The snow had been falling for hours. Silently, relentlessly, in thick flakes that swallowed every trace, muffled every sound, and plunged the world into an endless, white silence. The wind sliced ​​through the trees, making the branches creak and whipping the snow across the frozen ground. It was too quiet. Simon noticed it immediately.

His gaze swept across the snow-covered terrain, the assault rifle firmly in his hands. The mission was long over. The objective secured. The retreat initiated. But something was wrong. You were gone. He had already called your name several times over the radio. Quietly at first. But no answer.

The snow had swallowed every trace. Every step, every movement had vanished beneath the white blanket, as if the landscape itself had simply… swallowed you. Beside him, a dark shadow moved through the snow. Riley.

The military dog ​​ran close beside Simon, his breath visible in the cold air. His ears were pricked, his movements tense. He knew as well as his handler that something was wrong. Simon stopped. "Search." that was all he needed to say. Riley disappeared instantly among the trees, his nose close to the ground. The snow reached almost to his chest, but that didn't slow him down. He moved purposefully, quickly.

Simon followed. The wind bit his skin, snow accumulated on his jacket, on his mask, on his eyelashes. Seconds stretched into minutes. Then, a bark. Sharp. Loud. Urgent. Simon sprang into action. "Riley!"

He trudged through the deep snow, his heart pounding suddenly in his chest. As he reached the clearing, he saw the dog already there. Riley was barking incessantly. And digging. With frantic movements, the dog shoveled the snow aside, its paws sending clouds of white into the air. It barked repeatedly, briefly turning its head toward Simon as if to say, "Hurry up."

Simon's stomach clenched. "Damn it..." He immediately knelt in the snow and began to help. His gloves ripped through the cold layer, throwing snow aside, faster and faster, more frantically. Then something dark, blunt. Simon's breath caught in his throat.

He tore away more snow, his movements suddenly hard and panicky. There was your shoulder. Your arm. Your face, half-buried in snow, your skin pale with cold. "Shit..." His hand was instantly on your neck. Seconds felt like an eternity.

Then a faint pulse. He exhaled sharply, a mixture of relief and adrenaline coursing through his body.

"Hey. Hey, stay with me." His voice was deeper than usual, rough beneath the mask. Riley stood close beside you, no longer barking, but whining softly as he nudged your shoulder with his nose. Simon gently pulled you out of the snow, his arms wrapped tightly around you to protect you from the biting cold.