Murat stopped as soon as they stepped outside. The air felt different. Fresh. Open. He exhaled slowly, letting it settle. For a moment, none of them spoke. Then Murat turned to them. “You don’t have to stay down there,” he said. They looked at him. Quiet. Waiting. “I’ve got land,” he continued. “Work. It’s nothing fancy, but… it’s better than that.”
The men exchanged glances. Uncertain. Then the older one looked back at Murat. “Alright,” he said simply. A few days later, the farm felt different. Not quieter. Not louder. Just… fuller. There were footsteps in the mornings. Voices in the evenings. Real ones.
And sometimes, when Murat passed by the garage door, he’d stop. Just for a second. Thinking about what was behind that wall. And how close he came…to never making it back out.