Winter #3

"What are you talking about?" The young man frowned deeply.

Emily sighed lazily, suddenly realizing that what she said just now sounded taboo. The girl distanced herself after the treatment was over, she chose to sit in the corner of the dark cave.

"I'm not sure you'll believe me, so I guess you'd better forget what I said earlier" she said coldly.

"Look, I don't like small talk, tell me, what kind of curse do you want to get rid of?" he urged impatiently.

Emily did not answer, the cave was silent and cold. The young man chose to light a fire after arranging the firewood and then warm his body. Emily approached the campfire and sat down opposite the young stranger whose name she didn't even know.

"I'm Emily, I'm running away from a madman," Emily said after sitting in front of the fire for a while.

"I'm Ethan, a traveler who accidentally met a pathetic girl being chased by crazy people," Ethan replied which made Emily smile bitterly.

"Do you believe that in this universe there is a small percentage of humans who are given unique talents?" Emily spread both her hands in front of the fire, warmth running through her body.

"I do," Ethan answered quickly.

"I was given the gift of being able to listen to the seasons, really listen to the seasons as I listen to humans speak. But, I don't think it's a gift anymore, I feel that it's a curse."

Ethan looked at Emily enthusiastically. "Really? You can tell what they're saying right now? Do they talk all the time?" Ethan asked silly.

"They say snow from the North will arrive here tonight, and that means the temperature will be so extreme that even the worst case scenario is that this cave won't be able to keep us warm for much longer."

Ethan seemed to be thinking, "I don't think that talent needs to be taken away, Emily. You can tell what kind of dangers threaten mankind and you're in charge of telling everyone to be vigilant. There's nothing wrong with that at all, in fact, it sounds pretty cool to me."

"That's precisely why, Ethan! I get denounced as a fortune teller when what I say actually happens and everyone starts blaming me! I really can't stand it," Emily said quietly. A lick of fire emphasized her sad face and teary eyes.

"It is the consequence of what the universe has bestowed upon you. The greater the talent you have, the greater the trials you will face."

"And I never wanted to be born a gifted person, Ethan!"

"But the universe chose you Emily, chose us!" Ethan exclaimed without realizing it.

Emily looked at Ethan with an incredulous look. Meanwhile, the young man got up from his seat and walked slowly towards the lip of the cave. After observing the increasingly dark and cold surroundings, Ethan grabbed the rattan he had assembled as a door and closed the cave lip with it.

"You're right, some of the snow is already here and the temperature is crazy."

Without responding to Ethan's sentence, Emily approached the young man who was preparing a mat to lie down on.

"Tell me what you mean by saying 'the universe chose us'? Are you one of those people with a unique talent?" Emily asked in rapid succession.

"Listen to me, everyone is talented, Emily. I'm talented at archery, maybe you're talented at archery too, you just haven't realized it yet. It's just a matter of the size of the talent itself," Ethan replied, which did not satisfy Emily at all.

"That's not what I meant, Ethan!" Emily exclaimed fiercely.

Ethan laughed in satisfaction at Emily's irritation. The young man told Emily to lie down and rest beside him.

"I won't do anything until you answer me correctly,"

"I'll tell you after you lie down next to me," Ethan offered not to be outdone.

Stomping her feet on the ground, Emily walked over to Ethan who made room next to her. The two stared at the ceiling of the cave that was dim from the firelight.

There was a silence that hung between them.

"I can concoct medicines because my sense of smell exceeds that of others, just as your hearing exceeds that of others. I can smell anything from a great distance, though there are limits to this distance. Then there's no mistaking what I said about the universe choosing us. We're the same species, Emily," Ethan chuckled crisply with his sentence. Emily didn't know how to respond.

"Then, if you're asking me if there's a cure that can remove the curse, the answer is there is, Emily." Ethan turned to look at a brown-eyed girl whose gaze was blank.

Emily was still unmoving, she was feeling really strange and she seemed to have lost the ability to speak.

"But I don't advise you to do this. Eliminating that talent is like forcibly severing the connection between yourself and the owner of this universe. It's tantamount to torturing your own soul. There is nothing more painful than the disconnection of that soul." Ethan said carefully.

"I don't care if you say I'm torturing my soul or whatever, I care more about the peace of my life." Emily instantly got up from her place and stood with her back to Ethan.

"You probably don't know what it's like to be ostracized as a freak, to ramble on and be thought crazy, to be stressed out from hearing so many things you shouldn't, and worst of all to be hunted down and killed because of that curse." While pacing back and forth the girl hugged herself tightly.

"23 years is not a short time for me and I don't want to suffer any longer. So, please tell me what medicine can break my curse."

Ethan didn't really agree every time he heard Emily say 'curse' which was actually a talent, but the young man didn't want to argue about it.

"A special potion containing clear chrysanthemums will take away your hearing sensitivity. At least for now that's all I know," Ethan said finally.

Emily turned around with enthusiasm on her face.

"Will I be able to get my hands on that potion soon?" she asked hopefully.

Ethan thought for a moment then replied, "Clear chrysanthemums only grow in spring at the foot of Mount Namika. And the other ingredients of the potion, such as the woody roots of special plants, are difficult to collect in winter."

"You mean, we have to wait until winter is over?" asked Emily who was answered with a nod by Ethan.

"Emily, no human has ever been proven to have found a clear chrysanthemum flower before this, and I don't know for sure if it really exists or if it's just a rumor."

"I'll be the first one to prove that the flower exists, Ethan, I'll look for it everywhere."

"Getting to Mount Namika is never as easy as you think, Emily. The threat is too great," the young man pressed worriedly.

"I don't care, Ethan. I can go there myself, you don't have to worry."