The Lure of Power

That night, Victor found Mina playing alone with her orb, its glow casting soft shadows across her face. He crouched down, his voice low and conspiratorial.

“Where did you get that?”

Mina hugged the orb closer, her instinctive distrust flaring. “The Weaver made it for me.”

Victor’s eyes narrowed, studying the orb with a fascination that felt too sharp, too hungry. “Do you know what it can do?”

Mina shook her head.

Victor smiled again. “It’s a seed,” he said, his voice laced with something between admiration and greed. “A seed for something greater. But only if you know how to grow it.”

“What do you mean?” Mina asked, her curiosity battling her unease.

Victor leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “The Creche don’t tell you everything, do they? They want to keep their secrets safe. But I could show you. I could teach you how to make it do things they’d never allow.”

Mina’s grip on the orb tightened, and for the first time, she felt its hum as something more than comforting. It was alive, in its way, and she didn’t want Victor anywhere near it.

“I don’t think it’s yours to teach,” she said, standing and walking away.

Victor’s smile faltered for the briefest moment, but he quickly recovered. “Children,” he murmured to himself. “They never understand the value of what they hold.”