CHAPTER 4

ARIN

Yet another night without sleep…. I felt my life was gone back to normal finally…. After living that dark past life , going through so much pain, giving up my whole body, my soul just to remove diamond core…. I felt as if I've escaped my twisted fate… But here I am today… Still working for Adrestia as her slave…. In these six months I've tried to breach that bloody contract numerous times….But the moment I try going against her rules, she hurts my dear ones… I have no courage left now…. I'm so done with these things….

"Eonni…." A sweet voice called me.

I looked up…. Iseul…. I can see through her fate… I don't really know what's going on in Adrestia's evil head. But for now I definitely can say that, Iseul is not going to have a smooth path… I can already sense that she's going to suffer a lot… And she's just Nineteen…. Why did Adrestia have to play with a child's life? She lost her father yesterday, and this is just the beginning of her journey? What more this innocent soul has to suffer?

"Eonni, when will I get discharge?"

"Maybe an hour later…why, where do wanna go?"

"My home"

"And you think I will leave you to Modo…Alone…in this situation?" I stood up from chair and made her lie down , tucked up blanket around her.

"So where do I go from here?"

"My home" I said.

Yes, I decided to take her along with me…. I cannot leave her alone…

.

.

.

I parked the car in basement. Helped her step out and carried the shopping bags. She had nothing but her Sack with few belongings… So we had to buy new clothes and some essential things. She held my hand like a child and looked around the basement with big doe eyes….

"Yahh…have you never visited a city place ? Not even once?" I was curious about her curiosity towards city life. She was walking around in mall like an alien…. She seemed more like a 5 year old to me.

"No… Dad, never let me cross the sea… I have never even seen Jindo Island… Visiting Seoul was my dream…" She said in low voice.

"Eonni, do you live alone?"

Oops…. I forgot telling her about me…

"No , I live with my bestie." I laughed a bit.

We reached at the door of my flat. I opened the door and….

"For God's sake can you please stop barging into my house like this? What if hongseok was here?" My head was fuming with anger at the sight of Adrestia lying on the sofa.

"Why would I inform you? When you steal my parcel without my permission?" She said with her typical cold tone.

I covered up Iseul, She was quite surprised with this situation.

"Eonni… Do you live with her? Is she your bestie?" She asked me innocently

"Yessss my baby, I'm your eonni's old , old , very old best friend…. Aren't we besties Arin?" She smirked at me cunningly.

"No, I am your slave….how can we become besties?" I stared at her blankly.

"I really don't have much time to waste Arin, pass my parcel here. I am such a busy person you know?"

"First of all, stop calling her a parcel. And secondly, she's going to live with me for next few days. So, get lost before my husband returns back."

"ARIN….Don't get too overboard just because I am very lenient towards you, I have an important task to finish with her." She raised her voice and her eyes started getting red tinge….

"Iseul, go straight inside the bedroom towards left. Take these bags with you. Freshen up , I'll call you once the dinner is ready." She listened and went inside the house.

I closed the door behind me and sat beside adrestia.

"Okay, let's have some real talk now. Tell me what are you up to? Why do you need Iseul ? "

"Why do you ask so many questions? Can't you just follow whatever I say?" She leaned her head on my shoulder.

"No I can't. And how much more cruel could you be? You killed her father?"

"Hold up, What do you take me for? Am I a serial killer or what? I have nothing to do with her Father's death!! He disobeyed The great Dragon king, That's how he was going to end up anyways…" She said while taking off her head from my shoulders.

"What did he disobey?"

"Ahhhhh…. So many questions….. How did my sister handle you back then? Okay, fine…. This Park Iseul , her birth was not a normal one…. She belongs to a Shaman family, And shamans are bound to serve Gods. But her Father didn't allow her mother continue shamanism… As a result she died while giving her birth. And again he didn't allow Iseul learn shamanism, never let her cross the sea as he knew Dragon lord would take her along with him. She may look like a 19 year old grown up girl but she's like a 5 year old child who knows nothing about outside world…. Why do you think Typhoon hit Jindo-Modo that evening? Because Dragon king was burning with extreme anger… If you see correctly, I have saved her life without letting her get drowned away….."

"But what are you going to do with her? Why do you need her?"

"She has to do Shamanism, I will teach her how to become Shaman…So simple…"

"No, it's not that simple…. There's more to it.."

"Which is none of your business. Once you hand over Iseul to me, your contract gets over. So stop being stubborn."

"No until you tell me the whole thing, She will stay here. And why does she has to learn Shamanism? Let her leave a peaceful life, Why do you want to twist her into God's work… Shamans doesn't only perform rituals… But are involved with negative spirits too… Yahhh , Adrestia… don't you dare fool me!! I know you have some selfish reasons behind your every move…."

"Stop getting in my way Arin…"

While we were busy arguing, Hongseok opened the door and entered inside and startled us.

"Ohh, we have a guest today?" He knew Adrestia as she had introduced herself as my best friend in our wedding.

"What a great timing Hongseok-ssi , I really wished to meet you today" Sly Adrestia changed her attitude within seconds and spoke politely with him.

"Arin, why do seem so worked up? Did you both fight?"

"No….I'm just a bit tired…. Hyaa Min-ah you were leaving right?"

"Hmm.. See you later, till then take care of my parcel…" She looked inside and said with a sly smile on her face. She walked out of the door and I left a deep sigh.

"Hongseok… Actually, we have one more guest today…she's going to live with us for few days…" I explained him everything that happened over last 2 days.

"Okay, but where is she?"

"You are okay with it? Really? Don't you feel uncomfortable living with a stranger?" I was surprised at his instant approval.

"If you're are comfortable, why would I feel uncomfortable? And…." Hongseok paused himself for a second, Looked straight inside my eyes. "I know, something really weird is happening between you and Lee Su Min , don't stay in the delusion that I can't understand what's going on around me, I have my eyes on YOU, and everything in your life." Saying these words, he stood up and went in our bedroom.

I have never been in this delusion that Hongseok is unaware about the whole situation. In fact sometimes it scares me that he might have known about everything but still keeps being silent…..

While having dinner, I introduced Iseul and Hongseok , He welcomed her whole heartedly , Had a good talk with her while eating…. I was glad to see that he actually treated her like his own sister.

.

.

.

After Midnight…. 3:00 am….

I was in my deep slumber…. Then suddenly I heard a strange sound….. A rustling sound from the balcony…. For next few minutes I kept on ignoring those rustles… But it just went going on and on…. At a certain point I felt like the living room's balcony windows got opened up… I couldn't ignore it anymore, I opened my eyes , crawled through my bed with heavy eyes… Went in the Living room. There was an unusual darkness , street lights were blacked off…. I kept moving my feet in the darkness towards the balcony…. The sliding window was opened… I stepped inside the balcony and my eyes went wide open…. Leaving me speechless…. Iseul was sitting on the wall placing her legs in the air outside the balcony….with her long wet hair , which was dripping off…Purple thick liquid??? Again? I screamed out her name in fear, "ISEUL-ahhhh!!!! What…..the hell are you doing? Get down the wall!!!"

She didn't even move a bit…. Rain was pouring heavily with the thunder lightnings…. But she kept dripping off purple liquid, firstly through her hair , now through clothes…. All these things were going out of my head….As a scientist, I've been questioning myself since last year but today….Even those questions seemed senseless….

"Eonni…" Iseul called me with a deep husky tone, still facing outside. "What's wrong with me? Why do I feel like jumping off this wall?"

"Iseul, listen to me…don't get tempted into her trap…. Please get down and come to me….hmmm? Eonni is here to protect you…" I tried convincing her very calmly.

But suddenly she dropped upper half of her body upside down inside the balcony with her legs still hanging in the hair. Her face turned pale , eyes went blank staring at me, long black hair were spread on the white balcony floor oozing purple liquid….that liquid flowed on the wet floor and ended up tainting my feet in purple color…..Iseul laughed out loudly demonically….. But her eyes were teary…tears rolled down… She was in pain… Extreme pain….