CHAPTER 12

ARIN

I was innocent like a fool, as if bewitched by her… I have already fallen deep down in this game… I couldn't stop myself… with the end of my diamond core, I felt… everything has met the end… little did I knew, this game isn't just the cold war between two Goddesses; but a struggle of two powers, betrayals, complicated relationships, past-present lives… would I jump into this pit of fire? Or me being reborn as Arin, had an unavoidable destiny to suffer through this pain? Exactly where did I go wrong as Arisa? To fall in love with Min or to taint myself with the ink of temptation? Didn't I already paid up for those sins by sacrificing my past life? Didn't I give up on my diamond core in present life? All I wanted was to live as a normal human, but what did do to myself? Ruined up my life for this deadly trap….

I sat down staring blankly at the pearl white moon in a window of hospital lobby, reminiscing our time as a lovely couple… It took only few hours to turn our world upside down… Hongseok has left me alone… in this terrible situation… when I'm on the border line of Hell and Heaven… my love has left me alone to suffer…

"Don't you think you're being too selfish right now?" A deep voice reached my ears. I turned around and found Astrea standing at a distance, leaning her back over wall.

"Ohh, finally you found some time to spare on me." I said while turning back at the window.

"No need to be so sarcastic Arin. Your mess is not the only thing I've got on my hands to manage, even Gods have to work and fulfil duties towards this universe." She walked towards me.

"Thanks… thank you so much Goddess of purity and justice!! For pushing me inside this messed up life!! Why did you even let me take a rebirth when all I was going to do is to suffer from your hell-heaven wars?!! No… wait… you wanted that diamond core, ohh right… For your desire to sit beside Jade emperor… you needed my core… your sister wanted to possess my diamond core… Iseul was sent to ruin my married life… but, why can't you all understand that I've nothing to offer… not even my diamond core… Why can't you all just leave me alone? Astrea!! Tell me!! I want my answers today. See… look at your spiritual daughter!!! See, what you all have done to me… All I wanted was to live peacefully with my love? But… Hongseok… even he could not understand me… I mean, how am I even supposed to expect understanding this other worldly weird incidents from a normal human being? See.. As a result of all these frustrations, he has left me alone…" I cried my heart out before Astrea.

"It was bound to happen, Arin-ah, I had warned you earlier not to get involved into this chaotic situation of Iseul. Even Adrestia finally did that one right thing in her whole existence till now, TO WARN YOU! Didn't she tell you to take care of your married life! To not indulge in the businesses from underworld! Why are you blaming every wrong thing on us, which has happened in your life after withdrawal of the diamond core? Was it my fault that you and Adrestia secretly signed up the contract? You began running around at her orders, kept on hiding the truth from your husband, brought a strange girl inside a newlywed couple's house… Have you sworn to help every needy person this earth? Iseul is completely under the influence of underworld… do you have any idea whom she has seen with her naked eyes? Demon lord Yanluo! No human can see him while being alive!! Do you know what consequences this incident will bring? Iseul is being trained to become a propagator of the Hell! So, do you still have the nerve to help her get out of this mess?" Astrea spoke in a very cold tone.

"Astrea!! She was lying dead there on the sea shore!! I'm a human with compassion in my heart!!! How could I abandon Iseul after knowing her real situation? She's being lured inside this underworld shit!! You know that right?? Why can't any one of you understand me??? I want to help her!! I'm not stepping back from this decision! Never! I will bring her back to human being. It would be great if you help me, but if you're more concerned about your image in front of Jade emperor… please don't worry about us. I will do everything possible… to cure Iseul…" I said moving away from the window and walked down the stairs.

"And what about Hongseok? Don't you want to find and make up with him??" Astrea followed me down.

"He didn't even flinch a bit while leaving me alone in this chaos, why would I want to make up with him? Let him come and find me… if he wishes to…" I said holding up my tears.

"Why are you so fickle? A little while ago you were crying for him, and how's he gonna come and find you? When he's not even on this earthly realm??"

"No way…. He's a mere human…has no powers…"

"I've sent him somewhere , he cannot come back without my permission. We can't let him stay in the presence of Iseul anymore."

"But, where did you even send him?? Heaven??"

"Nope"

"???"

And she disappeared in the thin air… I kept looking upstairs, stood there blankly completely zoned out…

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I was knocked down the bed. My body ached with innumerable burns all over the skin. As soon as my eyes were wide open, I found myself fallen down on the red velvet carpet… I looked above at the roof, it was made of wood and marble… ancient carvings on the walls made me alert… I stood up and walked towards the window, opened it and peeked outside… I sighed deeply at the sight of Arishillin…

"Ohh… right, I had forgotten about my past life… Did Astrea transported my soul again in Arisa's body? Do I again need to experience new things about Arisa's life? Waahh…. Just when I cried in front of Astrea to let me live a normal life, she sent me nearly 500 years back in time. Is my existence a joke to these Goddesses?" I screamed out loudly.

"Arin, calm down. You are safe within my body, in fact it's our body, isn't it?" A voice echoed inside the room.

I was startled and looked around in panic.

"Arin, it's me… your past self, Arisa… Did you forget I've been resting in your body in the present life… you have immersed me inside your soul… Now, it's my turn to offer you my body…"

"It means, that you would take the charge of your body and let me be a part of your soul?

"Hmm… Within next few seconds me, Arisa would take over my body and Arin, you would stay conscious inside my soul… you would have complete idea of what's happening around us… But you would never surface, for outsiders this body is of Arisa's soul."

Wait, so you mean to say… two souls in one body?"

"Yes, Arin… its time for you to hide within my soul… Brother Ariho could come up any moment in my room…"

"NO…no… wait… what's the use of going through all this chaos?? What does Astrea want me to see more in my past life? Hadn't I seen it all last time when I entered your body??"

"I have no clue, this was what had been told to me by Goddess Astrea and we have to follow her orders."

"But you've lived this life, right? So how can you not know what has happened in your whole life?"

"I've lost all my memories, after immersing myself in your soul. All I remember now is, your life. So, even though I've lived this life, it will be an entirely new experience for me."

"Oh my God… now we don't even know… for how long we would be stuck up in this era… and exactly what I need to know? Ahhhhh... ahhhh… I can't with this rollercoaster of past-present lives anymore!!!" I sat down near the window while holding my forehead tightly.

"Arin, can you see anything in front of you??" Arisa asked me softly.

"What? No… no… NO!! I cannot!!!!"

"You are being immersed inside my soul now. Arin you can remain conscious but you will depend on me, something like this… once my soul takes over the body entirely and I open my eyes, only then you'll be able to see through my eye sight."

I felt lighter and lighter… like a feather… felt like a load of skin and bones were taken off my soul… The world surrounding me went on covering up with black paint… I had no will of myself.. It felt like someone picked me up and placed me somewhere inside the white corner of Arisa's soul…

Will I be really able to witness the life of Arisa with me remaining conscious or these are the final moments of my life inside her soul… will I ever meet Hongseok again?? Are we separated forever? Will I ever get to live as Arin Miyawaki ever again or would I diminish as the part of Arisa's soul….