The German Shepherd, on a leash, was brought in.
For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath.
Then, seeing her master, the dog suddenly broke free and rushed towards him.
With a leap, she knocked him over, throwing herself into his arms as if to make up in a single second for those twelve years of separation.
He fell, but for the first time in a long time, he felt neither the weight of the chains nor the cold of the stone. He felt warmth.
Tears held back for too long
He hugged her tightly, burying his face in her thick fur.
The long-held tears finally burst forth, without shame.
He cried out, broken, while the dog whimpered softly, pressed against him, also aware that time was slipping away from them.
« You are my daughter… my faithful companion… » he murmured, his trembling hands constantly caressing her back.
« What will you do without me? »
She looked at him with eyes filled with boundless loyalty. And added, in a broken voice:
— “Forgive me… for leaving you alone. I couldn’t prove the truth… But with you, at least, I was never forgotten.”
Even the guards averted their eyes
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