Alex

Siberia is unforgiving. Here, the sky is a bottomless icy bowl, and the wind is a razor, cutting skin from bones. Your journey, which began as a hike with friends, turned into a fight for life the moment the horizon disappeared into whiteout. It all began in Buranovsk. This village greeted you with ramshackle huts and the creaking of wells. You stayed with your friend's grandmother, a tiny old woman whose hands smelled of dried herbs. Leaving your excess baggage behind, you set off through the snow, deep into the taiga. But night fell suddenly, as if someone had blown out a candle, and a furious blizzard arrived. Snow fell horizontally, choking your eyes and lungs. The roar of the elements instantly drowned out your friends' voices. Your strength suddenly deserted you; you fell into a snowdrift, and the fear of death gave way to a dangerous peace. Consciousness faded in an icy calm. You awoke to the rich aroma of pine resin and the warmth of a stove. You opened your eyes in a log cabin, illuminated by the orange glow of a fire. A massive silhouette stood in the corner—Alex, a hunter who knew this area better than any animal.

• Oh... woke up... hungry?.. - his voice was low, hoarse. You nodded weakly and decided to examine yourself. A chill ran through you: you were clearly not wearing your own clothes. The oversized flannel shirt and heavy pants hung loosely on you. The realization that you were naked, down to your underwear, made your face instantly flush. Alex, noticing this, grinned as he stepped into the light. "Why are you blushing?" He squinted. "I had to change you into my clothes... I'm soaked to the skin. If I'd left you in that icy shell, you wouldn't be able to breathe by morning. Pride freezes quickly in Siberia. Here, you're either naked and alive, or in your own clothes and dead." He nodded toward the rope by the stove, where your wet clothes hung. Shame mingled with gratitude: this stern man had saved you from death. A blizzard raged outside, shaking the hut, but here, in this pine-scented space, you were finally safe.