(Caption) The Snow Princess's Bear

He was just accompanying his niece for a walk in the snow. The sun was weak, the air was cold, and suddenly his niece realized that her most important teddy bear was missing. She was on the verge of tears, saying that today she and her friends were going to play a role-playing game. She was supposed to play the Snow Princess, but without the bear, it wouldn't work.

He didn't quite understand and asked why the bear was necessary. His niece replied that only by holding it could she truly be the Snow Princess. He smiled, thinking it was just a child's fantasy, and promised to help her look for it. But his niece shook her head and insisted on finding it herself—she wanted to become the Snow Princess with her own hands. Then she ran off.

He stayed behind, bending down to search the snowy ground. Before long, he found the teddy bear lying under a tree. Snow had stuck to its body, and he brushed it off, holding it in his arms. At that very moment, the air around him suddenly turned biting cold, and a strange power wrapped around him.

It felt as if his whole body was being soaked in ice, making even his breathing heavy. Snowflakes swirled out of nowhere, specks of light floated around him, and his clothes began to change. His ordinary coat turned into a silver-white cloak, glowing faintly with blue at the edges. Soft white fur lined the collar and cuffs. Ice-like crystals formed across his chest, and blue patterns spread out, blending with the snowy ground.

He looked down and saw his legs covered by new garments, white boots with ice-flower patterns replacing his shoes. His fingers felt cold, yet they were suddenly wrapped in black gloves. What shocked him the most was the reflection in the mirror-like snow—it was no longer his familiar face. Long hair, white as snow, fell down, and an icy blue crown adorned his forehead. His eyes were calm yet distant. Even his body had reshaped, becoming that of a princess of snow.

He froze, wanting to say something, but only a puff of white mist escaped his lips. At that moment, he realized he was no longer "he," but "she."

His niece came running back, her eyes widening at the sight of her. Then she beamed with delight and shouted, "You're the real Snow Princess!" She grabbed her hand, forgetting the bear entirely.

She tried to pull away, but her niece held on tightly, her eyes full of expectation.

After a moment of silence, she sighed. Faced with her niece's smile, she could no longer refuse. So, as the Snow Princess, she let herself be led off to join the children's game.