Moon turned blood red in the sky, Waves were hitting the huge black rocks on the shore… A mysterious , sad vibe filled the surrounding…. The present me, Arin…. And the past myself Arisa… were facing each other… Her sudden appearance made me speechless…. I had no words left to speak with her… She kept looking at me…Staring into my eyes… She placed her hands over my shoulder,
"Keep yourself Strong , You are me…I am you… You've cherished the diamond core for whole 500 years… Now, to live a normal human life, you let go the core from your body… But have you ever thought what will happen to Min if the core returns to Astrea? She will perish in the FIRES OF HELL!!!" She said with a trembling voice.
"But she's a devil… She deserves to be placed in the hell… Goddess Astrea has helped me to take out this core…then obviously the core belongs to her." Even I stated my opinion very firmly.
"Why do think The Black is always Wrong and The White is always Right? Isn't there any middle between the two? Arin…You've been reborn after 500 years in the Physical appearance, into a body with blood and flesh… But Your Soul…OUR Soul has been living for 500 years without body… One thing this Soul learned was Astrea might be a Great Goddess… But She has not been always Righteous you think she is… Why do you think her powers started diminishing after my death? Because She is nothing without the diamond core… The Ari land thought that Astrea gifted me the Diamond core… But that wasn't the real truth… Me, Arisa was borned with the diamond soul due to the Luckiest position of the constellations in the sky. Arin…. This Diamond core doesn't belong to any God…Neither Astrea nor Adrestia… This Core Belongs To Us!!! But this core holds immense spiritual power and that's the reason why Astrea kept me completely in her control…made me worship her my entire life, and She became the Almighty Goddess of this Universe…" Arisa's words were hitting my ears like sharp arrows. I couldn't believe the truth of Astrea… My knees felt weak and I sat down on the white glistening sand… Arisa kept her hand on my head, and said "Arin….Back when I was alive…This soul belonged to Arisa…I came out as a very innocent naïve girl, who believed her parents, who believed her Kingdom, Who believed her Goddess…But this 500 years of life has thought me not everything that seems white is pure, innocent… Even the Goddess of innocence and purity has taken advantage of our innocence, and all we did was to blame Adrestia… She's no less evil than Astrea, after all both of them are from same origin, they are sisters…. Arin these beings which we praise and worship as goddess are just merely some immortal creatures who live on our prayers, survive on our offerings, become almighty Gods… And these two are just the worst among all of them…"
"But what about diamond core?…I don't want to live the life which lead you to kill yourself….i don't want to become attraction point of these Gods and devils….I just want to live a mortal human life." Tears rolled down my eyes.
"There's only one way… You have to snatch the diamond core from Astrea and hit that silver bowl into the dark clouds over the mountains….It will push the clouds harder and make them stumble upon each other which would result into thunder and rainfall, thus our diamond core will pour down on the earth and get mixed into rivers and oceans…. Arin, this is the only way…our last chance to not let any goddess to own our bodies….my body is long gone but I want you to protect yours by all means…"
This idea was really making much more sense, but Snatching that silver bowl from Astrea? Me?? A normal human being with no supernatural powers….Could I do such a powerful thing? Am I even able to stand in front of a Goddess…a Almighty Goddess?
"Arisa…How could I?? Astrea can just lift her fingers up and throw me away the cliff!! Can't you do this mission? You know everything…Your soul has lived for 500 years…" I had no confidence left.
"I cannot take that bowl….My soul has been tainted black with the touch of Adrestia… You are still pure…No evil spirit has affected you until now… You are the one who is eligible to put your hands on silver bowl…. Arin-ah, are you scared of Astrea? Let me remind you…. You were the princess of Ari land!! In present Ari land, Namiseon you are still the Princess!! No God is more powerful than Nature God….The nature of Namiseon is still under the Kingdom of Ari leaders!! They obey OUR rules.. OUR orders!! You think they will let any harm happen with you?? Trust me Arin, you will not even get a single scratch on your skin!! Just climb up the cliff… I will distract Astrea and in the correct moment snatch the bowl, throw it towards the clouds and jump down the cliff!! Muster up all your courage!! This is for YOU !! Your happiness…Your and Hongseok's happy future life…. Come on Arin!! Get up and RUN !!! HWAITING!!!!!!!! "
I got up… Looking into Arisa's fiery eyes made me collect all my courage…Yes…This is my last mission…Hanging between Past and Present, I have to do this for my Future… And I will do it!! Arisa smiled and encouraged me by patting on my shoulders. I looked up at the cliff…
Astrea was still standing there staring straight back into Adrestia's eyes on the opposite cliff… Maybe they were fighting a spiritual duel in outer space… Both of them were emitting out dark and bright auras….
I tightened up my fists and gathering all the energy in my entire life I ran towards the cliff!!
Surprisingly the mountain was much more easier… The Trees seemed to make way for me to run without having any hassles… Rocks turned around and made the way clear…. A pair of eagles and bats were flying front of me leading my way… At this point I really realized…Maybe Arin's soul still belongs to Ari family and the Nature spirit is under royal rules…. Never in my life I thought I would live this Princess life… My whole logical science turned out as lie…. I was running for my life…
Finally I reached on top of the cliff… Astrea was still emitting out bright golden aura… I hid myself behind the trees… Waiting for the right opportunity…. Suddenly my eyes went down towards the seashore… Arisa walked right between the two cliffs… And looked up at Adrestia, Called her out loudly…
"Nae Shin-iya!!! Adrestia!!! This is me Arisa… Princess of Ari land!!! The diamond core you've taken away from my rebirth, Give that back to me!!! I am the owner of that Core!! I am no more tainted black after my soul living and surviving the punishment of 500 years…. I WANT MY CORE BACK!!!"
Her loud words woke up Astrea and she faced down towards Arisa, "What did you say? Arisa how did you enter inside my land? Your soul is still tainted!! And now this core belongs to me!! Are you influenced by Adrestia? Why are even asking back core from your Goddess?" Astrea was confused by Arisa's sudden appearance.
"My Goddess…. You are right…. I am still in love with Min, and influenced by her…. I've worshipped you for all these years, can't I ask for just this one thing? Give my core back!! You are already the Almightiest!! I don't think so you are depended on this mere diamond core….Anyways , you were the one who created and gifted it to me….Am I wrong??" Arisa made a strong point here and for the first time expression of uncertainty, and anxiousness reflected on Astrea's face…..
I found the right moment to snatch the silver bowl as Astrea brought her hands behind her back…. She was trying to hide the bowl from Arisa. As they were busy interrogating each other, I stepped forawarf and slightly walked towards her…. My heart was beating fast as I got closer to her…. I stretched my hands towards the bowl and looked at Arisa…At Once I grabbed the bowl from her hand and the next second as she turned back furiously , I ran towards the other end of the cliff!!! While running I aimed the bowl at the top of the mountain where clouds crowded upon me….Applying all the force I had in my hands I threw the silver bowl containing my diamond core towards the dark clouds… Astrea ran behind me with the speed of light…. As I threw the bowl away she screamed wildly….
"ARINNNNNN !!!!!! WHYYY!!! WHY DID YOU DO THAT????" She appeared in front of me. I was trying to avoid her but she held my hands tightly.
"No…You can't run away just like that!! Answer me!! You trusted me until now….I've helped you take off this core… Why did you do that??"
"Because you lied to me…. You never wanted this core to spread purity in humankind… You desired to be Almighty in entire universe…." I said while getting off her hold on my hands.
"So what if I become the almightiest? If it's not me then who should be the one? Adrestia? She has to perish in the hell!! No….this cannot happen….tell me where did you throw that bowl I will revive it back…TELL ME RIGHT NOW!!!"
She burned with anger, flames of fire emitted out of her body…. Her long golden hair were set on Fire… Her White gown swayed on the wind with fire burning up the whole forest… Branches were falling of the trees…. Birds were flying in chaos…Animals were running in panic… I stood there straight right before her with all the fire surrounding me…..
"Too late….It's too late my Goddess…. Thank you for everything…. You've helped me a lot…. But for me to lead normal life I cannot let Min perish in hell… She's your sister, Yes…she has greed, lust… But where there is innocence , purity… there's also gonna be the presence of lust and greed…She is your counterpart…. You both are one pair… The one thing I learned today was not everything can be separated as black and white….Sometimes there has to be Gray… You are equally evil for lying to me and wishing for your sister's death… And Adrestia is equally innocent for being honest and trying to save herself from fires of hell….. At least she never hid and sugar coated her mean desires…."
Just while I was confronting Astrea a bolt of lightning went down the clouds….A chain of thunders followed it…. The forest was burning down in ashes…Fires went up the sky….
"Good bye my Goddess…. For now and forever…. Please take your sister and just disappear from our lives….." Saying this on her face I ran towards the cliff and without thinking twice , I jumped off the cliff!!
While falling down it began raining…. Fires went off slowly on the mountain…. The rain water drenched my body, But I felt much more lighter as I fell down…. I crashed down inside the pond…. But the network of lotuses and it's leaves saved me from drowning inside…..
"Arin…" A very familiar voice and her hand pulled me out of the pond. I opened my eyes and to my surprise it was Adrestia…. I backed off in fear…
"No, Arin…. Don't get scared… I know you've broken your diamond core and now with this rain it's getting mixed up with all the water resources…. Actually I've come here to apologize… for all the evil things I've done to you… But I was just trying to save myself… Astrea never trusted me, Was it my fault that I got selected as Goddess of lust and greed? I was just trying to do my job…. But she took complete hold over Arisa and decided to kick me down hell… That's the reason why I had to step inside Arisa's life to win over her and I was really not trying to kill her!! I loved her… But maybe this dark aura surrounding me will always make me into bad , evil Goddess… She trusted Astrea and killed herself…. But I tried killing you… I am ashamed of myself… As a Goddess I should save human beings but to save myself I tried killing you… I apologize deep from my heart…. Please consider forgiving me…." She knelt down before, Rain was pouring down her long black hairs….Never before I had seen her being this apologetic and sad.
"It's okay, I can understand…Get up…From now onwards try to live as a Goddess which you are….not like a devil… And keep doing your job…Anyways greed and lust are basic human emotions, no one can avoid them… But where's Astrea? Is she okay? She was burning with fire up there…"
"Ahhh… Don't even worry about her, she is all good, and went towards the heaven… She will go into meditation now and try reviving her powers back… Maybe try making one more Diamond core and find the correct constellation position to install it in a human baby… You are safe now, entirely"
After biding farewell to Adrestia, I walked towards the beach… Arisa was standing there facing the sea… She turned around and smiled whole heartedly…
"Well done Arin… We had to wait for 500 years to make this possible…. Finally we are free… You are free to live your life as Arin and I am free to take departure from this world and rest myself completely inside your soul… You and me, we will live as One person….As Arin Miyawaki…. Arisa will never pop out in your future now… Open your arms Arin, let me rest myself… I am too tired…" I was so much at ease that I didn't have to bid her farewell and she was going to rest within my soul. I opened my arms and smiled at her… She walked towards me and went inside my body in form of Bright purple light, the light was so strong and illuminating that I had to close my eyes and my body fell down on the sand….
After that moment I don't know for how long I was lying down…. But as I regained my consciousness, slowly opened my eyes… I found myself sleeping on the bed… The wooden roof above me seemed…. It was Hongseok's palace…. I turned and saw Hongseok sleeping beside me…. Did he bring me here? After fainted down in temple…. For how long I have been like this?? I was completely awake by now. I looked at Hongseok's face and suddenly he opened his eyes…. I got flustered a bit… He placed his palm on my cheeks…. "Did you sleep well?" And hugged me tightly in his strong arms…..