The next morning, the neighborhood was quiet… too quiet for a group of teenagers who the day before had caused the equivalent of an urban carnival in front of a suspicious store. Alex woke up with Max sleeping at his feet, snoring like a happy grandfather after a double nap.
— I can't believe we survived that — said Alex, half-joking, while petting his dog.
He turned on his phone. Eighteen messages from Carlos. Five audio messages from Marta (all insulting Carlos). And a blurry image of what seemed to be a hooded figure in front of his house at 3:47 a.m.
— WHAT!?
He ran to the living room, where Carlos was already waiting for him sitting on the sofa with a half-eaten toast and his inseparable tablet open.
— Good morning, canine hero! Did you sleep well? Because I have news... And mysteries. Above all, mysteries.
— What is this about a figure in front of my house? — asked Alex, showing him the message.
— Ah, that. I think they are following us — replied Carlos with total naturalness —. But don't worry, I set up homemade traps in the garden. Do you remember that scene from Home Alone?
— What kind of...?
Just at that moment, a muffled scream was heard from the street.
— MY NEW SHIRT! WHO PUTS BLUE PAINT ON A SPRINKLER?!
— It worked — said Carlos with a proud smile.
— Was that an adult? — asked Alex, peeking out.
— I think it was the mailman...
While they were apologizing to the poor mailman, Marta arrived on her bicycle, with a helmet and sunglasses as if she were part of an undercover operation.
— We have a problem — she said as she got off —. Or rather, another problem.
— More than the mysterious figure in front of my house? — Alex asked.
— Yes. This morning I saw Severino in the park. He was with three new guys. And they had a drone. A serious one. Not one of those toy ones we use.
— Is he watching us? — Carlos asked.
— Probably. And by how he referred to "the canine object with a reactive core"… yes, he was talking about Max.
Alex hugged his dog as if he were trying to merge with him.
— They are not going to take him away again! —
— Calm down, John Wick version underage — said Marta.
Carlos gently tapped his tablet to get their attention.
— That's why we have to get ahead of them. And that brings us to this…
He positioned the screen vertically. It showed a strange drawing: it looked like a triangle inside a circle, with lines crossing at precise angles and strange symbols on the margins.
— What is that? — Alex asked.
— It's what my tablet captured when Max came out of the store with the collar. The light it emitted left this recorded, like a code. But when analyzing it… it's a map. Or at least, a kind of guide.
— And where does it lead? — Marta asked, curious.
Carlos enlarged the image.
— Here — he said, pointing to an intersection in the woods behind the old abandoned institute —. There is an underground construction, according to the urban planning documents I found online. It was sealed off more than twenty years ago.
— And what would something related to Max and that collar be doing there? — Alex asked.
— No idea. But if Severino is looking for something, I bet it is related to this place. And we have to get there before he does.
In the afternoon, the trio of friends — plus Max, who was now wearing joke sunglasses to go unnoticed — ventured into the forest. They carried backpacks with flashlights, walkie-talkies, energy bars, and a ball in case Max got bored.
— Are you sure this is legal? — asked Alex as he pushed aside a branch.
— Of course not! — said Carlos cheerfully.
They arrived at the spot marked on the map. It didn't seem like much: just a clearing with mossy stones and an old tree with a symbol carved into its trunk.
— That symbol… — murmured Marta —. Isn't it the same as the one on the necklace?
Alex approached with Max. As he did, the necklace glowed faintly, and one of the stones on the ground vibrated.
— Did that move? — asked Carlos.
— Yes — the other two replied in unison.
They dug a little (just enough not to look like tomb raiders) and discovered a metal trapdoor. It had a strange, circular lock that looked more like part of a spaceship than a common door.
— And now what? — asked Alex.
Max barked. And as he did, the necklace emitted a blue light. The lock reacted and opened with a click.
— Is your dog… a living key? — whispered Marta, surprised.
— Max, you're amazing! — Alex hugged him tightly.
— What if what's down there also reacts to him? — asked Carlos, more serious than usual.
Marta turned on her flashlight.
— There's only one way to find out…
They opened the trapdoor and went down a rusty iron ladder that creaked with each step. The air was humid, with a smell of earth and something else… ancient. The underground hallway was covered with inscriptions on the walls. Some glowed faintly when Max passed nearby. At the end, a stone door with the same symbol as the necklace blocked the way.
— This seems… a sanctuary — murmured Carlos.
Alex, without thinking, placed Max in front of the door. It lit up and slowly opened, revealing a circular room with a kind of pedestal in the center. On it, floating, was a shining red stone. Suspended in the air, vibrating as if it had a life of its own.
— Whoa… — the three said at the same time.
Carlos approached with his tablet.
— It is emitting… energy? This is a source of ancient power! Possibly from a lost civilization! Or alien! Or both!
— And what does that have to do with Max? — asked Marta.
— The necklace is a key. But Max… maybe he is more than that. Perhaps he is synchronized with this. As if the necklace had chosen him — suggested Carlos.
Alex swallowed hard.
— What if Severino wants him because… this thing does something dangerous?
At that moment, a deep voice resonated throughout the room:
— Intruders detected. Defense sequence activated.
— Oh no…!
From the walls emerged ancient mechanisms: metallic arms, flashing lights, and a humanoid figure made of stone and cables rose up with glowing eyes.
— RUN! — shouted Marta.
Carlos took out a tennis ball.
— Max, go for it!
He Launched It Directly at the Guardian.
Max, like every obedient dog, chased it... and upon catching it, passed under the guardian, reactivating the glow of the collar. The guardian stopped.
— Unit recognized. Order: inactive.
— The figure froze, then retracted into the wall.
— That was...!
— Alex stammered.
— Max saved us with his love for balls — said Carlos with dramatic tears.
— And we just discovered that our dog is not only adorable but also a magical interdimensional key with anti-robot abilities — added Marta.
Alex petted Max's head.
— You are the best dog in the world, buddy.
Back home, after closing the hatch and covering everything with branches, the trio discussed what to do next.
— Severino cannot find this place. Not that stone — said Carlos.
— What if he does? — asked Marta.
Alex looked at Max, who was sleeping deeply.
— Then we will have to protect him. No matter what happens.
Carlos nodded solemnly.
— It's official. This is no longer just a search. It's... a mission.
— Operation Pet — said Marta.
— Volume 2: The Stone of Destiny — added Carlos excitedly.
— Please, let there not be another killer robot — sighed Alex.
— Do you think this ends here? — said Marta with a crooked smile.
Max, knowing nothing of all this, snored with a paw in the air. Like every dog that, instead of conquering the world with his magical collar, just wants a nap, a ball... and his friends close.