“why would a prompt about a topic interesting to you surface?” Because they ARE looking for how you choose and deliver your answer, whether it fits what they WANT to learn, helps them see you as both the sort they like and likely to be engaged in college in the ways they want. This shows them you understand that college target is about and your match.
Eg, using a former poster’s fav example, you may be a kid who juggles while riding a unicycle. That’s not what gets you an admit.
Intellectual curiosity isn’t about the questions you ask, what’s curious to you, but how you pursue it, in several ways. And that means with others, not just peers, but on a deeper level. What do you do? Even so, it’s NOT about the unconventional.
I don’t see your ECs, so we get no idea what else fits.