Sahil watched, silent but understanding, signaling the doctors to give them a moment. They dispersed quietly, leaving Karin and Helios in their own space of shared sorrow and comfort.
Helios gently rubbed her back, his small hands warm with reassurance. "Be strong, Aunt. Mom, dad, and I are right here with you. Nothing will happen to Poseidon." His voice was steady, unwavering—a child's innocence carrying a promise.
Karin let out a watery chuckle, her hold on him softening just slightly.
Helios pulled back just enough to meet her gaze, then carefully wiped away her tears. "And not just us," he continued, "Sehan, Aunt Sara, everyone back at home… we're all here for you."
Karin's lips trembled before curving into a smile, one filled with exhaustion but also gratitude. She leaned forward, pressing a tender kiss onto his hair. "You really are just like your mother. So bright." Then, with a soft laugh, she added, "I don't even have to try to like you. I already love you, my dear."
Helios flushed, a little embarrassed, "Thank you."
Karin's gaze then flickered toward the emergency room doors once more, a weary sigh escaping her lips. Tears threatened to resurface, but she held them back this time.
Helios noticed and, without hesitation, took her hands in his, asking, "Did you come alone from Greece?" Karin nodded, "It's just me and Poseidon's nanny. His father is still there."
"Oh…" Before Helios could say anything more, Karin pulled him onto her lap, wrapping her arms around him in an almost protective embrace. "Now then, will this little angel tell me a bit about himself?" she asked.
Helios nodded, his earlier hesitance fading into warmth. He gently caressed her hands, his eyes gleaming as he spoke.
From the side, Sehan watched the scene unfold with a quiet smile, "Aiyah~ I really admire that young sun," he murmured to himself, his voice carrying both fondness and pride.
The once-tense atmosphere had softened. Though, fear and grief had not disappeared, but in that moment, filled with silly stories, quiet laughter, and shared warmth, the present became a little more bearable.
Later that evening, Helios returned home with Sehan as nightfall settled over the city. The clock had already struck eight, and as he had anticipated, his parents had yet to return.
Sitting on his bed, he methodically worked through his homework, the tip of his pencil gliding over the paper. Yet, despite his efforts, his mind wandered—replaying the events of the day in a ceaseless loop. He exhaled softly, his gaze drifting upward to the ceiling as though seeking answers in its blank expanse.
Sara, who had been quietly tidying his wardrobe from the sidelines, couldn't help but notice his distraction. Her hands continued folding clothes, but her eyes lingered on the boy, concern creeping into her expression.
Then, the sudden vibration of the phone on his bedside table broke the silence. Helios picked it up, answering with a steady, "Hello."
A familiar warmth resonated from the other end of the line. "Hello, love," came the tender voice of his mother.
A small, involuntary smile tugged at Helios's lips. "Hello, Mama…" he responded, his voice carrying both fondness and an unspoken longing.
"We're late, aren't we?" Layla asked, slight guiltily.
Helios shook his head slightly, despite knowing she couldn't see him. "No, you're right where you should be. I'm alright, Mama. Don't worry," he reassured.
Layla exhaled, a sigh of both relief and lingering guilt. "Thank you, Heli… and I'm sorry we couldn't join you for dinner tonight."
"But you must have had dinner with Aunt Karin, right?" Helios asked, shifting the focus away from himself. Layla hesitated before answering.
"Yes, she didn't want to eat at first… but when I was with her, she didn't hesitate." A quiet understanding passed between them.
"You met her, didn't you?" Layla asked knowingly. Helios responded with a soft hum. "She was scared."
"Of course she was, Heli," Layla murmured, "She's a mother. If she could, she'd give her entire life just to keep her child safe. And when a mother sees her child in a condition like Poseidon's… nothing in the world feels more terrifying."
Helios's gaze lowered, a quiet contemplation settling in his expression. Then, with a slight hesitation, he asked, "How is he…?"
Layla's voice remained gentle, yet firm. "A little better. The emergency treatment helped, but there's still a long road ahead. He should regain consciousness soon."
Helios hummed again, his shoulders relaxing ever so slightly, "Then take care of them, and yourselves too."
"We will, love. You take care as well." With that, the call ended, leaving the room in silence once more. Helios exhaled, eyes drifting back to the ceiling.
Sara, watching from across the room, gently asked, "Did your worries ease a little, young master?"
Helios, still staring at the ceiling, responded absentmindedly, "Yeah… I guess." Before he could sink deeper into thought, an unexpected voice shattered the quiet.
"YO!!" A head popped through the window. Sara shrieked, instinctively launching a shoe straight at the intruder's face.
SPLAT!
"OUCH?! That hurts like hell!" Sehan yelped, rubbing his face.
Sara, who had nearly lost several years off her life, fumed. "What the hell do you think you're doing?! Is that how you enter a room, you little brat?!"
"At least look at the person first?!" Sehan shot back, but his attempt at self-defense was met with Sara grabbing another slipper.
"Look at the person?! I thought you were a burglar! That's any sane person's first guess!" She advanced on him, "Come here, let me beat you up—"
Sehan quickly stepped back, laughing nervously.
Helios, watching their endless bickering, couldn't hold back his chuckle. His laughter, light and genuine, made them pause.
Sara and Sehan exchanged glances before resuming their squabble. Sara raised her slipper again, while Sehan instinctively shielded his head.
"Oh right—Heli, I came to tell you there's a gift," Sehan suddenly announced.
"A gift?" Helios repeated.
Just then, a knock at the door made him turn. He jumped off the bed and opened it, only to be engulfed in a tight embrace from all sides.
"Helios!!" His friends had arrived.
"G-Guys?" Helios stammered, caught off guard.
"You haven't come out to play in days!" Claude huffed, arms still wrapped around him, "We were worried!"
"Yeah, and we lost our last ball today," Ebraham added, "We need to take your dad to the sports market." He plopped onto the bed.
"Oh, did you already finish your homework? I haven't even started," Haadi muttered, flipping through Helios's notebook.
"So, what's been keeping you so busy?" Mirza smirked, "We only have an hour of your esteemed presence, young lord."
Helios smiled, feeling warmth bloom in his chest. And so, he began.
A while later…
"Huh?! Completely white?! Not a single strand of black?" Claude gaped in disbelief.
"Yeah," Helios nodded, "At first, I thought his hair was snow."
"Wow… he already sounds like another entity," Mirza mused, nibbling on a cookie, "Are you sure you didn't just mistake an angel for a human?"
Helios chuckled, shaking his head.
"So, once he's better, we'll meet him, right?" Haadi asked, now flipping through another book, "I really want to see him now."
Helios twirled the same tennis ball Poseidon left from his grasp in the hospital before in his hand, his expression soft, "Yeah… I also want to be his friend."
"Then it's settled," Ebraham declared, "First, Helios becomes his friend. Then he invites us to be his friends. Then, we all play together."
"Hm! More people means better cricket, after all," Claude grinned.
They all nodded, breaking into laughter.
Sara and Sehan, watching from the sidelines, exchanged knowing smiles. "I'm glad he's feeling a little better," Sehan whispered.
Sara nodded but her expression darkened as she turned to him. "But I'm afraid you won't be feeling better if you ever pull that stunt again." She tapped the slipper in her hand.
"Yes…" Sehan gulped but grinned mischievously.
"Old lady—" Before he could finish, Sara lunged, "Come here, you little twerp! Who are you calling an old lady?!!"
"Haha! No way in hell am I coming back!" Sehan bolted.
The boys, watching the chaos unfold, blinked, then burst into laughter.
Helios smiled, his gaze shifting to the chrysanthemums in the vase beside him. "I hope… you wake up healthy tomorrow." he simply prayed.
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