Chapter - 3

One spring night, cherry blossom petals fell down and settled on my closed eyes....i was laying down under cherry tree...It's been one week...and here I am living someone else's life...yes it might be my past self but still this soul is Arin's...this body is Arisa's...but aren't we both the same? This will make me go crazy...I just want to go back to my world... Anyways, this life is actually more luxurious, servants everywhere around me, I am getting to wear these exotic silk dresses, this pearl jewelry...And Ariho he is just the best brother in this whole world, Shina is so kind, this castle so big....everything is just so perfect... Wait...What am I thinking? I don't belong to this world...my life, my hard earned career, my parents, my sleeping body...they are waiting for me...I need to wrap this as fast as possible...but how?

While having a storm of thoughts in my head, suddenly a familiar melody traveled through my ears...that flute...which indicates her presence...I opened my eyes...She must be here...did she finally...did she come? My heart was about to burst listening to that flute...

"Show Yourself!!! Come out!!" I screamed. I could sense the smooth sound of steps behind me...She was standing right behind me...she placed her hands on my shoulders and slowly turned me around.... She looked different today, seemed more like a human, there was no mysterious aura emitting out of her... but her beauty was beyond this universe...

"I'm here, Arin...but in order to know yourself and your purpose to take rebirth you need to forget your identity...you have to engross yourself into Arisa's soul..." Saying this she placed her hands over my eyes...A current passed through my body...it just felt like Arisa's memories were loading in my brain and my memories were vanishing....when I opened my eyes, I had completely transformed into Arisa...but still somewhere at the corner of my heart I knew this is me. .Arin... I guess my soul was really powerful enough to resist her supernatural powers...but still I have to pretend to have forgotten everything...

She was still standing in front of me...she smiled very unusually...bowed to me... and seemed very polite... " Your highness....this is Min, daughter of royal gardener. Elder Ariho has appointed me in your service. I promise to serve you until my last breath."

She was Arisa's servant? How can a mere gardener's child have such magical cultivations? She's definitely hiding something...

" you know how to play that? " I pointed towards the wooden flute she was holding. "yes my lady, I have learnt since childhood." She was really well-spoken.

Days passed by in her presence...we talked a lot, played a lot, She took me to many different places in Arishillin, She was actually the best companion to be with. Her attitude towards life amazed me...her short poems delighted me...and her flute was so addicting, I listened to her playing flute hours and hours long....Just in a few weeks she became the closest person in my...well...in Arisa's life... Arisa trusted her more than anything else...the words I was speaking were actually Arisa's words...

.

.

.

.

Once in the bright moonlight, min and I were sitting on the beach... Sea waves were hitting the rocks and the water drops splashed on us....we laughed hard that night.... Min took my hands in her hands....looked in my eyes with her blue eyed gaze.... " Arisa, I never expected us to come so close...I don't know if it is appropriate....but I feel like you are my soulmate...do you...do you feel the same Risa?". I wrapped my hands around her...Brought her in my embrace..." yes Min...I feel like you are my soulmate... I am completely into...I don't know if this is right...but I think I have fallen for you...."

She came closer to me...and placed her lips on my forehead...

I felt like she was hypnotizing me that ocean blue gaze....i have completely drowned myself within her eyes...this ocean beside was nowhere near her deep ocean....this was first time in few months I felt her magical aura emitting out and engulfing me inside her dark purple hallow...my brain was warning me to open eyes but my soul had surrendered....

I was walking inside the dark hallow...purple light was shining inside the hallow...a large number of human figures were worshipping... black candles lit everywhere... I was completely under control.... Black aura surrounded me....it was pushing me forward....

"Arisa....Come dear....walk a little bit more....you are my soulmate...we are meant to be together... you belong to me... your soul belongs to me...." Someone was calling through that dark hollow.... That voice seemed familiar...it was min...Min...min...

But I felt a sudden tight grip around my waist...I looked down and a bright golden light was wrapping me around.... I got pulled out of the dark hollow harshly, my hypnotized mind was getting cleared up...I opened my eyes, that golden light rope was still pulling me out of the hallow and in front of me Min was flying towards me...She was chasing me...she didn't seem Min I knew....She seemed different....Her expressions were more ferocious...full of temptations.... I was finally out of the hallow... And the golden rope loosened up , I looked behind me....my face lit up by the golden light...She was the great goddess Astrea standing up high the tallest rock on the seashore....then I turned around to look other side...Min was standing right behind me with the darkest aura surrounding her.... " Min!! What are you doing?? Why do you look like this?? You don't look like my Min" I screamed in shock.

"She's not your Min, Arisa. She's the lowly Goddess of temptation...ADRESTIA...She's here to own your diamond soul." Goddess Astrea said with affirmation. I couldn't believe my ears, my min...my soulmate...the time we spent together...was that...just for my soul?? Did she fake everything? Just to lure me out? I looked at Min...no...Goddess Adrestia...with utter disbelief on my face...

" Do not listen to her Arisa!! We are truly soulmates.... It's true that I wanted your soul to become the Almighty Goddess in this whole universe...but the time we spent together was not fake!! I truly love you Arisa...I don't want your soul out of your body dear...I just want you to follow me...worship me...I want you Arisa, I want to make you eternal like me...Come towards me...Come dear, walk this side...we will live a long , long happy life together..." She said with desperation dripping off her face.

" You mean to say I should start worshipping you? Worshipping Temptation? Greed? The great Ari royal family have been worshipping Goddess ASTREA since ages...and you want me to change this pure ritual...taint my family just for your selfish thoughts....no Min.... Not in this life...I will never lend you my soul...." I said while tears rolling down my cheeks.

She smirked...that evil smirk haunted me...she came closer to me..." you think your soul is as pure as before? I have kissed you Arisa , you have been tainted with my temptation...don't you think it's better to let go of your tainted soul? You cannot step into astrea's temple with your tainted soul...what's the use of living like this? Better to give up and follow me...right??"

I looked at Goddess ASTREA...she was still standing firmly.... " Your soul cannot enter my temple Arisa....you have fallen for Adrestia's temptation.... But still your diamond soul holds the power of purity...you are my child, my gift to the Ari's....I will never let Adrestia to take over your soul....Arisa...in order to pure your soul, you have to give up this life...You will have to reborn again and serve me....Are you ready to sacrifice this life to erase the taint of temptation?

I walked towards the goddess of purity..." Yes. I am ready to sacrifice this life. I will take rebirth in the Ari family again and serve you my Goddess. My life was all in your service and now my death is in your service too, tell me how should I end this journey of Arisa?" I bowed down to Goddess ASTREA. She pointed her index finger towards the vast ocean ...I started walking towards the sea....

"Arisa!!!! ARISA!!!! Stop!!! You cannot do this!! I own you!! You belong to me Arisa!!!" Adrestia ran behind me. She had lost her mind, her months of hard work was being drowned in sea water.... I ignored her and kept walking inside the ocean till the water passed over my head....she couldn't enter the ocean as Goddess Astrea had restricted her from entering into any of the Arishillin's water bodies. She screamed and howled loudly....Black Tears fell down her face...White sand started giving out black resentful vapor.... " ARISA!!! You think you have escaped my temptation?? No dear...I told you, you are my soulmate...you belong to me...You said you will take rebirth, right?? Whichever form, gender, realm, you will go...I will follow you... Whatever time it takes...I will hunt you down through ages and ages!! And at that point even your Goddess Astrea would not pull you back from my temptation!!!" She plucked out a bunch of her hair strands and flew it down towards me...one of those strands landed over my head...And she disappeared....

I was drowning deep down in the ocean....couldn't feel my sensations....couldn't breathe...couldn't open my eyes... And warm hands touched my eyes.... Suddenly I felt my sensations...my breathing was back to normal....i opened my eyes and saw the roof of my house...my...my apartment...I was lying down on the bed....Birds were chirping outside the window...Sun rays were entering my room...I woke up and Walked towards the window....Breathed some fresh air....My mobile rang, it was the call from office. "Arin, it's 10 am!! Are you taking leave today?"

I laughed..." No, I just slept a bit more...I had a long...long dream..."

But I knew that this was not the end of my dream, many more unbelievable things were out there waiting for me....Adrestia was waiting for me in this life....