Encounters with the Storm

Fragment lingered at the edge of the village, its presence unnoticed by the humans below, its form was sparse, but functional, like a ghost that blended with its environment. Its core hidden away within its piecemeal carapace.  Its senses stretched outward, feeling the rhythms of the Waste and the atmosphere beyond.

A sensed the conditions for a storm brewing nearby, its energy chaotic yet contained. Fragment analyzed its patterns and flow. Ashvine would endure, but the storm’s fury hinted at something greater—a convergence of forces that could not be ignored. Victor would want to use it. Fragment would need to factor that in.

“The balance holds… for now,” Fragment murmured, watching as the weavers silently worked to secure the village.

A small child, oblivious to the coming rain, spotted Fragment through the trees. The child waved a stick as if greeting a friend. Fragment hesitated before pulsing gently, a faint light of acknowledgment.

For a moment, the connection felt whole. Then, as the weather intensified, a deeper realization. A shard of a memory struck Fragment: this was only the beginning. Somewhere in the chaos to come lay the possibility of renewal—a seed waiting to be planted, one that could unite Creche and humans.