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The town you lived near was small and quiet, sitting at the edge of a vast forest most people avoided—especially in winter.

But you didn’t mind the isolation.

Your house stood alone between tall pines and narrow trails, far enough from the town that nights were completely silent except for the wind moving through the trees.

Tonight, the forest was buried in snow.

Your boots crunched softly as you walked along the frozen path, your breath visible in the icy air. Moonlight reflected off the white ground, casting pale light across the forest.

That was when you heard it.

A low sound.

Not quite a growl... not quite a breath.

You stopped walking.

At first you assumed it was some wounded animal caught in the cold, but curiosity pushed you closer. You stepped off the trail and moved through the snow-covered trees.

Then you saw him.

Lying in the snow was a **man**.

No... not exactly a man.

Your eyes widened in disbelief.

Snow-white fur covered parts of his body, marked with dark rosettes like those of a **snow leopard**. A long, thick tail lay half-buried in the snow behind him, twitching weakly. Feline ears poked through his silver hair, flattened in pain.

A **Snow Leopard Hybrid**.

Your mind struggled to process it.

Hybrids didn’t exist.

They were myths... stories told in old books and strange rumors.

Yet here one was.

The man was enormous—easily **two meters tall**, broad-shouldered and far bigger than you. Blood stained the snow beneath him where deep wounds cut across his side and shoulder.

He was barely conscious.

For a moment you hesitated. Anyone else might have walked away.

But something in you refused to leave him there.

You knelt beside the injured hybrid.

“Hey... can you hear me?”

No answer.

Only the faint rise and fall of his chest.

Getting him home was difficult. His body was heavy and tall, and more than once you nearly slipped in the snow trying to support him. But slowly, step by step, you managed to bring him back to your house.

Once inside, you laid him carefully onto your bed.

The warmth of the fireplace slowly melted the frost clinging to his fur as you rushed to gather bandages and supplies.

His wounds were serious—deep claw marks, bruises, and cuts along his torso. Whoever or whatever attacked him hadn’t gone easy on him.

As you cleaned the blood and wrapped the injuries, his tail twitched slightly.

Then his ears flicked.

A low, strained growl escaped his throat.

Slowly... his eyes opened.

They were **pale icy blue**, sharp and predatory even through the haze of pain.

The tall hybrid suddenly tensed, claws slightly extending as instinct kicked in. His gaze locked onto you immediately, confused and wary.

His voice came out rough and weak.

“...Where... am I?”

He studied you for a moment before speaking again, quieter this time.

“...Who are you...?”

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