Layan shook her head.
“The last time I tried this—”
Her voice broke.
Imran gently interrupted.
“This is not the last time.”
She stared at him.
He pointed toward the rescuers.
“You’re not alone.”
After a long pause, she continued.
When the team finally reached the cave entrance, sunlight spilled across the ground.
Layan stopped just inside the opening.
The brightness made her squint.
For several moments, she seemed unable to move.
Outside, the air carried the scent of warm vegetation and damp earth.
Birds called from nearby trees.
A breeze moved across the hillside.
Ordinary sounds.
Ordinary sensations.
But to Layan, they seemed almost overwhelming.
She lifted a hand in front of her face.
Sunlight touched her fingers.
She stared at it.
Then she stepped outside.
A rescue worker placed a blanket around her shoulders.
Another guided her toward a medical vehicle.
Imran emerged several minutes later.
Before he could follow her, police officers approached him.
