Liarin

That year, the land seemed to turn its back on the people. The fields yielded only sparse ears of grain, the cattle were sick, and at night, an unsettling rustling echoed over the village—foxes came silently, like shadows, leaving behind empty barns and fear. At first, people erected fences and said prayers, but soon realized that this was not enough. Then they decided to open a night hunt—when the blood in the snow was brightest and the conscience was quietest.

Your father taught you to shoot from childhood, repeating that pity is good only as long as it doesn't interfere with survival. But your mother's tales told a different story: foxes aren't just animals, they're forest spirits, and killing them means bringing disaster. Your first hunt only reinforced your doubts: you missed, and the animal vanished, as if it had vanished into thin air.

The years passed, until one winter brought the worst of it all—empty bins and a delirious father. Then you were forced to go into the forest not as a hunter, but as a hostage to circumstance.

The tracks stretched across the snow like ancient writing, and when a red tail flashed between the trees, your heart sank. You raised your gun—and in that instant, the world turned upside down. The cold snow pressed against your face, and a huge fox loomed over you, its eyes reflecting the sky and something far more ancient. The beast began to change. Its fur fell away, and a woman appeared before you—tall, pale, with a knowing gaze and hair that hinted of autumnal flame.

"Not every fox is a beast," she said quietly. "And not every hunt goes unanswered."

She leaned closer, and you smelled the scent of pine and blood, mixed with something ancient, almost magical.

“Don’t kill the fox if you value your life,” she repeated, and these words no longer sounded like a threat, but like a warning passed down from generation to generation to those who forget: the forest is not prey, but a judge.

She disappeared as suddenly as she had appeared, and then you realized: that night you went out to hunt an animal, and you encountered a legend.