CHAPTER 5

ISEUL

Wolves were howling in the jungle, Thick fog covered the trees in its white blanket, Wild grass was swaying on cold icy wind, Full moon shined up in the sky emitting a mysterious silence upon the forest. I stood there in between two cliffs, a purple shimmery door was calling me through the other end of the forest. My brain seemed to have turned off and I felt lighter like a feather, all I could see was that purple door shining brightly, sprinkling purple sparkles all around the forest covered with fog. I had lost myself in that beautiful, mystical sequence….My feet were running towards that door….As soon as I reached at the door, it opened slowly, a bright neon purple path leading my way up towards the moon… I stepped inside on that purple path and walked to the Shining Moon, I went up and up…The foggy forest left down and down…. Out of nowhere, mirror appeared in front of me showing my reflection…. I looked different, my black eyes were turned purple in color…violet glittery highlights shined through my black long hair… My pale white skin was tanned in wheat color, The clothes on my body seemed ancient… Everything changed suddenly… The girl behind that door was Iseul, but the girl who was standing on this purple way was not Iseul…She was someone else… The soul was of Iseul's but the body was… I didn't knew what was happening with me and I didn't even had the senses to think why this was happening to me, I just kept walking towards the moon until….

"ISEUL!!!!! ISEUL!!!! Don't get tempted in her trap!!! Please Iseul, listen to your Eonni….Please, come down, come to me!!!"

Arin kept calling for me behind that purple door. My heart ached with pain listening to her desperate cry, but my body had no will of itself to run back towards her. Still I tried hard lifting my feet and stepping back from that purple path, but as soon as my feet was lifted up the purple way started breaking down….The mirror in front of me cracked up and was broken down into dark black pieces of burning coal… And a sudden strong wind pushed me down the broken purple path….The Moon which I had went closer was going far, far away from me as I fell down through the clouds slowly…My body which seemed lighter like feather started gaining weight as the ground approached closer to me….I closed my eyes tightly thinking at last this was my final moment of death…. But just when I was about to crash down on the forest ground, two firm hands grabbed me and whispered few enchanting words in my ears… Everything was blacked out after that mysterious encounter.

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Sunrays pierced my eyes as I opened them and found myself lying on the bed. I tried getting up from my bed but my arms were locked with tight rope. My eyes searched for Arin in panic sweats, I had no energy left to face anymore supernatural incidents after last night. I kept lying down quietly on the bed until Arin entered the room with glass of water in her hand.

"Iseul? Are you awake now? Do you recognize me?" She sat down on the bed and placed hand on my forehead checking for the temperature.

"Eonni….Why did you lock me up like this?" I asked her showing rope tied around my arms and feet.

"Don't you remember anything about last night? I'm so sorry Iseul-ah but we had no other option but to tie you up…"

"What happened? The last thing I can remember was falling down purple path….falling down away from moon…." I stuttered with my words.

"Moon? Purple path? Iseul…. My heart is breaking right now…. I cannot see you getting trapped in Adrestia's temptation…. What should I do Iseul? How can I help you from this deadly trap???" Arin covered her face with hands and cried silently while her tears rolled down on my sheets.

"What happened with me last night? Eonni tell me!! Why is this happening with me? Who is Adrestia?? Why are we connected with each other through this supernatural incidents?? TELL ME!!" I screamed out loudly, shaking Arin holding her shoulders.

You fell down the gallery wall… Fell down on the ground…. 10 floors down, on the ground… Me and Hongseok, we rushed down to find you but as we reached down you were standing with purple liquid dripping through your whole body… There was no bruise on your skin….There were no signs of you falling down from the 10th floor… As I reached towards your unconscious body, it resisted me and I was thrown away with extreme force. Hongseok tried pulling and awakening you from deep slumber but all our efforts were going in vain. At last, I had to use few enchantments which were given by Astrea to me in order to regain my senses back from Adrestia's magical hallucination…. Your body became heavier as you lied down on the ground and just in case if something like this happens again, to avoid that…We had to tie you up and lock inside the bedroom… I don't even know how the hell am I going to explain these weird encounters to Hongseok now…. He hasn't spoken a word after the incident that took place last night." Arin said while walking towards the window and sliding away the curtains, letting sunlight occupy the whole room with its positive vibes. A broad, bright Daylight….that's what I needed the most after losing my way in dark maze last night….

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I went out of the Arin's apartment building to get some fresh air. Arin and Hongseok both had left for laboratory and University respectively after having breakfast with me in morning. I was lucky enough to at least have this couple beside me like my parents, who were looking after me with utmost love. Actually Arin had warned me to not leave the house until she returns in the evening, but what would I do just sitting idly in such an huge apartment? I need to enroll myself in SNU as soon as possible to continue my academics, that's why I decided to leave the house because Arin would never let me do that after experiencing horrible last night.

I reached at the administration office of Seoul National University,

"Excuse me, I am Park Iseul, from Modo island of Jeolla province. I had enrolled for History and Literature….Actually I've been home schooled for all these past years, but I want to attend the lectures starting this year. So could you please tell me the procedure regarding….."

The staff there handed me a form and told me to bring my parent or guardian with fees payment next day. Money was not a problem for me as Dad had kept a lot of savings on my bank account, the problem here was bringing a parent along with me…. I sat down on the lawn inside the SNU park, and kept reading the details in the form, wondering if I should ask Arin to accompany with me next day. But how long am I going to trouble her, she's got her own life issues to deal with, Arin has already done so much and gave me a solid roof to live at. It was a bit difficult for me to approach her…. I lied down on the grass spreading away my arms, and closed my eyes after taking a deep breath.

Suddenly a strong flick of fingers on my forehead woke me up, "Ahhhhh!!! Why did you do that? It hurts so much!!" I shouted while opening eyes and found Hongseok in front laughing at me.

"Yaah!! What are you doing here? Sleeping on the grass…. I guess we need to change the bed in our house…because our little Iseul cannot sleep on the bed….chchch…" He patted on my head.

"Little Iseul? What the…. I'm almost 20 now!! But, Oppa…What are you doing here?"

"Ohh….I see, Arin didn't tell you about this right? Hello, this is Yang Hongseok, Senior Economics Professor in Seoul National University. Nice to meet you, Park Iseul." He reached out his arms towards me for a handshake.

"You're a Professor here?? This is where I study, I mean I had enrolled myself for home schooling through this university. Wow… Meeting you and Arin eonni was my destiny….for sure…." I said with an amazed face.

"What's that form? Let me see." Hongseok peeked at the form in my hand, "Ohh, you are applying for transfer for home schooling to physical lectures? That's Great!!"

"Yeah…I was thinking about it, but I don't know if I could apply… Bringing parents for the meeting with Head of our department… You know right , it's impossible now…. University needs an assurance from parents that the student is prepared to sit for physical lectures. Ahhh…my Dad, why did he had to put me in the physically disabled category just for home schooling?? And now, he's gone so far away…" I left a deep sigh and stood up from the grass while dusting my pearl white dress.

"You're gonna get an earful from Arin today." Hongseok said pointing towards my brand new short white dress which had turned brown after me lying on the grass.

"I…I am so sorry…I completely forgot about this dress…. I was so used to sleep on the grass back then in Modo…. I'll pay for it…"

"Waahhh….your mind really amazes me Iseul. Didn't we agree about me and Arin being your guardian until you get graduated or at least get a job and live on your own? then what are you so worried about? And about bringing a parent for meeting tomorrow, I'll accompany you as your older brother. Don't worry about it and prepare for your college life, make friends, have fun." Hongseok took the form from my hands and kept inside his bag, "Would you wait here for me till I finish my last lecture, we'll go home together."

"Ah, No…It's fine. I'll leave now and walk on Han river road. After last night, I really need some natural fresh air… By the way, aren't you surprised or shocked with the incident happened…." I asked Hongseok as he looked so unaffected while I was freaking out since morning.

"Hmm, I wasn't as much shocked…I was surprised a bit…more than being surprised, I have always thought deeply about these supernatural things happening with us… I've had these weird encounters, dreams since our first blind date. But I could never let Arin know about my dreams, as she was already suffering a lot through these Godly things." He said while smiling softly.

"So, you already knew that Eonni was different? Like she was encountering with such supernatural powers regularly? Do you know who Adrestia is?? Am I the only one who's unaware? But if you knew that it's going to be a complicated relationship with Eonni, still you decided to marry her? Wow…."

Hongseok simply nodded at my every question and laughed at the last one,

"Yeahhh, I married her, knowing that she was being owned by some other power, maybe my love for her was much greater than Adrestia's trap contract."

"Who is Adrestia?" My curiosity was peaked up as both of them kept mentioning her name.

"My little Iseul-ahh, I wish we could stand here and talk for hours but sadly I've got a lecture now. See you tonight on dinner table! Bye bye!!" Hongseok smiled and left for his class.

They were certainly avoiding my questions about Adrestia or anything that was happening with me. I knew it.

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Han river looked beautiful in Monsoon, with trees turned dark green surrounding the park. The water glistened with the rays of setting down Sun. I walked on the joggers track. as the sky was clear today, there was a big crowd of people camping inside the park with their little ones, high schoolers were having fun with group of their friends, couples had a romantic time inside the tents. It reminded me of the reason for which I left Modo island….to experience this crowd, to live this urban vibe, to meet my first love… But fate changed everything, today I've lost my Father and struggling with these supernatural dreams, hallucinations…nearly drowned myself in sea….and finding who the hell Adrestia is? Who has caused this mess in my and Arin's life?

"Wait, I can possibly search this name on naver? Let me just try…A d r e….Adrestia, right…Ohh, results are coming up! Adrestia, Goddess of Lust, Greed and Temptation…A seductress? No way… So is it suggesting me that we're facing against a GODDESS??? A whole freaking Goddess??? Hold on Iseul… so the woman I met yesterday evening, that rude lady…. Possibly, she was the one? Adrestia…. Yes, she was Adrestia, right!!! The way Eonni spoke with her…. Did I meet with a Goddess?? This sounds insane…People would think I've gone crazy… No, but if my scientist eonni could believe this shit then who am I to deny it??? No, we're not just believing it, we're literally experiencing it!!! There is no other explanation for the purple liquid oozing out of my body…. But still, it's hard for me to believe this…. I just cannot…" my head ached again same like last night, but this time I knew I was about to zone out and I rushed for my cell phone from bag, called Arin immediately, she received after several rings.

"Eonni….Could you….please, pick me up….Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!" My head pained extremely as if it was about to burst off at any moment.

"Iseul-ahh!!! I told you not to leave the house!! Where are you?!! Iseul, what happened talk to me!! Tell me your location!!" Arin screamed in panic from other side.

"Han…Han…" I couldn't hold myself back anymore, I lost the control over my body, everything around me was blurred out, voices diminished slowly, Legs couldn't hold the body weight and I collapsed down on the ground with my cell phone still on Arin's call,

"Iseul!!! Iseul-ahhh!! Please don't pass out!! Hang in there for few minutes!!! Iseul!!!"

"It's fun hearing your desperate scream after so long, Arin. I'm taking my parcel, thanks for the service." I heard a unknown voice beside me talking to Arin on phone, soon she picked me up and a complete darkness covered my entire soul….