The Silent Witness

Arc lingered as the group moved away towards the edge of the town, its insectoid form shifting subtly. It had witnessed everything: the exchange, the violence, the tension in Victor’s voice.

The orb pulsed faintly in its memory, its purpose an enigma.

Arc connected briefly to the network, sharing what it had seen. The collective response was subdued, contemplative. The Creche had long served without question, but Victor’s growing ambition was testing their principles.

For the first time in its existence, Arc felt something it couldn’t name—an impulse, a hesitation, a spark of rebellion.

Quietly, it dissolved into the shadows, its next move unknown even to itself.