Many of the survivors couldn’t stand natural light.
They were sleeping under the beds.
They refused the mirrors.
They were scared of phones and TVs.
But the real shock came when investigators checked the old archives.
In 1989 there were clues.
Several children from neighboring villages had said they saw the teacher after the disappearance.
A ranger had reported traces of smoke in an isolated area.
It was all ignored.
Because the authorities at that time had quickly concluded that the group had died in the mountains.
Roman couldn’t sleep after that case.
Every night the drawings on the walls came to mind.
The sun drawn by children who hadn’t seen him for decades.
One morning, he went to Lia again.
She was sitting on a bench in the courtyard of the medical center, holding the face raised to the light.
Like he was still learning to live outside.
Roman sat next to her.
Why did you run now?
Lia remained silent for a long time.
