"What is he doing?" Dawn asked Eva.
Dawn's question hung in the air as he and Eva watched Gray's industrious movements by the river. Eva, perched on the side, observed each of Gray's dives and the meticulous way he sorted and transformed the materials he gathered. Some were crushed into a paste, others charred until they were nothing but ash, and still more ground down into fine powders.
"He seems to be making something!" Eva responded quietly, her voice carrying a hint of curiosity and admiration.
Despite her timidity and usual discomfort around Dawn, their shared circumstances and the trials they'd faced together in this underground town had drawn them closer. They found solace in each other's company, a small comfort in a world turned upside down.