Chapter 125

Cosmocentrism has always existed—not in reference to any particular planet or galaxy, but rather to a singular individual at the center of it all.

The most widely accepted interpretation would suggest that Superman is the undeniable center of the DC Universe. Yet now, some Asgardians are beginning to wonder if Kara Zor-El, also known as Supergirl, might actually be the one at the heart of everything. Kara, after all, has an extraordinary connection to the Emotional Spectrum, especially evident whenever she sets foot on Oa.

In terms of cosmic geography, Oa is said to be positioned at the very center of the universe. When Kara is there, standing at the cosmic core, her emotions seem to resonate with various lights of the spectrum. Whenever she experiences a strong emotion, a corresponding ring's light intensifies in response.

For example, when she feels hope—perhaps remembering how her Kryptonian ancestors once became symbols of hope a hundred thousand years ago—she's proud of her lineage, and the blue light of hope answers her call. Similarly, when she empathizes with the pain of her fellow beings, the indigo light of compassion shines in sympathy.

No other Green Lantern has experienced such a phenomenon. They may have the same emotions, but nothing like Kara's experience—she becomes surrounded by multi-colored lights, sometimes even an entire spectrum of nine colors.

The Asgardians, being among the universe's oldest and wisest, may suspect there is something uniquely mysterious about this. However, they've chosen not to explain it, and instead simply advise the baffled Green Lanterns to observe: "Everyone, return to your posts. It appears this crisis of the yellow fear will pass with ease."

There are those who still question, "But how can we trust her? She attracted the yellow light too."

The Asgardians nodded in response, yet still offered no explanation.

Indeed, Kara's emotional spectrum includes both positive and negative lights. Alongside the hopeful blue and compassionate indigo, she also wields yellow for fear and orange for greed. The seven traditional Lanterns are not all symbols of virtue; along with the more positive hues like green, blue, and indigo, there are those of more complex or darker origins, like red for rage, yellow for fear, orange for avarice, and even purple, which represents love but can sometimes take on a possessive or darker tone.

Now, Kara seems to possess nearly all the qualifications for each Lantern Corps, including the elusive black and white lights.

Why? Only Kara herself might know. Her fear, for example, doesn't stem from something she's afraid of, but rather from the fear she could inspire in others. Her greed, on the other hand, is tied to the power of the White Light. This light, representing life, can even bring the dead back to life. Kara glanced at the white ring on her right little finger, deep in thought.

The violet light's influence is clearer; even though she has the soul of a traveler from another time, she's merged with Kara Zor-El's memories. Her genetic makeup has been shaped by Krypton's legacy of deep familial love. This connection has drawn multiple rings toward her.

With the Green Lantern's ring already on her hand, and the Red, Black, and White rings following suit, five other rings hovered nearby—Blue, Indigo, Violet, Yellow, and Orange.

Bathed in colorful lights, Kara laughed wryly, muttering to herself, "Am I a rainbow now?"

A rainbow typically has seven colors, but Kara now had access to nine.

What should she do?

Hesitating, she wondered if she should wear them all. But before she could decide, a chorus of voices rang out: "Daughter of Krypton, you represent hope for the universe… Daughter of Krypton, your heart overflows with compassion… Daughter of Krypton, you radiate love… and so on."

The voices grew louder and more insistent, each corps vying for her to join them. Frustrated, Kara covered her ears and shouted, "Enough already!" The cacophony was maddening.

Around her, other Green Lanterns, including Tomar-Re, stared in stunned silence. Hal Jordan, too, had been observing quietly, now looking at Kara with sheer disbelief. He had no idea there were so many colors of rings. And how many could a person possibly wear? Was she trying to be the "Lord of the Rings?"

At last, Kara looked down at the rings already on her hand and shrugged. She decided to accept the five hovering nearby. She already had four on; what was a few more?

Finishing her oaths for each new ring, she looked at her hands. On her right hand, she placed the black ring on her thumb, the red on her index finger, the orange on her middle finger, the yellow on her ring finger, and finally the white ring on her pinky.

Her left hand bore the green ring on her index finger, the blue on her middle finger, violet on the ring finger, and indigo on her pinky, leaving only her left thumb bare.

Kara noted the symbolism of her choices: her right hand, associated with action and, in some cultures, with a protective or combative stance, bore the rings of more volatile emotions—black for death, red for rage, and so forth. Meanwhile, her left hand carried those of more altruistic hues, like love, hope, and compassion.

Looking at the single empty space on her left thumb, Kara mused aloud, "I wonder if there are any more rings to complete the set?"

Although she was joking, there was an obsessive need to balance things. She was just about to dismiss the thought when a swirling vortex appeared before her. It was a time-space anomaly—a wormhole. If she entered, it could lead her to any point in the future or the past, to a distant age in the twenty-fifth century or even the fortieth.

Kara hesitated, bracing for anything that might emerge.

In the next moment, a ring shot from the vortex straight toward her left thumb.

"What now?"