Under the dim moonlight, Chiko, a Pomeranian dog, walked with difficulty, struggling against the pain in his old joints. Every step felt heavy, but the memory of his master pushed him forward. He knew his time was running out, and he didn't want his master, Andre, to sink back into the emptiness like before.
Chiko ran—running in every direction, searching for someone who could help him. Then he met a glowing figure—a seraph. With cautious steps, he approached the seraph, lifting his trembling head.
"Help him," the voice in Chiko's heart was so clear that the seraph could hear it.
Serafim knelt and looked gently into Chiko's old eyes. "You have done so much, Chiko. What do you want to tell me?"
Serafim stroked the fur on Chiko's head softly and felt the energy radiating from within him.
—
After a long journey, Andre stood in front of the animal shelter, his eyes full of hope as he looked inside.
"That one," he said, pointing to a small golden-brown Pomeranian puppy with curious eyes.
The shelter worker smiled. "His name is Chiko. True to his name, he will always keep his promise to his master. I'm sure he will be perfect for you."
Andre nodded quietly and looked at Chiko, who softly barked while wagging his tail.
"You're not for me. You're for Laras. We will live together," Andre said to Chiko.
Laras was Andre's beloved. She was fighting a disease that made her body weaker and thinner each day. On this last chance, Andre wanted to give something that could accompany Laras when she was gone, something to bring happiness amid her pain. Of course, Laras loved this surprise. Having a harmonious family and raising the seed of their love was her dream. But fate had other plans; the deadly disease shattered all those hopes.
Chiko's presence didn't just bring happiness to the couple but also gave extraordinary spirit to Laras. She smiled more often amid the dozens of needles piercing her skin. Her pale, weak face looked fresher and showed a strong spirit.
Andre, still hopeful for Laras' health, sat on the sofa and watched with a warm smile as Laras hugged Chiko tightly.
"Promise, okay," Laras whispered while stroking Chiko's head, "you must always take care of him."
Months passed, and that day came. Chiko was there as Laras fell asleep on the sofa, her head resting on Andre's shoulder for the last time. He saw the tears falling from Andre's eyes because of Laras' passing.
In Andre's despair, Chiko seemed to say that he was still there. Chiko bit the blanket and pulled it toward Andre's body, who had fallen asleep after exhausting his tears in the dark night. He was also the one who always barked as if saying, "It's time to eat." He kept the promise he made to Laras.
Days passed, and gradually Chiko became the only reason for Andre to rise from his sorrow. They ran every morning, played in the park every afternoon, and spent time on the same bench sharing stories. Andre would always tell what he experienced each day, from tales with his coworkers to even neighbors. And Chiko would be a good listener, just like Laras used to be.
They lived their beautiful life together, but Chiko knew his body was getting weaker. He didn't want Andre to see him go. So he began doing something very annoying—damaging things, barking without reason, hoping Andre would hate him, forget him, and throw him away. But that effort failed. Andre seemed to have thousands of patience and never got angry.
"Whatever you do, you will always be my best friend. I only have you in this world," Andre said onenight, hugging Chiko tightly.
That night, the wind blew quite strongly. Chiko, who could open the apartment balcony door, barked until his voice was heard on the ground floor.
Andre opened his bedroom door and called out, "Chiko! Quiet, okay? The neighbors might be disturbed."
Chiko looked at Andre for a moment, then bowed in the corner of the room and pretended not to hear. His barking got louder. Andre sighed deeply, approached Chiko, and stroked his head.
"I know you want attention, but, Chiko... please, don't do this."
That day, when Andre woke up the next morning, Chiko was not in his bed. No small paw prints on the floor, no barking to greet the morning. Andre panicked.
"Chiko!" he shouted from his apartment balcony, his gaze sweeping the park below. But Chiko was nowhere to be found.
Days passed, and Andre kept searching. He worked hard putting up posters, asked every neighbor, even visited animal shelters, hoping someone had found Chiko. But every night ended the same way: Andre would sit on their favorite park bench, staring at the empty path while holding Chiko's collar he found near the apartment door.
"Why did you go?" he whispered, his empty gaze toward the night sky.
—
The rain had just stopped when the seraph sat on the wet park bench. In front of him was an old golden-furred dog sitting calmly, looking at him with hopeful eyes.
"Is this what you want?" the seraph asked gently, bowing toward the dog.
Chiko gave a small nod. Though his body looked weak, his determination remained strong.
"He must not be broken again. Please help me, I can't bear to see him like before."
The Serafim sighed deeply. "Alright. I will help him."
A few days later, just like usual, Andre sat alone on the same bench, staring at the empty path. Chiko's collar was still clenched in his hand like a part of him that refused to let go.
"Hey," a stranger suddenly greeted — Serafim.
Andre looked up and saw the man standing in front of him, holding a small white puppy in his arms.
"Can I help you?" Andre frowned.
Serafim smiled. "Yes, actually I need help. I found this puppy on the side of the road, but I have to go for a moment. Could you watch him? I just need to use the restroom quickly."
Andre wanted to refuse, but the puppy's gaze softened his heart. "Alright. But don't be long."
The seraph handed the puppy to Andre and left. Andre, still not understanding the seraph's intention, waited for quite a while. He began to get anxious when the seraph didn't return. He walked around the park looking for him, but the seraph had vanished.
"What now?" Andre muttered, looking down at the puppy who had already fallen asleep in his arms.
Andre couldn't bear to leave the puppy on the streets, so he took him home.
"We need a good name for you, hmm... how about Liam?" he whispered.
The puppy wagged his tail as if approving the name.
"Good, now your name is Liam..." Andre said, carrying Liam.
Since Liam arrived, the days they lived brought small changes in Andre's life. The laughter that had long disappeared began to return when Liam acted funny, like trying to climb the sofa or hiding under the table. But the shadow of Chiko often haunted him; he felt many similarities between Liam and Chiko.
Several weeks after bringing Liam home, Andre received a visit from the apartment security officer.
With a fairly serious face, the officer said, "Good afternoon, Mr. Andre. I just want to remind you that if you have another dog, please make sure it doesn't disturb the neighbors. Some people were disturbed by the barking of your previous dog."
Andre was surprised. "Barking? You mean, Chiko?"
The officer nodded hesitantly. "Yes, it seems so."
"When did that happen?" Andre asked curiously.
"A few months ago. Since then, there have been no further reports."
"A few months ago, my dog Chiko went missing," Andre said with a serious expression.
"I'm sorry about that, sir, but we were not aware of the incident. We only had reports about the discomfort caused by your dog's barking. However, since there were no further complaints, we assumed you and the neighbors had settled it peacefully," the officer explained.
Andre's curiosity flared up, and he started asking the neighbors he knew. One of them, Mrs. Melati, finally gave him a clue.
"I once saw Chiko being taken away by Mr. Brata. He looked upset at the time, saying the barking kept him from sleeping."
The name Mr. Brata made Andre's blood boil. He immediately went down the apartment corridor to the place where Mr. Brata lived, right next to his apartment.
Andre knocked on Mr. Brata's door very loudly. The door slowly opened, and before Mr. Brata could fully open it, Andre angrily asked,
"What did you do to Chiko?"
Mr. Brata raised his eyebrows. "Oh, that noisy dog? I took care of it. It was driving me crazy with its barking every night!"
Andre stepped closer, holding back his burning anger. "What do you mean? Where is Chiko?"
Mr. Brata sneered cruelly. "He's dead, young man. I threw him in the trash near the housing complex. Serves that dog right for disturbing me."
Hearing the confession from Mr. Brata's mouth, Andre could no longer hold back. His fist flew toward Mr. Brata's face, knocking the old man to the floor.
"Chiko is not just a dog! He's my family!" Andre shouted, letting out all his anger and sorrow.
Security officers who heard the commotion quickly ran to break them apart. Mr. Brata shouted and threatened to report Andre to the police. But Andre didn't care. He went back to his apartment feeling shattered and unable to erase the image of Chiko from his mind.
After the quarrel with Mr. Brata, Andre felt as if his life was broken into pieces. The job he used to do with enthusiasm now felt like a burden.
Every night he sat on the sofa with a blank stare, his hands that used to stroke Chiko's head now just hugging his own body.
In his darkest moments, Liam never tired of keeping him company. Liam would curl up beside Andre, looking at him with hopeful eyes. Sometimes, he would gently bite the tip of Andre's shoe and pull it to invite him to play. Even though Andre didn't respond, Liam stayed persistent and tried to steal attention with his silly antics.
One night, while Andre was sitting lost in thought by the window, Liam jumped into his lap and gently licked Andre's face. Andre looked at him, then gave a small smile.
"You never give up, do you? You're just like Chiko. You two are so alike."
Liam wagged his tail as if he understood. Andre laughed softly—a sound that seemed to be the only thing he could do after everything that had happened.
Andre began to open his heart a little to Liam. Everymorning he started his day by walking around the park, even though his steps were heavy and his mind still full of bitter memories. But Liam was always by his side, doing silly things or chasing balls that Andre threw.
Liam didn't just comfort Andre with his presence but also gave him a reason to move forward. Every time Andre felt like giving up, he knew Liam was always waiting for his smile.
Weeks passed and Andre started to show some changes. Although his heart's wounds hadn't fully healed, Liam gave him some peace. Laughter—even if just for a moment—was something he began to enjoy again. He even started going back to work, though sometimes still haunted by loneliness.
That night, after finishing work, Andre sat in the park as usual. Liam sat beside him, resting his head on Andre's hand. They quietly enjoyed the silence of the night. This time, the silence felt different, and Andre felt a little more at peace.
He saw Liam staring into the distance, toward the path they often walked with Chiko. Andre followed Liam's gaze and suddenly saw a man he recognized. The man who had entrusted Liam to him, Serafim, appeared from behind the trees, carrying Chiko in his arms.
Andre was shocked and rubbed his eyes, as if he couldn't believe it.
"Chiko?"
Serafim smiled gently. "He wanted to make sure you're okay. He couldn't rest until he saw you recovering."
Andre's heart raced. "But... Chiko…"
Serafim nodded. "He has finished his duty. Now it's Liam's turn to protect you. Liam is Chiko's chosen puppy. Liam was trained by Chiko to take his place in guarding you."
Andre was silent, not knowing what to say. The Chiko he had longed for stood before him, looking more peaceful than before. Chiko approached, wagged his tail, and gently rubbed his head against Andre's legs, just like he used to.
With tears in his eyes, Andre bent down and patted Chiko's head.
"Thank you, Chiko. You have helped me so much. I will be okay now. You trained Liam well, he's just like you."
Chiko barked softly and slowly stepped back. Behind him, a door of light opened, waiting. Beyond that door, Andre saw Laras, someone who once meant a lot to Chiko, standing there smiling warmly.
Chiko looked back once more at Andre, then stepped through the door of light and slowly disappeared inside. Andre felt a peace come with Chiko's departure, as if the burden he had carried all this time was gradually lifting.
Liam barked once more, jumped into Andre's arms, and hugged him lovingly.
"I'm not alone, you're here with me," Andre whispered softly, feeling the warmth of the little dog who had now become his guardian.
***