6/14/2026, 8:15 PM
Thread takes place outside Tianlong's borders, backdated to 6/9/2026
![[Image: 3cffdc614f8365755a476c0de39c8db0.jpg]](https://i.pinimg.com/1200x/3c/ff/dc/3cffdc614f8365755a476c0de39c8db0.jpg)
Speak your mind, even if your voice shakes.
3-3-3 OC
3-3-3 OC
SpeechEmotional Actions Thoughts
A few days had passed since the litter's birth.
Bao had watched Haochen constantly during that time, waiting for the inevitable.
The runt struggled to nurse. Struggled to keep warm. Struggled simply to exist. While her siblings grew stronger with each passing day, Haochen remained painfully small, her tiny body seeming one difficult breath away from giving up entirely.
Bao had convinced herself it was only a matter of time.
Nature could be cruel.
She knew that better than most.
The morning she left the den, the mountains were shrouded in mist. Haochen hung limply from her jaws, too weak to fuss over being carried. The pup's heartbeat was faint against Bao's tongue.
Alive.
For now.
She traveled beyond Tianlong's borders before stopping in a patch of tall grass nestled between stones and wildflowers. It was quiet there. Sheltered enough that the elements wouldn't take the pup immediately.
Bao lowered Haochen to the ground.
The little wolf blinked up at her with sleepy yellow eyes.
No fear.
No confusion.
Just trust.
The sight made something twist painfully in Bao's chest.
For a moment she hesitated.
Then she stepped back.
One step.
Two.
Three.
Haochen made a tiny sound and tried to wobble after her, but her legs gave out almost immediately.
Bao looked away.
If she stayed any longer, she knew she'd take the pup back home.
So she turned and left.
The scent of the runt grew fainter behind her with every step.
Soon it disappeared entirely.
By nightfall, Bao told herself Haochen would be gone.
A mercy.
A kinder fate than whatever life awaited a pup so weak.
The lie sat heavy in her chest as she returned to Tianlong.
And far behind her, abandoned beyond the mountain's borders, Haochen remained curled where she'd been left.
Still breathing.
Still alive.
