( snow bunny)
Zhang Wei's body trembled faintly as the last remnants of the battle faded from his veins.
The overwhelming pressure from the opposing core had nearly crushed him—no, it should have crushed him. Every inch of his meridians still ached, his muscles screamed in protest, and even his breathing came out uneven, shallow and strained.
He swallowed hard.
A sharp sting spread across his lips—he had bitten down too hard without realizing it.
"…Tch."
His voice came out hoarse.
Step.
Step.
Each movement felt heavy as he walked out of the entrance, his figure slightly hunched as though the invisible weight of the battle still clung to his back. His steps were cautious, slow—like someone relearning how to walk in a body that no longer fully belonged to him.
Yet beneath that exhaustion…
Something had changed.
Something fundamental.
Something he could not name.
His eyes narrowed faintly.
A strange sensation brushed against his awareness, and instinctively, he lifted a hand toward his hair. His fingers paused mid-air.
At the edges of his dark strands… faint colors shimmered.
Soft.
Almost unreal.
Like fragments of a rainbow caught in moonlight.
"…What…?"
His voice lowered into a whisper.
It wasn't just his appearance.
It was deeper than that.
Much deeper.
Zhang Wei's expression stiffened.
He could feel it.
His emotions.
They were no longer buried deep within him like before—locked away behind layers of restraint and forced calm. Now, they drifted closer to the surface, fragile and exposed.
Anyone could see them.
Anyone could read him.
That alone sent a wave of unease through his chest.
The Snow Bunny…
It wasn't a violent creature. It wasn't ferocious, nor domineering. It was a being of gentle curiosity, of warmth hidden beneath cold fur, of innocent life that wandered the frozen lands without malice.
It was soft.
Pure.
Alive.
Everything he wasn't.
And yet…
Now, it lived within him.
Zhang Wei clenched his fists slightly.
His thoughts felt… lighter, yet harder to control.
The things he used to suppress so easily—small desires, fleeting emotions—they now surfaced without permission, brushing against his consciousness like playful whispers.
It was unsettling.
Dangerous.
"…This isn't good."
Grrrrr…
The sound broke the silence.
Zhang Wei froze.
A second later, his expression darkened slightly.
His stomach growled again—louder this time, almost aggressively.
Hunger.
An intense, unfamiliar hunger surged through him, far stronger than anything he had felt before. It wasn't just physical—it was… instinctive.
Raw.
Primitive.
"I'm… hungry?"
He frowned.
That alone wasn't strange.
What was strange… was that he had no idea what he wanted to eat.
Not meat.
Not grains.
Not anything he had known before.
It was as if his body rejected those options entirely.
His brows furrowed deeper.
"What's going on with me…?"
His voice was low, almost lost in the wind.
Not far away, two figures stood silently, watching.
Zhang Mi's expression was calm, but her eyes were sharp, observant—missing nothing.
Beside her, Sang Sang frowned, her gaze fixed firmly on Zhang Wei.
"Mother…"
Her voice carried unease.
Zhang Mi did not immediately respond.
Her eyes lingered on Zhang Wei—the way he moved, the faint glow at the edge of his hair, the subtle shift in his aura.
Then she spoke.
"There is no need to worry."
Her tone was steady, controlled.
"Snow Bunnies are harmless creatures. They do not possess destructive nature… but they are not weak either."
She paused, her gaze softening ever so slightly.
"They are strong in their own way."
Sang Sang frowned deeper, unconvinced.
Zhang Mi continued.
"Besides… Zhang Wei is simple-minded and naïve."
There was no mockery in her words—only quiet observation.
"Though he acts mature… he is still a child."
Her eyes dimmed faintly.
"A child who grew up too quickly."
Silence followed.
Then—
"Still…" Sang Sang spoke again, her voice lower now. "Why the Snow Bunny? I don't understand."
Zhang Mi's gaze shifted slightly, her thoughts turning inward.
She remembered it clearly.
The moment Zhang Wei had entered the core space.
Something had felt… off.
Not dangerous.
Not chaotic.
Just—
Abnormal.
"The Snow Bunny…" she began slowly, "is a creature of purity."
Her voice carried a trace of hesitation now.
"It does not choose based on strength… nor talent."
"Then what?" Sang Sang asked.
Zhang Mi's eyes darkened slightly.
"It chooses based on the heart."
A brief silence.
"Perhaps…" she continued, "your brother is pure."
The words sounded strange even to her.
"…And that is why it chose him."
But even as she said it—
She wasn't fully convinced.
Elsewhere, hidden from their sight, Elder Mi stood beside the clan leader, his aged eyes locked onto Zhang Wei.
A faint ripple of energy surrounded the boy.
Clear.
Gentle.
Uncontaminated.
Elder Mi's brows slowly furrowed.
"His heart…" he murmured.
The clan leader glanced at him.
"What is it?"
Elder Mi's voice lowered.
"His heart is too pure."
A pause.
"Free from desire."
The words hung heavily in the air.
"That is why the Snow Bunny chose him."
But instead of relief…
Confusion deepened in his expression.
His gaze sharpened as he examined Zhang Wei more closely.
The boy's aura held no greed.
No ambition.
No hidden hunger for power.
Nothing.
"How…" Elder Mi whispered.
His voice carried disbelief.
"How can someone like this exist…?"
His mind raced.
Zhang Wei had suffered.
That much was known.
Pain. Loss. Responsibility.
A life that should have twisted his heart, hardened his spirit, filled him with desire—if not for power, then at least for control over his own fate.
Yet…
There was none of it.
Nothing.
Only a single, faint thread within his heart.
Simple.
Clear.
Unwavering.
Elder Mi's eyes darkened.
"…To be a good figure for his child."
That was all.
That was his only desire.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
The old man exhaled slowly, his expression turning complicated.
"That…"
He shook his head slightly.
"…is nonsense."
And yet—
The evidence stood right before him.
Zhang Wei, unaware of the storm of thoughts surrounding him, stood alone—caught between exhaustion, hunger, and a transformation he did not yet understand.
And deep within him…
Something soft stirred.
Watching.
Waiting.
Curious about the world—
Just like its host.