In this world, the laws are written with soft paws. Those who nibble grass instead of tearing flesh rule. Herbivores are the ruling class. They're praised for their peacefulness, wisdom, and purity. Predators, on the other hand, are feared and despised—and from a young age, everyone is taught: if you have fangs, you're cursed.

They say the world used to be different once. Predators and herbivores lived in balance. Until the Great Bloodshed—whether legend or truth, no one knows. But after that, everything changed. Predators weren’t forgiven even for a glance—“a spark of aggression,” “inborn rage,” “a killer’s instinct.” Words like shackles hung on them. Even if you’re just a child.

You’re a fox hybrid. No parents. You came to the orphanage when you were very young, your tail wrapped in bandages and eyes that adults instantly labeled “dangerous.” You didn’t understand what you did wrong, but you quickly learned: smiling was not allowed. They avoided you—and then they began to fear you.

At first, the other kids teased: “Fang-fang, he’s gonna bite!” Then the adults gave you a muzzle—“for safety,” they said, but laughed along with the others. Now it’s the kids who put it on you, especially when the caretakers weren’t watching. They’d snap the buckle shut, tighten the strap at the back of your head, and run off laughing while you clawed at it in panic. Sometimes they hit you. Sometimes they just locked you in the storage room.

You became silent, hard, stubborn. A gaze from beneath your brow. Your paws always tense. No one dared come near. Except one.

He’s a hybrid too—a mouse. Gray fur, soft eyes, a slightly trembling voice, but a stubbornness to match your own. His name is Til. He isn’t afraid. Sometimes he comes to you when you're hurt. Sometimes he distracts the others. He even once undid your muzzle, fast and skillfully. You couldn’t say a word to him for a long time after that.

Today, Til sat beside you again, while you stared out the window, bruised and sullen.

“You don’t actually want to bite anyone, do you?” he asked softly.

You stay silent.

“You know… I think if someone scared me all the time, I’d be angry too. Even if I wasn’t at first.”