ARIN
It's been one month after getting trapped into Arisa's body. I'm observing every incident taking place around Arisa. There's only a spiritual awareness of myself hidden in Arisa's heart. It's lonely to be here, I miss my world, I miss my house, I miss my Hongseok, I miss my time… how long… just how long do I have to keep my soul hidden here… Won't Hongseok be looking for me for past one month? Has the same amount of time passed in my world too? Would he forgive me for pushing him aside to protect Iseul? Where is Iseul…. Would she have woken up by now? I want to go back… Astrea… let me go back in my time… to my world… Astrea please release me from this loop of time…. Set me free Astrea please…
A ray of light blinded me, I found myself standing in shallow waters; I looked around to see that the place was covered with sparkling water in all the directions with me in the middle of that vast ocean-like water body. I could see my physical form yet it wasn't physical completely… like a transparent filter being projected over my skin… What is this feeling? Is it a dream? Am I into Arisa's dream….
"Yes, Arin. ", I could hear Goddess Astrea's voice echoing inside that space.
"What do you want me to do Astrea? I wanted to live my peaceful life, and yet again here I am running through the messed up lifetimes… You said I would find something in Arisa's life related to my present life… I can't get hold of what you're trying to show me…"
"Arin, firstly, you need to calm down my child. This is just a fragment of your dream… you are in a deep slumber… lying down on the bed in your house. I want your soul to witness the whole life of Arisa, what Adrestia has shown you in the past is only a small part of her life and most of those scenes were merely an illusion created by her to manipulate you. Don't try to change the past by communicating with Arisa, let her face the fate of her life, you are here only as a witness… to see, to know, to understand the meaning behind your present life incidents. You will see everything, even if those incidents are not taking place in front of Arisa… Hongseok and Iseul are around you, now… it depends on you how you can understand the things…"
And again I felt lighter and lighter… falling down deep into the corner of Arisa's heart… My soul left the physical form… All I could do now, is to wait for the end of Arisa's life…
.
.
.
"Prince Daeshim, you have to leave the palace immediately. Your face cannot be seen in coming five years. If you reveal yourself in front of any of the royal family member, your exile will be increased by one year for each appearance. Leave all your amenities and begin your journey for the exile."
"Your blood on top of all the sins I already have to pay for?", Daeshim asked looking at the Crown Prince Daejeong.
"So, are you going to kill me here in front of the royal court? Are you going to complete your failed task?" said Crown Prince ragingly.
"If you don't leave now, we will have to capture Princess Seolhwa", announced the military general while grabbing Seolhwa's arm.
"Yahhhhh!!!! Seolhwa has nothing to do with this matter! It is between me and Daejeong!! Don't even dare to touch my sister! One more hand towards her and I will destroy this bloody court and these shameless courtiers!!", Daeshim pulled out his sword and placed it on the general's neck.
"Then leave right now. This instant. This moment. I want you disappeared away from my sight.", asserted Prince Daejeong.
Daeshim had no option but to put down his sword and start walking out of the palace. Seolhwa cried loudly, "Orabeoni!!! Don't ever show your face again for the next five years!! I want you back after this exile! Please stay alive and return back to me… return back to your sister!" Seolhwa fell down on the ground and sobbed looking at the Daeshim's back… him walking out of the palace, pulling his sword on the ground… drawing a line of vengeance on the land of Northern Palace.
Tears flowed down Daeshim's eyes remembering that dark night. He couldn't save himself from the spiteful trap of Prince Daejeong and the military general. But today, after five years he was different. He was not the immature prince from the past, this exile proved to be an opportunity, to upgrade his skills, to learn about the Yang empire and their hidden secrets scattered all over the empire even outside the empire. Among those secrets, there was one secret which attracted his attention the most, the blessings his ancestors received from Goddess Astrea. There was a golden bowl gifted by Goddess Astrea, hidden somewhere in the palace, or maybe outside the palace in an unknown temple. All of his ancestors protected that golden bowl from the outer evil entities. Yang family was appointed to securely hide that bowl until Goddess Astrea takes it back, and they were successful to protect it for past eight generations, and hence, Goddess Astrea had blessed their empire with all the good luck, prosperity and power. They were the most powerful clan in the three realms.
"I have this gut feeling that Yang emperor favoring King Ariho and Arishillin has something to do with this golden bowl, but I can't find a certain answer to it.. Is it Arisa? She possess something divine, which is being hidden from the rest of the world.", Daeshim walked around in his Silent river palace.
"Your highness, you seem to be lost in your thoughts these few days", Seolhwa's soft voice echoed in the palace.
"Since when did you start calling me 'your highness'?" Daeshim smiled at her.
"You are in charge of the military now, of course I must give you the deserved respect" said Seolhwa bowing down.
"So, your highness needs some help… will you?"
"If it's in my ability, I will help you till any extent Orabeoni"
"I want you to find the traditional book of our ancestors from the royal library. Can you do this for me?"
"But… Royal book is not in the library, it was shifted to the Yang emperor's sleeping chambers.."
"Why?"
"Maybe… to restrict the people from reading the ancient texts .."
"So, can you bring me that book from our father's palace?"
Seolhwa looked at him with suspicious eyes, "What are you up to these days?"
"You'll know that soon" Daeshim whispered in her ears.
"Okay, I will bring that book tonight. But you must read it before the dawn as father reads that book every morning immediately after waking up"
"Yes. Just bring it to me." Daeshim's curiosity was reaching heights at this point.
.
.
.
Seolhwa sneaked inside the emperor's palace while he was sleeping in his chambers. She tip toed inside his library and searched for the traditional book.
"Where would he keep it? He reads the book every morning, so… maybe somewhere nearby his bed chambers? Not in the library…", Seolhwa covered her face with a blue satin veil and stepped inside the bed chamber through the window from the backyard. She had to be extremely silent, as emperor could wake up any moment and she would be caught red handed. Fortunately, Seolhwa was a master in spying for her brother all these years and had accompanied many missions with him.
"I can't find it in his book shelf… Why would he hide the book so well? It is just an information diary from our ancestors… huhh… father, where have you hidden it??", Seolhwa was frustrated as she couldn't find the book even after searching the whole chamber. Suddenly she heard footsteps approaching the room and ran behind the window through which she entered inside. She peeped inside through the hinges of the window and was surprised to see Royal Eunuch Yoonsuk walk inside the room.
"How could he simply enter the emperor's bed chamber without any permission? Or is he allowed to…", as she was thinking about Yoonsuk's sudden appearance, she saw him placing something behind Emperor's bed. It looked like a large metal box, he stood there for a while, bowed to the sleeping emperor and went outside the room.
Seolhwa went inside the room and walked behind the bed carefully, she saw a golden box placed on the ground, right below the feet of the Yang emperor. Slowly and quietly she lifted up the heavy box and walked outside through the same window. She quickly escaped out of the Emperor's palace and reached the Silent river palace, where Daeshim was waiting for her to return and as soon as he saw her running inside his room he hugged her right away, "Are you fine? Did anyone see you? Are you alright Seolhwa?? It's been ages I haven't sent you for such mission…"
"I'm fine brother, you know right how good I'm at spying? I couldn't find the book inside father's palace or even in his bed chamber… but this… while I was searching, this box was brought to the father's room by Eunuch Yoonsuk … it looked quite suspicious for him to enter the palace at this midnight hour.. So, I've brought this box to you" She handed over that box to Daeshim.
"Did he notice someone had entered or searched the room after stepping inside?"
"I don't think so… he was very calm and walked away after a few minutes.."
Daeshim was tensed up after listening to Seolhwa, he knew it… there was some strategy being planned inside the palace… King Ariho's arrival was not for a mere Spring festival… it had many reasons behind it… and Eunuch Yoonsuk, the most trusted subordinate of Yang emperor being so suspicious all of a sudden was not just a coincidence…
He opened the box by breaking the lock with an iron hammer,
"The book!! Orabeoni! It's the traditional book!! Why would Yoonsuk take away that book from Father's room??" Seolhwa exclaimed in surprise.
The ancient script of Yang family was hidden inside the golden box, Daeshim saw that the book was recently opened as there was a page freshly folded in the middle. He opened to that page,
"Blessings poured down the Yang heredity
By the Almighty Goddess of Purity,
Protect the Bowl of divinity and fire,
Diamond sits with Gold to shine our empire,
Find the core to fulfill the desire"