The pursuit of knowledge is a risky gamble. Even after devoting one's entire life to it, it may prove to have been futile.
The scholar spent half of her lifetime in endless research, taking notes and making calculations.
Having failed to find the answers she was looking for, she once hesitated and questioned her career choice, thus wasting further time.
Her once sharp eyesight had also been damaged by intensive reading.
All this, and the answers she sought were still beyond her reach.