The House of the Dead Part 2 Chapter 10

In which the weary narrator reflects upon his final year of confinement, marked by unexpected friendships, rare indulgences such as books, and a profound sense of estrangement from the world beyond the prison walls. As freedom draws near, he takes poignant leave of his comrades and the grim surroundings, feeling the ineffable weight of the lost years and the bittersweet promise of a new life.