Claude stood up and stepped closer, "H-hey... Who told you that?"
"My mother..." Helios answered immediately, his voice barely above a breath. "She said we have to be strong, that this needs to happen. My father will perform the surgery, but..." His words trailed off, swallowed by hesitation.
Poseidon swallowed hard, his voice breaking, "B-but what?"
Helios didn't answer.
Ezekiel clutched the sheets tightly, his hands trembling.
"Helios, what is it? Say it. Please," Ebraham placed a steadying hand on Helios' back, urging him.
Helios inhaled sharply before finally speaking, "It's a fifty-fifty chance," he admitted, "It's an experimental neurological surgery… with high risk."
Silence fell over the room, heavy and suffocating.
Poseidon's breath hitched, his pupils blown wide. The words felt unreal, the world tilting beneath him.
Claude, Mirza, Haadi, Ebraham, and Ezekiel all went rigid, their minds struggling to process what had just been said.
Ezekiel shook his head, his voice barely audible, "C-captain…?" His disbelief hung thick in the air, "W-what are you saying?"
Helios lowered his head, the strength draining from him.
Claude clenched his trembling fist. "You're joking, right...? After everything he's endured, after fighting for so long. This is what he has to hear now?!"
"Hey, calm down," Mirza tried to reason, but Claude snapped, "Tch, calm down?! How do you expect me to—?!"
Before he could finish, Poseidon clutched his chest, his breathing turning erratic. The beeping of the heart monitor spiked.
"Poseidon?!" Haadi shot to his feet, rushing to his side.
The room seemed to close in on Poseidon. His breath came in ragged gasps, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. Experimental neurological surgery... Fifty-fifty chance... The words echoed in his head, spiraling out of control. Since when? Why? Wasn't he getting better? Wasn't he fighting?Then why— "Why...?" His voice was barely a whisper, choked and broken.
Mirza and Haadi moved in, their hands steadying him. Mirza rubbed his back, while Haadi gently wiped his forehead with his sleeve.
"Hey, calm down. Please..." Helios whispered, his voice betraying his own attempt at composure.
"Easy, easy. Don't think about it right now," Mirza soothed, "We'll find a way."
"Ezekiel, pour me a glass of water, quick!" Haadi instructed Ezekiel urgently.
Ezekiel, still shaken, hurried to comply, passing the glass with unsteady hands, his thoughts spiraled, "Why him? Why… again? Why does everyone I care for, end up that way?"
Poseidon's entire body trembled, the heart monitor beeping erratically.
"Shh... Just breathe, slowly, slowly," Ebraham murmured, guiding his breathing.
But Poseidon felt like it was useless. His chest ached, his world was unraveling. He stared at Helios, gripping his hand tightly, as if holding onto him would stop him from sinking. He had fought so hard. Again and again, always pushing back against despair. Always enduring it. So why… why did it always return?
Claude gritted his teeth, "And... when is the surgery?"
Helios, staring down at Poseidon's trembling hand in his own, exhaled softly. "Whenever Poseidon is ready..." His voice barely carried across the room.
Poseidon swallowed, fear clawing at his throat. But then, despite everything, a bitter scoff escaped him. A resigned one. Like deep down, he had always known—always expected—that fate would twist against him again.
"Poseidon?" Helios and the others looked at him, confused.
Poseidon turned away, slipping his hand from Helios' grasp. "I'm... tired. Let me rest." His voice was firm, almost an order. A clear demand for solitude.
"A-alright... Let's sleep," Haadi forced a smile, trying to ease the tension.
Mirza helped Poseidon adjust, but as he lay down, he turned toward the window, his silence cold and hollow.
The others exchanged uncertain glances, nodding to each other in quiet reassurance. Mirza, catching sight of Ezekiel, who stood visibly shaken, gave him a small, tired smile. "Don't worry. Let's sleep for tonight. We'll figure the rest out tomorrow."
Claude however turned away and stepped toward the door, "Helios, come with me."
Helios hesitated, glancing at Poseidon one last time.
Haadi placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry, we'll take care of him."
With a small nod, Helios followed Claude outside.
The night air was sharper, colder, almost biting against their skin. Yet, neither spoke a word. Helios leaned against a pillar, staring into the distance, the recent moments replaying in his mind like a broken record.
Claude, first to break the silence, sighed, "How long have you been keeping this from us?"
Still gazing ahead, Helios let out a quiet, almost bitter chuckle, "Fifteen days. Maybe more. I've lost track."
Claude exhaled sharply, "You're insane. You should have told us. At least then, we could've carried this burden with you."
Helios' fingers curled against the cold stone. "I didn't want to believe it, Claude. I kept quiet because I was waiting. Waiting for my mother to tell me I was wrong. Waiting for things to change. I waited… for a miracle." His voice was heavy, carrying helpless hope.
Claude swallowed, his fists clenching at his sides.
Still, Helios smiled, softly, wistfully, "He's my little brother, Claude. I cherish him more than I cherish myself. He was my parents' first patient with Guillain Barre Syndrome, but to me, he's the strongest fighter I've ever met. My best friend. The one I've dreamed with, countless dreams."
His voice wavered, his grip tightening against his sleeve, "So tell me, how was I supposed to be the one to tell him? After all the encouragement I gave him, after everything we fought for, how could I be the one to say that his life now depends on a high-risk neurological surgery?" His voice cracked at the final words.
Claude grit his teeth, fists trembling, but he understood. They had been together since childhood so how could he not know Helios' sincere wishes and heart?
Claude didn't respond with words. Instead, he closed the space between them, pulling Helios into a firm yet grounding embrace.
A silence hung, as Helios blinked ever so slightly, allowing his strong façade to waver. If only for a moment.
"Then let's win the Inter-Academy Nationals, Captain. And support Poseidon with everything we've got, okay?" Claude asked steadily.
Helios returned the embrace, patting Claude's back, "Of course. That goes without saying."
Claude chuckled lightly, his grip tightening for just a second, "You never give up, Helios. No matter what. You're ridiculously strong. It always made me wonder, are you even human?" He let out a shaky breath, "But now I see… you're the most human of us all. Your determination isn't just something you were born with. It's something you built, something you made unbreakable. That's why…" His voice dropped into a whisper, thick with emotion, "Let me be selfish, just this once. Share that strength with us too."
Helios smiled, rubbing his back. "Take it. It's all yours." He whispered selflessly.
Claude pulled back, wiping at his eyes with a huff, "Damn it, don't say it that way, I might actually start crying, idiot!"
A quiet chuckle escaped Helios.
Claude smiled too, "Let's do this, alright?"
"Yeah," Helios nodded, his heart steady and unwavering. No matter what lay ahead, he would face it—strong, resilient, firm.
_____
With the inter-academy nationals in full swing, Helios's days were packed. Balancing daily group matches with academics drained him, leaving little room for anything else. Since that night, he and Poseidon hadn't spoken.
It was surprising, but Poseidon was caught up in his rehabilitation. Whenever Helios visited, he would either be asleep or occupied with checkups, and when Poseidon had a moment, Helios would be pulled away by more pressing matters.
And so, days turned into weeks.
After securing his sixth consecutive victory, Helios sank into the car seat, resting his head against the cool windowpane. His eyes grew heavy, but each jolt in the road roused him before he could fully drift into sleep.
Sehan glanced at him from the driver's seat. "You alright?" he asked.
Helios nodded sluggishly, "Yeah… Just a little tired."
"Congratulations on the win," Sehan said, offering encouragement.
Helios hummed in response before opening his eyes. "How's Mama? And everyone else?"
"They're doing well. No need to worry," Sehan replied with light smile.
Helios hesitated before asking, "And Poseidon?"
Sehan exhaled, "You saw him last night. How did he seem?"
Helios shook his head, "He was asleep again. I didn't get to talk to him." His voice dropped into a weary whisper, "He's getting weaker too…"
Sehan sighed, "That's because he's barely eating."
Helios's drowsiness vanished in an instant, "What?"
"He hardly speaks. Doesn't smile. Just stares out the window for hours. And now he's lost his appetite too. Learning about the surgery really shook him. His seizures have gotten worse. He had one this morning, out of nowhere while exercising."
A wave of panic surged through Helios, "Sehan, can you take me to the hospital?"
Sehan blinked, "Huh? But—"
"Please," Helios urged, his voice edged with desperation, "I need to see him. I know he's struggling to accept this, but not eating will only make things worse. Please, I have to talk to him."
Sehan exhaled, "I can but he's not awake right now."
Helios's breath hitched, "W-why…?"
"The seizure this morning left him with temporary upper body paralysis. He lost consciousness and hasn't woken up yet," Sehan told.
Helios's eyes widened, his irises trembling as his gaze darted around in helpless confusion. "Upper body paralysis…? Why? It never happened…?" his thoughts spiraled. Slowly, he leaned back against the seat, his fists clenched. His arm came up to cover his eyes, his jaw gritted.
Sehan watched him with quiet concern. From the way Helios looked, it felt like he was barely holding back tears. But what could he do?
"Rest for now, kid," Sehan murmured, "Once Poseidon wakes up, I promise I'll take you to him."
Helios didn't argue. He didn't have the strength left to.