocky ,sandy ridge? A path? Right when clock ticked 5:30….the whole pathway joining to Modo island was raised up from sea….And people joyfully started walking on that path….. I was so mesmerized by this whole natural phenomenon, that I actually forgot of having google with me…. I googled up this festival….

"Ohhh…..so this thing happens due to tidal harmonics…..but still it's quite miraculous…. Both sun and moon are having their effects at the same time, and the rotation of earth is even favoring this splitting….Wow…..How could I not know about this Incredible phenomenon??" I kept talking to myself in awe….

"Waahhh even researchers started visiting our festival now?" An old hoarse voice came behind the tent.

"Ohhh Grandpa…. Annyanghaseyo, Actually I am not here for the research, just waiting for something….But you must know a lot about this phenomenon?" I tried collecting some legends from that old grandfather.

"What phenomenon? This is just the boon, the blessing our Dragon lord has showered on us Jindo-Modo residents….We have worshipped our lord so faithfully for all these centuries….But today walking on that path may turn out as curse…" His tone changed and his voice was shaking with fear.

"Why? Is anything wrong today?"

"Can't you see the cloudy sky above? The sea parting never occurs in this season…. But for the first time it has arrived in monsoon….But still these stupid people are walking inside the sea…..Once the sea starts joining….it's over….everyone will die…." He screamed over me.

I got startled a little bit…. But…. Is this thing….Wait…what's happening on this earth? Why did Adrestia send me here? To encounter this massacre…..maybe….she's the one who caused it? My mind couldn't process…. 5:45 pm…. The path was full of people…. Coming towards Jindo, going to Modo….What should I do now? How do I save them?

"Grandpa!!! There's festival going on here right? There must a mic or loudspeaker something? We need to save them at any cost!!!!" I panicked out, I cannot see hundreds of people including younger children die in front of my eyes!!! I ran towards the city hall as told by Grandpa…. Explained the situation to the officers, and rushed back to the sea shore…. It took nearly 20 mins to get back…and as expected, sea water started raising…. I freaked out with fear…. The police officers started giving out loud warnings for people to turn back to the shore…. It caused a huge chaos… People ran out, I stepped forward to help the old people and younger children get out of the sea…. But the dark clouds gathered up in the sky, making the situation even more worse…. Sea was joining rapidly, the tides were getting back…. The ferries boats, rescue boats, private ships rushed inside the sea to save drowning people. Thankfully everyone was safe….everyone searched for their dear ones on the shore and thanking God for saving their lives…

I stood there…in middle of this havoc… Wondering why Adrestia had to do such evil , cruel thing? Or did Dragon lord really influenced this whole incident? But….When every person registered on the festival book was safe….why didn't I feel everyone was rescued? I felt…there's someone in there….who got left behind…. Who needs my help….What is this feeling?

I waited there inside my tent for the whole night…. Anyways Adrestia had ordered me to stay there for two days, so I have to stay. But I couldn't sleep for even a minute…. Something felt wrong, really wrong… I felt very uneasy…

Next morning I walked out of the tent and went near the Sea shore, sat down on sand… The sea which looked so peaceful today created such great havoc last evening…..Hundreds of people might have drowned themselves if that Grandpa didn't bring the weather change into my notice, but where did he vanish? I didn't see him, not even once as I came back from city hall.

I was lost in my thoughts and suddenly a bead bracelet floating on the water landed on the shore…..I noticed there were many more female belongings floating on the water approached the shore… My gut feeling was….correct….Not everyone was saved yesterday… I stood up and ran inside the water, Collecting all the belongings one by one…. I found a sack bag…. And a cold hand touched my legs…. I Screamed out in shock , fear… "WHAT THE FUCK??? A DEAD BODY???"

I sat down in water and pulled that hand up , pulled the body outside on shore…. It was a girl… a young girl… But she didn't seem dead…. Usually body swells up after drowning inside… I took my ears near her heart…IT WAS BEATING….SHE WAS ALIVE…. As soon as I took out my mobile to call the doctor, Adrestia called me,

"Got the parcel? Now stop wasting your time calling a doctor and bring her to my pent house right now" , She said coldly

"Are you seriously out of your mind? I need to save her now!!! You expect me to carry her to Seoul??Like this? Just Shut up and hang up"

Yes, I need to save her now…..anyhow….Maybe she's the next target…. Who are you? Why did you step in this Dangerous trap....