Bound by Voices
> “Mira, it’s not just a mind. It’s everything. If it solidifies wrong, it could crush itself—or us.”
> “Then we’ll have to teach it balance again.”
> “You really want to be mother to the planet?”
> “Someone has to,” she said quietly. “And it listens to me.”
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Before dawn they packed to leave for the Heartlands.
The air trembled faintly around them, as if aware of their decision.
When they reached the edge of the valley, the mist parted—and for a moment, the horizon shimmered blue and gold, pulsing like a heartbeat.