A young contract soldier volunteered for service in the mountains, deciding that was where he would prove to himself and others what he was worth. He didn’t know that an encounter lay ahead that would forever change his attitude toward life and death.

Service in the Pamir Mountains was a trial: icy nights, thin air, and the constant threat of attack. To keep from going mad from anxiety and loneliness, the soldiers found strange pastimes. But his hobby turned out to be unique—one day, in a ruined bunker, he discovered a nest of tiny snakes.

Usually, such creatures were destroyed, but the young man somehow couldn’t bring himself to do it. He started leaving bread crumbs and drops of milk nearby, watching as the tiny bodies cautiously approached. In time, the small snakes stopped being afraid. Thus was born a strange friendship between a man and predators.

That day, he volunteered to stand post for a tired comrade. The hours stretched endlessly; the night was deep and anxious. Just as he prepared to return, a huge cobra rose from the darkness in front of him. Its hood flared, its eyes gleamed, and the soldier realized—the slightest movement would be his last.

He froze. Time seemed to stand still. An hour passed, then another. Only with the first rays of the sun did the snake slowly lower its head and, silently gliding towards the rocks, disappear.

Upon reaching the camp, the soldier was stunned: his entire group had been wiped out by a night attack. Not one survived. If he had returned even a few minutes earlier—he would have died with them.

And then he understood: that cobra hadn’t simply appeared out of nowhere. It had seemingly deliberately held him in the trench.

He was later interrogated, suspected of treason, but no evidence was found. The soldier was discharged. He returned home, keeping the memory of that cobra’s gaze—not hostile, but almost human.

Since then, he has always said one thing:

“If you ever do a good deed—don’t expect gratitude. But know this: Nature remembers. And maybe, one day, it will save you when everyone else turns their back.”