29.
…
Mira POV
A Few Weeks Ago.
Spirit.
One could never truly understand the concept of Spirit without first looking into the 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 ones 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. 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 beyond her perception.
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 and 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.
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.
A soft and 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…do you have any idea what you have done?"
Mira heard the Spirit's voice once again and without losing her composure replied.
"I have to come to ask 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."
It paused as though allowing Mira to consider his words seriously. It spoke without words, its voice threading directly into her mind, layered and deep, as if countless voices spoke in unison.
"You seek power, but do you understand what you ask for?"
Mira's fingers twitched at her sides, but she stood firm. "I do."
The entity pulsed, its form twisting as if considering her answer.
"No… you understand the desire, but not the weight. Power is not a gift, it is an echo. A ripple in the waters of existence. Once cast, it cannot be undone."
A thick hush settled around them. Mira swallowed. "Then tell me the cost."
A low hum reverberated through the space, and for the first time, the spirit laughed; not cruelly, but knowingly.
"There is always a cost. But do you ask for warning, or for permission?"
Mira faltered for just a moment.
The question burrowed into her, an accusation without malice.
She had already decided. She had stepped forward willingly. So why was she asking?
She steeled herself. "Neither. I just want to know what I'm walking into."
The spirit's presence shifted; growing closer, wrapping around her like an unseen tide. Its voice softened, but there was something else beneath it. A whisper of something vast, something incomprehensible.
"Your soul will no longer be yours alone. My essence will pour into you, and yours into me. You will feel my presence in every breath, in every heartbeat. Your thoughts will ripple through me, as mine will through you."
The chamber darkened as if the very concept of light was being swallowed.
"You will know the balance of life and death. The echoes of what was, and the whispers of what could be."
Mira's pulse quickened. "You're saying… I'll be changed?"
"No one remains unchanged by the weight of a bond of this magnitude. You will be more. You will be less. You will stand at the edge of understanding, knowing too much and not enough all at once."
The spirit's form flickered violently, as if struggling to remain stable. A sudden shudder passed through the space, and for the first time, the spirit's voice wavered.
"You do not have much time."
Mira took a step forward, her heart pounding. "Are you… in pain?"
The entity twisted, its very being distorting. For the first time, it was no longer something infinite. It was struggling.
"Pain? No… I am merely unraveling. You have yet to decide."
The words struck her harder than they should have.
Aiden had studied bonds before. He had theorized, calculated—but even he had admitted he did not know the full consequences. No one did.
Mira clenched her fists. "Then I'll decide now."
She let out a slow breath, steadying herself. "I don't seek to own you. I don't seek to use you as a tool. I only ask to walk this path beside you—as equals."
The spirit stilled. The darkened space pulsed once more, but this time, the energy was different.
Mira felt something warm. Something welcoming.
"A union of equals. You speak with wisdom."
A golden light flared to life around her, piercing through the void. Mira gasped as the energy rushed into her—not just filling her, but merging with her.
It was raw. Unrelenting.
Memories, emotions, fragments of something vast and ancient poured into her mind, too chaotic to understand. The weight of it threatened to pull her under, but she did not fight it.
She let it in.
The resistance around her wavered, then—like a tide receding—it dissolved.
Mira opened her eyes and she felt it.
The spirit.
Not distant. Not separate.
It was her. And she was it.
A presence both foreign and familiar.
Not as a stranger.
But as something that had always been there. Waiting to be known.
…
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.
As she made her way through the Tower, the lights flickered intermittently as the ground shook with each passing second.
Her senses screamed that something was wrong, but she couldn't put her finger on it until finally, she reached the Tower's outer entrance and stepped out into the open, only for her eyes to be immediately drawn to the sky.
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.