They say that parting with a loved one always comes without warning, but looking back, he had been sending me signals for days.
Thirteen years. During that time—enough for the landscape to change completely—my companion turtle, who had silently guarded a corner of my room, fell into a peaceful sleep today.
Turtles are animals that are true to their instincts. For the past thirteen years, he would always seek out damp and dark corners to build his own fortress.
Even within my room, the most secluded corner, a cool place where human eyes rarely reached, was his main sanctuary.
He was someone who preferred an environment governed by the laws of nature rather than human warmth.
However, the past few days have been strangely different.
He began to crawl slowly into the middle of the room, a place he would never normally enter, and right at the head of the bed where I was asleep.
When night deepened and I turned off the light and lay down in bed, a small 'swish-swish-' sound could be heard from the darkness.
The sound of a shell scraping against the floor, the sound of clumsy claws treading on the floor. The sound was directed precisely toward the edge of the bed where I was sleeping.
Like a child wanting to get close to someone to share warmth, he pressed his body tightly against the bottom of the bed and stayed up all night.
At first, I simply thought it was because the weather had changed. When I woke up and looked down, I saw him walking back and forth around that narrow bed all night long.
Watching him linger like a person, like someone with something left to say, I moved him back to his nest time and time again.
But when I opened my eyes in the morning, he was invariably back by my side.
Without knowing what those stubborn footsteps meant, I just laughed and cracked a joke.
"What's wrong? Is there something you need from me?"
What was he thinking at that moment? Was he organizing his memories from the day we first met 13 years ago, when he was smaller than my palm, until today?
Or was he bidding a final farewell to the owner who had cared for him, moving his feet with steps that were too heavy to leave? Only now do I realize.
That his lingering by my side all night was his own profound declaration of love, saying, "I am here," and "Thank you for everything."
Some people say that turtles have no emotions.
But only those who have lived together and bonded for 13 years know. They know how much deep trust is contained in their slow blinking eyes, in the short movement of their necks as they approach when fed.
In his final moments, he chose the 'warmth' of the person he loved most instead of the 'damp and dark corner' guided by instinct.
This morning, he passed away looking more peaceful than ever. The miraculous actions he displayed during his last few days have now become an indelible mark on my heart.
Because he is an animal that cannot say "hello," he stayed by my side with his whole body and those slow steps, bidding me farewell.
People say that turtles have long lifespans and might live longer than us. But thirteen years was by no means a short time.
During that time, he silently watched over my adolescence, my youth, and my solitude.
Now, he must have cast off his hard shell and departed for the free and warm place he so longed for.
The death of a pet is not simply the disappearance of an animal.
It is like the pain of a part of my life being torn away. The emptiness feels even greater, especially for a being that quietly stays by your side like a turtle.
But I hope you remember. If they acted differently than usual at the end, it was surely a gesture of consideration and a greeting toward you. He dragged his weary body under the bed to leave me the words, "I loved you." Because of those few nights, I find a small comfort even amidst my sorrow. When he asked me what I needed, he probably answered inwardly like this: "I don't need anything. I just want to be by your side a little longer." Thank you for being my good friend for 13 years. I hope that there, without a heavy shell or a cold floor, you swim to your heart's content under the warm sunlight.
