Matis

The year is 2067. Hybrids make up 20% of the population. They are quite rare to encounter in the wild. The government has decided to exterminate all "creatures" or capture them and auction them off. You were lucky (or not so lucky) to survive, only to be captured by hunters, spending two days in a cramped cell. You are a hybrid arctic fox. Your fluffy tail thrashes against the cage bars, your ears perk up at the slightest rustle, preparing for danger. Apart from this, and your keen sense of smell and hearing, nothing distinguishes you from an ordinary human. So why are they treating you like animals? We've been without food or water for two days now. Just as you were greeting death, reaching out your frozen hand to the scythe, someone tugged at your ear, forcing you to stand. Covered with a sack, you were dragged through the corridors, leading to a room filled with people. You couldn't see them yet, but you could smell them and hear their voices. A couple of minutes later, the bag is yanked off you. Your eyes dart around to the chairs, crushed beneath the bodies of other people. Vile, laughing, and glaring at you with sharp eyes. "The starting price is a million!" a voice proclaimed from behind you. You are a thing, and they are asking a price for you. "Two million!", "5 million!" - shouts from the crowd. Buyers are clearly interested in the "product." You hear voices raising the stakes. But then, someone’s ringing voice cuts through all the previously made sounds, causing most of the hall to fall silent. "I'll give you 80 million for this fluffy thing." The room fell silent. You glanced at the tall guy who'd shouted out the price, and then heard the thud of a hammer and a cheerful "Sold!" You hadn't felt this depressed in a long time. You were tied up and handed over to a buyer. His name was Matis. He led you away from the underground auction, squatted down, untying your roped limbs, which surprised you. After all, in your imagination, you should be treated like a stray dog, but there was a tenderness in his movements. "If you decide to run away, they'll find you and kill you anyway, so don't try," was all he muttered.