"Crack..."
The tree branch, weighed down by the snow and soaked through with moisture, had failed to freeze solid. Instead, it seemed damp and pliable, and the creaking sound startled Nick awake from his thoughts.
Ever since he could remember, he had always faced everything around him with an optimistic attitude—illness, accidents, or any unexpected misfortune. After the initial shock, he could always confront things with a level of calm that most people would find difficult to possess.
Perhaps it was because he knew that one day he would die regardless, and there was nothing in this world that he was particularly attached to.
But after meeting Silvanus, something seemed to be slowly changing. Even though he knew it was strange to feel this way when they had only just met for the first time.
When he was around Silvanus, he never wanted to close his eyes, give up, and surrender so easily to fate. He would live, and naturally, Silvanus had to live as well.
