The Edge of Understanding

“I’m not scared,” Mina whispered, more to herself than to the orb.

The orb pulsed slightly in response. It had been leading her, though not consciously, deeper into the Waste. It felt the faint flicker of another energy signature, far off but distinct, and it wanted to know more. It hadn’t realized Mina was following so willingly, her curiosity feeding on its own.

Ahead, the ground sloped sharply downward, the remnants of a landslide forming an unstable path into a gully. Mina stepped closer to the edge, peering down.

“We should go back,” she said, but her voice lacked conviction.

The orb hovered closer, its glow intensifying slightly. Mina felt the warmth on her face, a strange reassurance. She glanced at it and then back down the slope.

“Just a little farther,” she said, as if the orb had spoken aloud.

She placed one foot on the loose gravel, and it shifted beneath her. The orb flared, sensing the imbalance, but it didn’t know what to do. Mina wobbled, caught herself, then slid farther down as the gravel gave way.

“Wait!” she cried out, panic breaking through her bravado. Her hands scrambled for something to hold, but the ground beneath her was too unstable.

The orb darted around her, pulsing brightly, but its energy did nothing to stop her momentum. Mina tumbled the rest of the way down, landing hard at the bottom with a sharp cry.

For a moment, silence settled over the gully, broken only by Mina’s labored breathing. The orb floated down to her, its glow dimming in distress.

Mina pushed herself up, wincing as she clutched her arm. Blood trickled from a scrape on her elbow. “You—” she started, her voice trembling. “You made me do that!”

The orb flared briefly, then dimmed again, uncertain. Had it made her? It hadn’t forced her, but it had wanted to explore, and Mina had followed.

Mina glared at it, tears welling in her eyes. “You… you don’t get it, do you? I could’ve—” She choked on the words, shaking her head. “I’m going home.”

The orb hovered silently as she began the climb back up the slope, struggling but determined. It followed, keeping its distance.

As they reached the top, it pulsed faintly, a flicker of apology. But Mina didn’t look at it.