The guards stood motionless; many looked away. Even the harshest could not remain indifferent: before them was not a criminal, but a man who, in the last moments of his life, held the only thing left from his world.

He raised his eyes to the warden and said in a broken voice:

— Take care of her…

He asked the warden to take her home, promising that he would not resist and would accept the sentence.

At that moment, the silence became unbearable. The dog barked again, sharply and loudly, as if protesting what was about to happen.

And the prisoner hugged her one last time, holding her as close as a person can when saying goodbye forever.