A Promise
Mina huddled beneath the overhang of an abandoned shop, the storm’s fury raging just beyond her fragile shelter. The wind howled through the village, rattling loose shutters and sending sharp bursts of rain to sting her face. She pulled her cloak tighter, but the chill was deeper than the storm—an ache in her chest that no amount of warmth could dispel.
The faint pulse of the Orb reached her again, steady and insistent, like a heartbeat threading through the chaos. Mina closed her eyes, letting the connection strengthen as she focused inward.
I’m here, she thought.
The response wasn’t words, but a presence—familiar, reassuring, and achingly distant. The Orb’s light flared faintly in her mind, images flickering alongside it: the lattice she once touched, the warmth it used to radiate, and Victor’s cold grip tightening around it.
“You’re stronger now,” she whispered aloud, her voice trembling with the storm. “Even with him trying to control you. I can feel it.”
The pulse quickened, a silent confirmation. Mina swallowed hard, her fingers curling into fists. “I’m sorry I can’t reach you. I want to bring you back, but—” Her voice broke, and she had to take a steadying breath. “But you’re showing me what to do, aren’t you? You’ve been guiding me this whole time.”
The Orb sent another wave of warmth, faint but resolute. It wasn’t pleading for rescue. It was readying her.
Tears mingled with the rain on her face as she leaned her head back against the cold stone wall. “You’re going to change, aren’t you?” she asked softly. “You’ll become something new. I won’t—” She paused, pressing a hand to her chest where the ache deepened. “I won’t lose you, but you won’t be the same. You’ll be bigger than this, bigger than us.”
The Orb pulsed again, slower now, more deliberate. Mina took it as an agreement, its presence wrapping around her like a farewell embrace.
She nodded, her resolve hardening despite the grief pressing at her ribs. “I’ll make sure you’re safe. When the time comes, I’ll plant you where you can grow. I promise.”
For a moment, the storm seemed to pause, a lull in its relentless fury. Mina closed her eyes, savoring the silence between her and the Orb. When the wind picked up again, its voice felt different—less threatening, more like a reminder that time was moving forward.
“Goodbye,” she whispered. “For now.”
The connection dimmed, the Orb retreating back to the depths of Victor’s possession. Mina exhaled shakily, the emptiness it left behind almost unbearable. But beneath that emptiness, a spark of determination flared to life.