In a small, snow-covered village nestled between the mountains, there was an old legend about a white dog. They said she appeared only in times of great need, her fur as bright as the winter moon, her eyes like twin stars in the dark.

Many believed the tale was just a story told by elders to comfort frightened children, but one girl knew better.

Her name was Lila, and she had seen the white dog once before.

It was years ago, on the night her father went missing in a blizzard. She had been only five, watching from the window as snow swallowed the world outside. Then, through the swirling frost, she saw her—the white dog, standing tall and unafraid. The dog turned, vanishing into the storm, and hours later, her father stumbled home, whispering of a pale shadow that had guided him through the cold.

Lila never forgot.

Now, years later, another storm was coming, worse than any before. The village was preparing, sealing doors, lighting lanterns—but something was wrong. Lila’s younger brother, Tomas, had not returned home. He had gone to the woods at the edge of the village and never came back.

Panic gripped her heart. The snow was falling fast. No one could see through the thick white curtain of the storm. The villagers feared it was too late.

But Lila refused to give up. She wrapped herself in her thickest coat and ran into the cold, calling Tomas’ name. Her voice was swallowed by the wind. The world was endless white, and soon, she was lost too.

Just when she thought she could go no farther, a soft glow appeared ahead. A shape moved through the snow—silent, steady.

The white dog.

She did not bark. She did not stop. She only walked ahead, her fur untouched by the cold, her steps sure and true. Lila followed, her frozen limbs pushing forward.

And then—there! A small figure curled beneath a tree, barely moving. Tomas!

Lila fell to her knees, pulling him close. His skin was cold, but he was alive. She looked up to thank the white dog, but she was already gone, her glowing shape disappearing into the storm.

Lila carried Tomas home. The villagers called it a miracle, but Lila knew the truth.

The white dog was real.

A guardian, a guide, a promise in the snow.

And somewhere, in the heart of the mountains, she was still watching, waiting for the next soul in need.