Her scientific curiosity had never completely disappeared.
She was fascinated by the way moisture accumulated on certain walls, the temperature differences between chambers, and the small organisms living near underground water.
She began filling pages with descriptions and drawings.
These activities gave her days structure.
They also helped her preserve something important: the part of herself that had existed before the accident.
Imran sometimes watched her drawing and shook his head in amusement.
“You can find something interesting in any place.”
Layan smiled.
“Everything is interesting if you look closely enough.”
Occasionally, they talked about her old life.
She described her university classes.
She told him about her father, who cooked too much rice whenever he was nervous.
She remembered the little garden behind their house and the afternoon thunderstorms that made the windows rattle.
But those conversations became increasingly difficult.
The longer she stayed underground, the more painful her memories felt.
