Reincarnating As A Prince in the DC Universe

29.

…

Mira POV

A Few Weeks Ago.

Spirit.

One could never truly understand the concept of Spirit without first looking into soul, consciousness and memory.

The Soul is frequently viewed as the core of individuality and personality. It is the part of a being that carries emotions, desires, and identity. In some philosophies, the soul acts as a mediator between the spirit and the body, containing a person's experiences and moral essence.

Consciousness is the state of being aware of one's existence, thoughts, and surroundings. It is the functional aspect of the mind, enabling self-reflection and interaction with reality.

Theoretically, it can bridge the physical and spiritual, serving as the field where spirit and soul interact with the external world.

Memory is the capacity to store and retrieve information, deeply linked to the soul and consciousness.

Memories contribute to identity and experience, forming the narrative of one's life. It is believed that certain memories, especially deep or traumatic ones, may transcend lifetimes, stored within the soul.

Then there's the Spirit.

The "spirit" is often referred to as the non-physical essence of a being, considered eternal and connected to a higher or divine source. It is the life force that animates the body, transcending physical death.

One might ask how all these are related? Well, it's quite simple.

The Spirit provides the life force, while the soul embodies individual traits and experiences.

The soul therefore carries the imprint of the spirit's divine purpose.

Consciousness is where the soul expresses itself, interpreting spiritual knowledge and processing physical experiences.

Memories shape the soul's journey, forming a repository of experiences that influence consciousness and spiritual evolution.

In summary, these concepts intertwine to form a holistic view of existence, with the spirit representing divine essence, the soul as individuality, consciousness as awareness, and memory as the keeper of life's narrative.

In order to reach the Spirit and form a contract with it, there will be a need for me to be Consciously Aware and tap into my Soul, using it as a gateway to assess my Spirit.

According to Aiden's notes, the Spirit serves as the reservoir of divine energy and the core of a being's existence. It holds my unique life force.

Normal POV

Mira sat cross-legged in the center of her magic training room, the air around her humming with a quiet green energy that thrummed in her chest.

This was Mira's Unique Mana.

Mira's hands rested on her knees, her eyes closed, her breathing slow and deliberate, shutting out the room's vibrant glow and focusing inward.

She began by grounding herself, feeling the cool earth beneath her, the faint breeze against her skin, and the steady beat of her heart.

These were the markers of her physical self, the surface of her being. But she wasn't here to linger on the surface.

Slowly, the training room's intricate carvings and the faint scent of blooming herbs faded into the background as she released her connection to the external world.

The earth's touch faded, the breeze became a memory, and her heartbeat softened into the background. Bit by bit, she peeled away the layers of sensation tethering her to her body.

Her consciousness sank deeper, navigating through the currents of thought and emotion. Memories and fleeting worries drifted past, rising momentarily before dissolving into the void. Joy, fear, sadness, each made its presence known, only to slip away as she ventured further.

The deeper she went, the quieter everything became. The constant hum of her thoughts stilled, leaving only a vast emptiness, a serene, boundless expanse.

It was here, in the stillness, that she felt it.

A faint presence stirred at the edges of her awareness, elusive yet persistent. A glimmer of light flickered in the darkness, pulsing gently like a heartbeat in time with her breath.

The light wasn't just an image. It was alive, radiating warmth that resonated deep within her chest. Mira extended her awareness toward it and in the next moment, she found herself floating in the void, an endless expanse of darkness that was immediately pierced by the faint pulse of light.

This was the Soulscape, the inner realm where her Spirit resided. It was not a place bound by physical laws but a manifestation of her Soul, shaped by her thoughts, emotions, and experiences.

The Soulscape reflected her inner self. A serene and vibrant forest that stretched infinitely. The air was thick with the hum of life, a reflection of her connection to the wood element.

Towering, ancient looking trees stretched toward a nonexistent sky, their branches entwined with veins of green energy. Beneath her, soft moss cushioned her steps, pulsing faintly with mana.

She focused on the flicker of light ahead, suspended like a distant star among the trees. It felt alive and powerful, the core of her existence, the Spirit she sought to connect with.

Mira approached cautiously, her footsteps silent. As she neared, the light brightened, its warmth growing more pronounced. It wasn't blinding, but it held an undeniable authority, like the sun breaking through the thickest canopy.

The closer she came, the more she could feel its presence, a steady thrum that resonated with her very being.

The light hovered over a small, clear pool at the heart of the forest, its waters impossibly still. The pool reflected the light, amplifying its radiance, and Mira realized this wasn't just her Spirit.

It was the nexus of her soul's energy, where her mana and life force converged.

"Is this my mana?" She voiced out as she knelt by the pool and tried to scoop a handful only for it to evaporate as she raised her hand out of it.

"I guess I can't affect it in this state." She concluded and stood up. This was the final step. She had followed each and every step stipulated by Aiden and it was now the deciding moment.

She took a deep breath, centering herself before extending her awareness towards the light which responded, its pulse quickening, its glow brightening.

It felt her presence and acknowledged her call. Slowly, the world around her shifted. She was no longer tethered to her body but floating in a boundless sea of energy.

Immediately, a subtle resistance emerged, not hostile, but probing. It pressed against her emotions and intentions, searching for cracks in her resolve.

It asked questions without words but rather, in a frequency Mira could vaguely make out: [Are you ready? Are you worthy?]

The pool shimmered in tandem with the faint vibration, the light above it flaring, a wave of energy rippled through the forest, bending the trees and scattering golden leaves into the air.

A gentle voice, not spoken aloud but felt deep within her mind, reverberates through her being.

"Mira..."

Her heart stuttered for a moment, as the voice felt both alien and intimately familiar, like the resounding echo of her own thoughts but laced with a mysterious vibe.

"I'm here. I've come to seek you." Mira said, looking straight ahead.

"Mira." The voice seems to come from everywhere and nowhere, and the light above her flickered and expanded outward. The flickering light grew brighter and took form as the air around her shimmered with energy.

Before her, a magnificent scene took place as the light began to coalesce and folded into the shape of a tall, slender, and humanoid figure.

The figure was made entirely of green light. Its body is translucent, its form fluid, constantly shifting, as though it were being sculpted by the very air around it.

The spirit's face was not fully defined, but its features were elegant and serene. Its eyes are pools of radiant green, glowing with a depth that mirrored the forest's life force itself, holding untold knowledge and power.

A soft, glowing aura radiated from it, casting a gentle, calming light around them both.

The figure raised a hand, and Mira felt the pull of its energy, drawing her in closer as if the spirit itself was inviting her to step forward.

"You have always known I was here, within you. But now, you seek me consciously. Why?"

Mira heard the spirits voice once again and without losing her composure replied.

"I seek to bind with you, to understand the power within me, to reach the heights of my potential. I know there is more within me than what I can see. I want to embrace that."

The light above her flickered softly, as if considering her words.

"You have felt the pulse of my energy, the flow of your mana, the connection between our essences. But you must understand, a contract is not formed through desire alone. It is a union, a merging of spirit, soul, and consciousness."

It paused as though allowing Mira to consider his words seriously.

"You seek power, but are you prepared for the price of that power?" It asked.

"What could be the price?" Mira asked, her eyes filled with resolve.

"You will draw from the core of your being. Every surge of power will leave a mark on your soul, shaping you into something more than you are now, but also... less." The Spirit spoke ominously.

"My energy will fuel your mana, amplifying it, but the more you take, the more it will alter you. It won't just be a bond of power, this is a union that will bind us in ways that even I cannot foresee."

Mira furrowed her brow but the Spirit continued immediately. "You will feel my essence within you, and mine will reside in yours. Your every choice will resonate within the world."

Mira took a moment to consider the words. She had known, deep down, that power came with consequences. But this felt different—deeper, more personal.

"What is the price?" Mira asked again, her voice steady despite the growing weight of the moment. All she was hearing were the good bits and nothing dangerous.

The spirit's form shifted, swirling and flickering as if its essence were momentarily torn between two worlds. "You will feel the balance of life and death, the ebb and flow of existence itself."

"Your soul will be stretched across both realms. You will witness suffering and joy in ways you have never imagined, as the threads of your power intertwine with the fabric of the world."

"What does that mean?" Mira asked as she frowned deeper. Although she heard what the spirit said, she didn't quite understand.

But just as the spirit was about to speak, it suddenly flickered in and out as its figure shifted, expanding and contracting.

"Are you Okay?" Mira worriedly asked and tried to move forward but found she couldn't take a step.

The spirit distorted for sometime and all Mira could hear were groans. Whether they were from pain...she didn't know.

"I...am afraid...you do...not have much...time..." The Spirit's disjointed voice reached Mira causing her frown to deepen in confusion. "You... have yet... to make... a decision..."

Mira took a deep breath. She was certain of her path. She needed to be strong. Strong enough not to be taken seriously by Aiden.

A union with the Spirit was not without consequence, she knew this. Aiden had written that though he had researched it, he knew not what the consequences were.

But she was determined. Mira stood tall, her resolve unwavering. "I'm ready. I've felt the weight of my own soul and know the responsibility that comes with power. I don't seek to control you, but to walk alongside you as equals."

For a long moment, the light hovers, and Mira felt as though time itself stretched in the space between them. Then, the spirit spoke again, its tone gentle but firm.

"A union of equals. You speak wisely, Mira. You seek not domination, but collaboration. I will grant you the power you seek. Open yourself to me." The Spirit said, and immediately, a rush of energy surged through her, flooding her senses.

The energy was overwhelming due to the earlier resistance, but didn't waver. She closed her eyes and steadied herself, letting the truth of who she was rise to meet the resistance.

She laid herself bare, her fears, her dreams, her determination, all of it unhidden.

The resistance softened, then dissolved.

The spark flared, its light enveloping her in a golden radiance. It wasn't just around her; it was within her, weaving itself into the fabric of her being.

Mira opens her eyes slowly, a sense of peace and purpose settling within her.

She felt it fully.

The Spirit.

She could feel its presence within her, a constant hum beneath her skin.

No longer distant or veiled, it was there, intertwined with her essence.

A presence both separate and a part of her, waiting, not as a stranger but as something that had always been there, waiting to be known.

Memories, emotions, and fragments of ancient wisdom poured into her mind, too vast and chaotic to grasp all at once. But amidst the storm, she felt a bond forming, a connection that transcended her understanding of self.

…

Opening her eyes, Mira found herself back in her training room but…"Where am I?" she asked as she looked around only to find herself in a verdant grove filled with plants, flowers and vegetation of all kinds.

Just then, a familiar insignia hung on the wall caught her eyes. It was the Atlan Family Royal Insignia that Aiden had given her. With it, she would be treated like royalty anywhere she went to in the Atlan Empire.

Finn and Jaxon also had one, but this could only mean one thing.

This place was hers, but how come it's like this?

She wondered and instinctively raised her right hand, intending to disperse the plants, however, different from her usual magic where they would slowly wilt and die away, these ones turned into energy and dissipated.

"...What?"

Just then, she felt a series of information being inscribed in her consciousness causing her to feel a bit dizzy and rub her temples in discomfort.

Moments later, the dizziness disappeared and her eyes cleared up. "So those were Spirit constructs…" she said to herself and snapped her fingers and vines manifested out of thin air and formed a shield in front of her.

Seeing this, her lips curled up into a massive grin as she couldn't wait to show Aiden he wasn't the only one now capable of casting instantaneously.

Curbing her desires, she turned to the other pieces of information in her head.

Along with the Spirit Constructs Manifestations in which she could use to summon vines, trees and plant life with Spiritual Energy, she could now channel spiritual energy to enhance her healing and other mana related tasks.

She felt her mana pool and saw that it was almost double its previous size and more fluid, effectively making her an Archmage, and coupled with the Spiritual Energy enhancement, she wondered if Aiden would still be a match for her.

(A/N: Little does she know Aiden's has already reached a new level of power 😅😅)

Just then, she felt a faint vibration pass through her body and weirdly enough…her Spirit.

"What was that?" She muttered to herself in confusion as she stood up only for the room she was in to tremble. "What's going on?" She wondered and hurriedly made for the door.

As she stepped out of her training room, Mira hurried through the Tower's halls, each step quickening with a mounting urgency. The once familiar, calming atmosphere now felt oppressive, the weight of something dark closing in.

The quiet murmurs of the Tower's inhabitants filled the air, but it was the palpable tension among them that set her on edge. The energy around her felt warped, distorted, as if something immense was approaching…or was already there.

As she made her way through the Tower, the lights flickered intermittently, the ground beneath her feet shaking slightly with each passing second.

Her senses screamed that something was wrong, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

She finally reached the Tower's outer entrance and stepped out into the open, her eyes immediately drawn to the sky.

The air felt thick, oppressive, like the very atmosphere was being pulled downward.

And there she saw it.

The crimson sky was tinged with a deep, foreboding hue, stretching far and wide, as if the heavens themselves were bleeding.

Massive shapes appeared in the sky, spaceships descending, their forms colossal and imposing.

The ships seemed to darken the very air around them, their descent slow, as if they were sent to claim the world beneath.

Mira's breath caught in her throat.

She knew, instinctively, who was behind this. The feeling of dread washed over her, mingling with the gnawing sensation in her gut.

"Darkseid..." Mira whispered, her voice barely audible against the roar of approaching chaos. The realization hit her like a punch to the chest, the weight of it nearly knocking the breath out of her.

The war had begun. And Earth was about to face the wrath of Apokolips.