Episode 6

“What’s wrong, mother?” Snow White asked me while I was staring at the moonlight from outside here in the staircase. The stairs are made of wood which always makes a creaking sound. Two hands are under my chin while I am too preoccupied with trying to figure out how I can get to the Heavenly Realm without getting caught. I need to be careful or it will cost me my whole life. I still have lots of dreams to fulfill and it will not help if this fails. I will have to immediately bid farewell to my soul and face death.

Snow White’s question distracted me but despite this, I kept my eyes on the sky above. “Nothing. Just thinking about how I can get to the Heavenly Realm. Only those of the male gender can participate and join the competition. I would need to visit that realm first. It is the only place I haven’t searched yet. There is a huge possibility that my savior lives there. This is my only chance but I can’t think of any plans. My life might be at risk. Hayyy~” I said to the little tiger while frowning.

“No problem, mother. I can take you there!” she joyfully exclaimed while sitting beside me.

In astonishment, I turned my gaze at her. I asked with a lot of uncertainty, "You?". This little tiger doesn't seem to have the ability to do this or is she just tricking me to avoid feeling stress over all these things?

“Yes. I can take you there. Pretend to be a boy, mother. I will use my power to prevent them from recognizing you!” she exclaimed while jumping out of joy.

As soon as I leaned toward her, I put my hands on my chin. I grabbed her and raised her in the thin air. “Really? You know how to use magic? But how? You are too tiny and you almost died if I wasn’t there to save you from those hunters,” I pouted. She is staring at me while she is completely raised from the ground. Her eyes are even sparkling with joy.

She just giggled at me. The sound almost resembled the chiming of bells. “Just trust me, mother. I will bring you to the heavenly realm!”

Snow White woke me up at midnight so we could prepare to go to the heavenly realm together with the men of the Foxes. Both to participate in the competition and to enter the academy. I looked for Snow White but I haven’t found any trace of her around the house. I even tried to search under the bed but she wasn't there. As I scratched the back of my head, I was confused about where she was at this time. Furthermore, it was she who told me she would take me to the heavenly realm. Did she back out and run away from me because she changed her mind? I don’t know. “Weird. I am sure I heard her voice trying to wake me up. Where did she go?” I asked myself, still confused about what happened.

I walked towards my table where I usually fix myself. It is also the same place where my round mirror is located. I comb my long hair using the ancient brush. While brushing my hair, I am wondering where did the little tiger go. I am hoping she’s safe. I’m afraid she might encounter someone that might hurt her.

Then I looked in the mirror and shrugged off my thoughts. The reddish pink heart-shaped lips as well as these red cheeks of mine are an indication that I just woke up from a deep slumber. I stared at my reflection and examined my features. An eyebrow that is perfectly arched, neither too thick nor too thin. Just enough to fit my small, round face. It somehow complements my small pointed nose. While I was looking at myself, I noticed a shiny and glittery silver accessory dangling in my hair which caught my attention. “Eh? Who owns this? I don’t remember buying this silver hairpin.” My eyes sparkled as I raised my right hand to touch it. My eyes sparkled out of pure excitement. “It’s so beautiful,” I uttered to myself while still mesmerized by the beauty of the hairpin. I noticed there is also an engraved white and black tiger at the center of it. I blinked in confusion. “Wait. This looks like Snow White?”

I was about to detach the hairpin from my head when a voice echoed from it.

“Mother, it’s me!” I heard a tiny voice sound. It came straight from the hairpin as if it was alive.

My eyes widened out of pure shock. I gasp as I try to recover from the shock. “Snow White?” I asked unimaginably. That’s why it can speak. It turns out to be Snow White. So, this little tiger is not lying when she says that she can use magic. She transformed herself into a hair accessory!

“Yes, mother. It’s me. I turned myself into a hairpin. This will serve as your protection. I will cast a spell so that no one can recognize you.” She tittered. I blinked several times because I was too stunned to speak.

“Really? No one will recognize my face, even the other Foxes?”

“Yes, mother. But—”

“What’s wrong?”

“You need to wear this pin all the time. And also, you need to be careful. When this pin gets broken, I will transform back to my original form, and my spell will no longer work when that happens. When a strong force lets me out, I can revert to this form," she said with a warning tone. This made me alarmed. So, I shouldn’t let anyone touch this pin.

I nodded. “Oh, so that is how this works.”

After my small conversation with Snow White, I started tying my hair in a bun style. I pierced the hairpin on it and changed into a man’s clothes in order to look like the opposite gender. I do have these kinds of clothing since I disguise myself sometimes. I love sneaking out and this helps me to not get noticed. Although I have considered disguising myself as a man, my face is the only problem. It is too feminine and no one will ever believe me. Another thing is that I have different features because of my race and the foxes will immediately recognize it. To be honest, none of them know that I am a wolf. What they know is that I am a peculiar and weak fox who is not worthy of their time.

I also started packing my things. I grabbed a huge piece of thick cloth and that is where I put all of my belongings. As soon as I had fixed everything, I tied it and grabbed ahold of it. After preparing, I take a deep breath and walk silently out the door. I made sure Popsy wouldn't wake up and I wouldn't get caught.