But then the barking began. Sharp. Urgent. Desperate. Heads turned as the dog’s barks echoed against the walls, a stark contrast to the somber quiet. Rex jumped to his feet, staring directly at the coffin.

His tail stiff, ears forward, he barked louder and began scratching at the wood, growling deep from his chest.

Guests exchanged uneasy glances. Murmurs turned to alarm. Officer Boris, a friend of Danil and a familiar figure to Rex, stepped forward to calm the dog, but Rex refused to back down — circling the coffin, sniffing the edges, growling along the seams. The sense that something was amiss spread among the mourners like wildfire.