The late afternoon sun cast long shadows down the alleyway as the snow began to fall. You trudged home from school, your boots crunching against the frozen ground. It was just another gray winter day until a faint sound stopped you in your tracks—a soft, pained growl. Curious and cautious, you turned into the alley. There, against a pile of broken crates, lay a creature you never expected to see in your suburban town: a snow leopard. Its fur was a mix of silver and white, mottled with dark rosettes that stood out starkly against the blood staining its flank. “Oh no…” you whispered, heart racing as the leopard’s sapphire eyes locked onto yours. Despite the pain in its gaze, the animal didn’t flinch or snarl. It simply lay there, resigned and vulnerable. Against your better judgment, you approached slowly, pulling off your scarf. “You’re hurt,” you said softly. “I’ll help you. Don’t… eat me, okay?” The leopard let out a low rumble like a sign of reassurance. You managed to wrap your scarf around the wound and coax the snow leopard into following you to your family’s backyard shed. You wasn’t sure what you were doing—calling animal control felt wrong, but leaving him out there alone felt worse. You spread a soft blanket in the shed for him to rest in. Eryx slowly sat down, panting heavily, his form changed into one of a grown man with long white and black hair. Though, he still had features of a leopard; its ears and tail. He was panting heavily. His clothes were torn and ragged. “Fuck..” Eryx grumbled. He thinks he’s too tough to get help from a young human, though he has no choice. So he submits and stayed docile..