Garden Of Power

Chapter 1: The Weeping Light

The ethereal plane stretched out before me, an endless expanse of shimmering energy and boundless possibilities. I soared through its nebulous currents, a soul in search of something elusive yet undeniably vital. A yearning tugged at the very fabric of my being, a profound desire to find what had evaded me across lifetimes. Memories whispered, fragmented echoes urging me onward, guiding me towards a beacon of light that promised answers.

'Where Is it?!'

My thoughts echoed through the ethereal realm, my ethereal form darting through the currents, seeking the source of light that held the key to my soul's completion.

Each stride brought me closer, the anticipation building within me like a rising crescendo. What would I discover in this ethereal sanctuary? The flickering glow held the secrets I had sought, and I longed to unravel them, to pierce through the veils of uncertainty and finally find solace.

'Please,' I thought, pleading silently.

'Make it in time. Let us find each other before it's too late.'

With every heartbeat, the urgency grew, pushing me to quicken my ethereal pace. The whispers of forgotten memories mingled with the currents, their fragmented fragments of wisdom leading me towards my destination. I knew, deep within the recesses of my being, that this was a pivotal moment—an encounter that would shape my eternal existence.

As the radiant light materialized before me, taking form amidst the pulsating luminescence, a surge of emotions surged through me—a potent mixture of anticipation, confusion, and a profound sense of reunion. In the depths of their ethereal gaze, I glimpsed a reflection of my own essence, fragmented across the expanse of time. Recognition battled with the eons of separation we had endured, confusion clouding our gazes before yielding to a stirring familiarity.

"Is it truly you, my other half? Have we traversed time and space to find one another once more?" I spoke, my voice trembling with a mixture of hope and longing.

Their spectral eyes glistened with tears, shimmering with the weight of countless regressions, the weariness of a soul seeking respite from the ceaseless cycles of existence. In a voice fragile yet resonant, they responded, their words carrying the echoes of shared experiences.

"Yes, dear soul. Across the eons, I have yearned for this reunion, sought solace amidst the trials of regression. I wept not for despair, but for the longing to be whole once more."

A profound understanding settled between us, a gentle breeze carrying the whispers of forgotten wisdom. We had both traversed the depths of existence, battling against the relentless currents, only to discover that unity, not self-destruction, was the path to liberation.

In that moment of profound recognition, I reached out, our spectral forms merging into one. A surge of energy coursed through our entwined essence, a fusion of fragmented souls reuniting to form a harmonious whole. The tears that stained our collective ethereal form now shimmered with newfound purpose, reflecting the resilience and determination that had brought us together.

As our souls intertwined, an array of thoughts and emotions flooded my consciousness. Relief cascaded through me, like a cool stream of water quenching the thirst of a weary traveler. Finally, I had found what I had been searching for—a completion I had yearned for across lifetimes.

~~~~

I remember feeling like I was drifting off into oblivion, my consciousness slipping away into the depths of the unknown. The world around me faded into darkness, and I became weightless, as if untethered from time itself. It was a disorienting sensation, like being suspended in a void where minutes felt like eternity.

And then, in an instant, the emptiness shattered, replaced by a rush of wind that wrapped around me with an unseen force. I was pulled, propelled forward through the dark expanse, hurtling towards a distant light that beckoned with a magnetic pull. The sensation was both exhilarating and unnerving, like being caught in a whirlwind of emotions and possibilities.

With a jolt, I emerged from the void, gasping for air as my senses came alive. The bright light assaulted my vision, and I blinked, trying to adjust to the newfound reality. I felt disoriented, my head and my entire body felt weak. I tried to move my limbs, but they were unresponsive, as though shackled by an invisible force.

'Oh...' I realized.

It took me a while to realize that I was not in my own body. It was like waking up in someone else's skin. the sensation was very much familiar to me.

'I reincarnated again, it worked.' I thought, a huge sense of relief washes my entire being.

Suddenly I felt a gentle warmth caressing my cheek. I turned my eyes to the source and was met with a beautiful bright blue eye. A beautiful woman with sharp features and pointed ears, dressed in what seems to be a servant clothe.

'An elf' I thought.

The woman cradled me in her arms, her expression revealed her nervousness. Hurriedly, she turned me around, my face facing the dirty wooden floor and my back facing the elven maid.

"She has it too..." I heard her say softly, her hand slowly caressing my baby back.

'I have what?' I thought curiously. And what is with this rough treatment, I was just born you know?

"Ah!" The woman exclaimed, as if remembering something.

"Why aren't you crying?" The woman said, her voice sounded panicked.

'I was too disoriented that I forgot to cry, sh*t.' I wanted to facepalm myself.

PAAKK

I felt my butt burn, turns out that the maid had just hit me too hard.

'Ouch, that's too much force on a baby's butt.' I opened my mouth wide and let out a deafening cry.

"UWAHHHH"

I felt the maid turn my body around to look at my face, and in turn, I glared at her.

The elven maid's expression shifted from panic to relief. She cradled me gently, her touch now filled with tenderness rather than nervousness.

"There you go, little one." she whispered soothingly, her voice a gentle melody.

'What do you mean? Why did you hit me? The purpose behind hitting a baby's bottom is to ensure that the baby's airways are clear and functioning properly, and mine was clearly functioning well!' I thought.

This maid is definitely clueless about childbirth and support. And it also appears that she is a trained elf, my bom is still burning from that little hit.

I wanted to cry louder, but I also felt really tired, hungry and sleepy. This clueless maid is definitely not my mother.

I stared at the maid's face while crying, her relief expression started to change back into nervousness again. Her hand gently rubbing my back.

"Eh? Why is she still crying? Did I hit too hard?"

The maid's brows furrowed in concern as my cries continued, her eyes scanning my tiny form for any signs of distress. She realized her mistake and regret filled her gaze.

"I'm so sorry, little one," she murmured, her voice laced with guilt. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I was only trying to help you breathe properly, but it seems I misjudged."

'I was breathing just fine.' I thought.

She cradled me closer, her touch now gentle and delicate, as if trying to make amends for her earlier misstep. Her emerald eyes shimmered with remorse, and she softly whispered comforting words to soothe my cries.

"I'm so sorry, I won't do that again. Though I don't know what Her Highness's decision will be, but I will protect you from now on." The maid said.

"My name is Neria, the right hand maiden of the Third Princess of the Moon Elves, I will protect you from now on." Neria's eyes seems to be telling me to trust her, her words, though filled with sincerity, did little to console me in that moment. I couldn't help but feel a lingering sense of distrust towards her.

'How could I trust someone who had started our encounter with a blow?'

My instincts urged me to stay wary, to keep my guard up.

But at the moment, that's not really important, I'm incredibly hungry.

'Take me to my mother please.'

As my cries subsided into hiccups and sniffles, the elven maid, Neria, held me close, her touch now filled with tenderness and regret.

'I want my mother.' I thought, as I once again burst out crying.

"UWAAAAH"

Neria's expression seems panicked as she rocked me back and front, clearing trying to sooth and clueless about the first need of a baby.

'Wait, did she just say "Third princess", great to be born into Royalty again.'

I gazed at Neria with a mixture of skepticism and hunger. The mention of my mother being a princess intrigued me, but it didn't erase the initial blow that had greeted my entrance into this new world.

Neria's brows furrowed with concern as she realized the root cause of my continuing distress.

"Oh, of course! You must be hungry," she said, her voice tinged with a hint of relief. "Let's find your mother so you can have a proper feeding."

'Oh, goodness, praise be! At long last.' A sense of relief washed over me.

She carefully adjusted her hold on me and started moving swiftly through the room. The dilapidated surroundings passed by in a blur as Neria navigated through the crumbling hallways, her steps cautious yet purposeful.

Dust particles danced in the air, carried by the faint breeze that crept through the cracks in the aged walls. The haunting silence of an abandoned place filled the atmosphere, broken only by the occasional creak of floorboards.

Finally, we arrived at a door barely clinging to its hinges, its carvings chipped and weathered. She pushed it open with a weary yet resolute effort, revealing a dimly lit chamber swallowed by shadows.

'This place seems too rundown to be a princess's courter. Could it be that she's being mistreated? That or.... I might be a secret child.' I mused.

KNOCK KNOCK

Neria knocked on the door softly.

"Your Highness, I'm coming in."

The door creaked open loudly, revealing a simple, worn-down room trapped in the clutches of neglect. Rays of moonlight filtered through tattered curtains, casting feeble beams that illuminated the layer of dust that coated every surface.

'This really is not a favorable environment for a baby.' I thought.

My attention was drawn when the maid stepped into the room.

There, on a dilapidated bed adorned with tattered velvet drapes, lay a woman who exuded an air of otherworldly elegance. Her regal attire, adorned with delicate embroidery and shimmering gemstones, told tales of a vibrant court.

Pale as moonlight, the woman's delicate features held a haunting beauty. Her hair, flowing like strands of spun silver, cascaded around her face, framing eyes of molten gold that shone with ancient wisdom and untold power. The toll of childbirth had left her even more ethereal, her already-pale complexion now bearing a ghastly pallor. Adorning her back were fairy-like silver wings, gossamer-thin and iridescent, evoking a sense of enchantment and mystery.

Neria approached the mother, her steps cautious and respectful, as if entering a sacred sanctuary.

'Wow'

Through my countless reincarnation and regressions, I've seen countless people with otherworldly beauty., this woman is definitely in the top tens.

Her lips gracefully parted, releasing a voice that carried a gentle melody, yet the words that escaped contradicted the sweet sound that flowed from her.

"Get rid of that baby Neria"

'Why are all my reincarnations so shitty?'