That night…
The cave was quiet.
The cubs were asleep.
Even the usually energetic Bai Shuyi had finally stopped talking.
The fire burned softly.
Outside, snowflakes drifted from the dark sky.
Bai Xueyin lay awake.
Unable to sleep.
The mysterious watcher.
The sealed memories.
The original Bai Xueyin.
Everything felt like tangled threads.
Eventually, exhaustion won.
Her eyes slowly closed.
And she drifted into sleep.
…
Darkness.
Endless darkness.
Xueyin frowned.
This wasn’t a normal dream.
She stood alone in a vast white space.
Snow covered everything.
No mountains.
No trees.
No sky.
Only endless snow.
“…Where am I?”
No answer came.
Then—
Footsteps.
Crunch.
Crunch.
Crunch.
Someone was walking through the snow.
Toward her.
Xueyin’s heart began pounding.
The figure slowly appeared through the blizzard.
A woman.
White hair.
Snow fox ears.
Silver eyes.
And a face identical to hers.
Xueyin froze.
“…Bai Xueyin?”
The woman smiled faintly.
A sad smile.
As if she had been waiting a very long time.
“Hello.”
The dream world trembled.
Xueyin’s breath caught.
Because she immediately understood.
This wasn’t a memory.
This was the original owner.
The real Bai Xueyin.
Tired.
Exhausted.
But her eyes were calm.
“You finally woke up.”
The same words.
The mysterious stranger had spoken the same thing.
Xueyin stepped forward.
“Who are you?”
The woman laughed softly.
“I think you already know.”
Silence.
Thousands of questions rushed through Xueyin’s mind.
Why did she know the future?
Who sealed the memories?
Why did she disappear?
Who was the mysterious watcher?
But only one question escaped first.
“…Are you a transmigrator too?”
The woman’s smile froze.
For the first time—
Real surprise appeared on her face.
Then she laughed.
A genuine laugh this time.
“Of course that’s the first thing you’d ask.”
Xueyin’s eyes widened.
The answer itself was enough.
Yes.
The original Bai Xueyin had also come from another world.
For a moment neither spoke.
Then the woman sighed.
“We don’t have much time.”
The dream world trembled again.
Tiny cracks appeared in the snowy landscape.
As if something was trying to stop this meeting.
Xueyin immediately stepped forward.
“Wait!”
“Tell me what’s happening!”
The woman’s expression softened.
Then unexpectedly—
She reached out and touched Xueyin’s forehead.
A warm feeling spread through her body.
And countless emotions flooded her heart.
Fear.
Loneliness.
Love.
Regret.
Enough regret to drown a person.
Tears suddenly appeared in Bai Xueyin’s eyes.
Without understanding why.
The original Bai Xueyin looked away.
“…I’m sorry.”
The apology sounded broken.
As if she had wanted to say it for years.
“Sorry for dragging you into this.”
The dream world cracked louder.
A distant roar echoed through the white space.
The woman became alarmed.
“No.”
Her gaze shifted somewhere behind Xueyin.
Toward the darkness.
“He’s found us.”
Xueyin turned.
But saw nothing.
Only shadows.
The original Bai Xueyin’s face became pale.
“Listen carefully.”
Her voice grew urgent.
“The people around you…”
“The cubs…”
“The mates…”
A painful expression appeared in her eyes.
“They’re not the danger.”
The dream began collapsing.
Snow exploded into the air.
Xueyin desperately grabbed her arm.
“Then who is?!”
For one brief moment—
The original Bai Xueyin looked terrified.
Truly terrified.
Then she whispered a single name.
A name Xueyin had never heard before.
> “Mo Cang.”
BOOM!
The dream shattered.
Xueyin sat upright in bed.
Breathing heavily.
Sweat covered her forehead.
The cave was dark.
Everyone was asleep.
Except…
At the cave entrance.
A tall silver-eyed figure stood motionless.
Watching the darkness outside.
The mysterious watcher.
And for the first time—
Xueyin felt certain.
He wasn’t watching the cave.
He was guarding it.