Trust the Ground

Mina spoke first, her voice hesitant.

“I thought… if I could just show you something amazing, maybe you’d stop thinking I’m just a kid.”

Lyra exhaled sharply, running a hand over her face. “Mina, I don’t think you’re just a kid. I know how smart you are. How brave. That’s what scares me.”

Mina frowned, the words not landing the way Lyra hoped. “That doesn’t make sense.”

Lyra pointed to the fissure. “Look at that. You saw the glow, but you didn’t see the cracks spreading under your feet. You didn’t think about what could’ve happened if I wasn’t there to pull you up.”

The orb hovered between them, flickering faintly, as if unsure where it belonged in the conversation.

“But I was going to climb out,” Mina said, defiance creeping back into her tone. “And you wouldn’t have to worry so much if you just trusted me.”

“I do trust you,” Lyra said, kneeling to meet Mina’s eyes. “I trust you to make mistakes. And that’s okay. But sometimes those mistakes will cost more than you’re ready to pay. What would your parents say?! They trust me to keep you safe!”

Mina’s gaze dropped to the orb, her fingers brushing its cool surface. “I just wanted to help. The orb… it wanted me to go, too. I could feel it.”

Lyra’s eyes narrowed. “The orb can’t know what’s safe for you. It’s a tool, Mina. A part of you, sure, but it doesn’t know the Waste like I do.”

The orb pulsed, a faint hum reverberating in the air, as if responding.

Mina tilted her head. “What if it does? What if it knows something we don’t?”

Lyra paused, her jaw tightening. “Then we still need to figure out how to listen to it. Together.”

Lyra placed a steadying hand on Mina’s shoulder. “For now, let’s trust the ground under our feet. And maybe,” she added with a small smile, “let’s agree not to dive into glowing fissures unless we have a plan.”

Mina smiled back, sheepishly. “Deal.”

The orb brightened slightly, its light more even now, as if reflecting their newfound understanding.

As they stood, Mina glanced back at the fissure. “Do you think it was alive?”

Lyra followed her gaze, her expression thoughtful. “Maybe. The Creche is full of strange things. But if it was, it’ll still be here when we’re ready to face it.”

They walked back toward Ashvine, the orb bobbing behind them, its hum a quiet echo of Mina’s steps.