Chapter - 9

Sun was about to set, Red wood trees were shredding off their snow, The mountain was not easy to climb up…it had so many narrow ways, black hard rocks tumbling down from the cliff, Hongseok seemed very familiar with this trek… He helped me overcome all the hassles past this climb. Fortunately the mountain was not very steep and could be walked up. I kept looking for Adrestia as she had ability to appear out of nowhere… It took almost whole day to reach the mountain top… There was a hard black rock plateau at top of the mountain where the ancient stone cave-like temple was situated. It was almost 5:30 pm and my nervousness started to build up.

We went inside the temple, the carvings and painting on the walls proved that the temple was built more than 500 years ago. As we walked deep inside the cave there were lanterns lighted up all over the place. Small stream was flowing down from one of the corners of the temple which joined the bigger waterfall in the mountain. I washed my hands and feet with water from the stream, it was ice cold… my hands went numb…

We went inside the core of the temple. Huge stone idol stood right in front of my eyes. That idol…Astrea's idol… It looked the same…. The calm smile on her face , the affection In her eyes…everything looked same… I went around the temple in circles… Touched the paintings on the walls and a flash of light struck my eyes….

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A film of my past life passed through my mind and stopped at the scene of Arisa worshipping Astrea in the same temple. Her face was glowing with lantern she was lighting up for prayers. She offered white jasmine flowers and fresh fruits while reciting some prayers. She stood up and went outside the temple near the waterfall. Min was sitting there playing and throwing pebbles in water. "Min-ah , take these peaches…I had offered it to Astrea…" Arisa reached out her handfull of peaches towards Min. But she turned her face with smirk ignoring her.

"Why? I thought you loved peaches…" Arisa pouted.

"Risa, I hate peaches offered to this Goddess…I hate this Goddess…" Min said while throwing a stone in the water.

"I still don't understand your reason for hating her… She's the almighty Goddess…Do we , mere humans, even have the right to hate a Goddess? Afterall she's the guardian angel of Ari land… We have to keep her pleased and happy… Did she ever caused you trouble? Why do you hate her?" Arisa sat beside her and patted her hair. Min turned her face towards Arisa,

" I hate her for being the Almightiest… I hate her for being worshipped by humans… I know you'll find me funny for blurting these words but some day you will know why do I hate her so much… She's just annoyingly close to me which makes my hatred worse towards her…" Min's face was pouring out the most resentful energy in that moment. Arisa was taken aback with her words.

"Min-ah…You are so lovely other times but sometimes like these…You look so scary… But don't worry, I know you would never do anything wrong towards Ari land… At the end of the day you are my lovely, cute Min, my best friend!! Come on now, let's go home…" Arisa smiled at her and stood up. Min looked up at her, Her resentful face turned back to beautiful smiley face. "Risa…Why are you so innocent? You are making me hard to do what I've come here for…" She talked to herself. She ran towards Arisa who was walking down the stairs of mountain….

Everything went pitch dark after that scene… I couldn't figure what was happening around me… Suddenly all the moments Arisa and Min had spent together, their voices, their laughter echoed all around that dark hollow… I was standing in middle of nowhere… After few minutes those voices started fading away… And sound of flute filled up the void… It seemed calm and sweet initially but lead to aggressive one gradually… It pierced my ears , I kept hand on my ears to block that evil melody…I fell down , my head pained badly, felt like that sound was lashing me with whip…

A ray of violet light was visible a few steps away… I crawled towards that light, just to find that Adrestia was standing above on the hill there… Chills went down my spine… The violet paint filled the void… Dark trees surrounded me… The dark musk fragrance made me go crazy… My head was about to burst with unbearable pain…my body had no energy to even look above at her… I kept lying down there helplessly…

" Thought that you escaped from my trap, Arin? Not that easy dear…" Adrestia lied down beside me, I didn't even look at her. "Do you know where you are lying down right now? Ummmm…You don't… It's okay I'll educate my baby, This is my kingdom… Land of lust, Temptation, greed and Resentment… Fool Astrea thought once you enter Namiseon you'll be safe and sound in her kingdom… But little if she knew that I have my trace on your body she wouldn't have planned this out… Anyways…Good for me…It will be much easier taking out your diamond soul in my place." Adrestia kept her hand on my head. I threw away her hand with all the energy left in my arms.

"You were my friend Min-ah!! You were my soul mate in past life!! How could you take off my soul and kill me like it doesn't matter anything to you?? Are you that greedy for Powers?? More than the life of your friend?" I cried looking at her.

"Waahhh…. I thought you were different than Arisa but you are just as innocent as her, Did you forget that I'm the Goddess of Greed? Of course I am greedy for more powers!! I want to become the Almighty Goddess in this whole universe!! And did I not offer you to worship me?? But unfortunately you rejected me…I have no other option left now other than killing you…"

She pulled my hair and dragged me towards her violet hill. I tried resisting her, but her hold on me was not human…it was monstrous…. I kept thinking about Astrea… About Hongseok…Hongseok?….I remember he was behind me as I fainted in the temple… Where did he go? Did Adrestia…. No… Nothing should happen with him.. Astrea… Astrea!!!! I kept calling out her name… Adrestia dragged me slowly inside the cave… She pulled out her secret weapon from the wall… Dark , black colored arrow… I was lying down on the ground, with continuous enchantment of prayers calling out Astrea… She came closer with that arrow in her hand… She was right in front of my face and aimed arrow towards my heart…. But…. A splash of water slapped my face!! And I woke up coughing out water from my nose and mouth!! A familiar hand patted on my back while I was coughing… I opened my eyes and saw Hongseok looking at me worriedly , His face was darkened with tension… The first thing he did as soon as I opened my eyes was to hug me tightly…

" I was so worried!! Arin-ah!! You fell down there motionlessly…Do you even know it scared the hell out of me!! I was about to die���You didn't even breathe!!" He cried.

I kept my fingers on his lips…looked at him dreamily… "It's okay Seok-ah…I'm completely fine now… But how did you wake me up?" While I was asking him , I saw Astrea coming towards us. She signaled me to go behind her stone idol. Heavy winds started to blow outside the cave… Dry leaves flew inside… It was about to snow hard…

"Hongseok-ssi… It looks like there's gonna be heavy snowfall tonight… We should go behind the idol, see there are some firewood kept there…" I tried getting up but the spell adrestia put on me was real… I had lost all my energy. Hongseok carried me in his arms, and went behind the idol. He placed me down on the ground. I leaned on the wall. I was shivering with cold…He took some firewood and put it in the iron vessel made for special offering to the Goddess. He searched around for something…

"Do you need anything? Wait…you need a lighter right? Here.. Take it from my bag…" I threw my bag towards him.

He took out lighter, his face was filled with surprise. "I didn't expect you to smoke!! You have a lighter??"

"What nonsense….I am a microbiologist Hongseok-ssi , obviously I have things like Lighter in my bag!! Does that mean I smoke?" I said with frown on my face.

He made small camp fire near us. Sat beside me leaning on the wall. An awkward silence surrounded us…. "Arin-ah, your bag looked pretty heavy, what did you even bring?? Make up kit?" He laughed and took my bag, started fidgeting inside it. "Oh!! There's a lipstick…compact…facewash…comb…you brought the whole dressing table with…wow… Wait, What's this? A Perfume??? The bottle is so pretty!!" He had the bottle of pheromone in his hands. My eyes went wide open!!

"Yang Hongseok!!Keep everything inside!! Give that bottle to me!!" I crawled towards him and pulled his hands. But he pulled me towards him and the bottle in his hand fell down on the ground!! The glass bottle slid towards the stream and fell inside water. I tried to run, but again my legs had no energy to get up. The pheromone bottle went down the stream in front my eyes and I just kept sitting there blankly….

How much more unlucky would this day get? What am I going to do without the pheromone?