“You and your dog share this gift,” Vasile told him.
“That’s how you knew to listen when no one else did.”
That night, while Alina rested peacefully, Stefan lay awake pondering the old sorcerer’s words. He recalled other moments of intuition in his life, like the instant he somehow knew his wife had passed, even though he had been far away.
In the weeks that followed, Alina’s story spread beyond the village. Visitors came from distant towns to see the girl who had seemingly returned from the d3ad, and the dog who had saved her life.
One sunny morning, while Alina played in the garden with Milo, she looked up and asked:
“Grandpa, what did you see when you opened the coffin?
Why did you look so scared?”
Stefan studied her for a long moment before smiling softly.
“I saw your future, my sweet girl,” he said. “And it was far too precious to let go.”
