The next day crawled by, each passing hour dragging like a needle through the heart. Later that night, Poseidon finally woke up.
Sara rushed to Helios's room, calling out breathlessly, "Young Master Helios! Young Master Poseidon is awake! Sehan is waiting outside to take you to him—" But the moment she stepped inside, her voice faltered.
Helios lay curled up on his right side, sprawled over a prayer mat on the floor. His deep, steady snores filled the silent room.
Sara swallowed. "Heli?" she called softly, stepping closer. Kneeling beside him, she reached out, gently brushing back his disheveled hair, only to freeze at the sight of his face.
Helios's expression was unbearably fragile. His brows were furrowed, his lips slightly parted, his tear-streaked face glistening in the dim light, a portrait of exhaustion and silent pleading.
Sara's heart clenched. She hesitated, debating whether to wake him, but Sehan's voice stopped her, "Don't." She turned to see him standing in the doorway, arms crossed, his head resting against the frame.
"Let him sleep," Sehan murmured. "He barely got any rest this afternoon and studied till late. He has a match tomorrow too."
Sara nodded slowly. Instead of waking him, she reached out, gently running her fingers through his hair in comfort.
At her touch, Helios stirred. His brows knit together, his grip tightening around her hand as he whispered, almost desperately, "D-don't… Don't take him, God… Don't take my little brother away from me… Please… I love him so much… I have no other…"
Sara felt her throat tighten as fresh tears threatened to rise. Watching his trembling hands, his unconscious grief spilling into his sleep, made her heart ache. She gently rubbed his hand, her voice barely above a whisper, "Don't worry. It will be alright, love. He will be alright." She turned to Sehan, "And Poseidon?"
Sehan's expression was unreadable, his voice tinged with bitterness. "A little better. But a little is just that—a little. Nothing's working anymore. It looks like surgery is our only option now."
Sara exhaled shakily, her gaze softening as she looked at Helios, "Oh God… Please," she whispered, lowering her forehead to his. "End their hardships. Both of theirs. They're still just kids…" With that, she pressed a gentle kiss to his temple, offering what little comfort she could.
-----
The ninth match, the quarterfinals of the inter-academy nationals, had ended in triumph. Under Helios's leadership, the Eight Generation's Cricket Society secured another victory.
"Haha! The only team to reach the finals undefeated, with the highest run rate! Yes!!" Claude cheered.
"Ezekiel was absolutely insane today! A 230-run target in a T20 match? Unbelievable. 87 runs, kid?! You killed it!" Haadi ruffled Ezekiel's hair as the team made their way toward the hospital.
"Haha!" Ezekiel beamed with pride.
"Poseidon is going to be so happy! We made it to the semi-finals! I can't wait to tell him!" Mirza exclaimed, leaping onto a roadside block stand.
Helios, shaking his head with a grin, called out, "Easy there, Mirza. We can't have you falling into a pit before we even get there."
Ebraham, Azazel, and Lucifer exchanged amused glances before bursting into quiet laughter.
"Hey!" Mirza huffed in annoyance.
Helios, spotting the hospital in the distance, suddenly picked up his pace. "Hurry up!" he called back.
"H-Hey! Slow down a bit! Huff... at least catch your breath first!" Claude panted, bending over to rest his hands on his knees.
Azazel clapped his hands against Ezekiel's and chuckled, "Haha, tired already? No wonder you get out so early."
"You little brats…" Claude twitched his brow, annoyed.
"Not like they're wrong. Even Ezekiel's holding up better and he sleepwalks," Ebraham added with a smirk as he ran past Claude, leaving him behind.
"Tch! All of you, quit it!" Claude snapped, chasing after them.
They stormed into the hospital like a whirlwind, nearly flipping the place upside down. Darting through the hallways, they dodged patients and nurses.
"Whoa~ sorry, pretty lady," Haadi grinned as he steadied a nurse who had nearly fallen because of him.
"Tch, quit showing off already," Lucifer muttered, narrowly avoiding a mop bucket.
"Haha, serves you right," Mirza cackled.
Helios's eyes locked onto Sehan standing near his mother's room. "Sehan!" he called out.
Sehan turned, his expression shifting in surprise, "You boys?!"
"Haha, Sehan! We won! We made it to the semi-finals!" Ezekiel and Azazel surrounded him, their laughter infectious and unstoppable.
"Huh? Really?!" Sehan's face lit up as he congratulated them, exchanging high-fives all around.
From a short distance away, Helios smiled as he watched his teammates celebrate.
Then, a familiar voice called his name. "Helios…" He turned to see his father standing there, arms open. Without a second thought, Helios stepped forward and embraced him, letting the exhaustion, the struggle, and the load of the tournament momentarily fade away.
"Congratulations," Sahil murmured, patting his back, "I'm so proud of you."
Helios smiled against his father's shoulder, "Thanks, Father." Then, he hesitated before looking up at him, "Father…"
Before he could continue, Sahil gently patted his shoulder, "He's in his room. Go see him. And make sure you pass on this determination of yours to him, my little hero. Your patient needs it now more than ever." Despite the warmth in his words, his eyes held something deeper, disappointment, sorrow, and a flicker of helplessness.
Helios met his gaze and spoke softly but firmly, "Father… don't give up. Please. A doctor fights alongside the patient until the very last breath. We fight."
Sahil held his stare for a moment before nodding and squeezing his arm, "Yeah… Go now."
Helios took off running, his steps instinctively following the well-worn path he had run down countless times since childhood. The corridor stretched ahead, familiar light spilling in through the distant windows.
And there, sitting on the hospital bed, staring out into the world he longed for, was a frail figure. Icy white hair framing a thin, fragile frame. Helios's gaze softened, something warm and aching stirring within him as he heard the choked sobs.
Poseidon wept, harder than ever, his body wracked with grief. His hands trembled as he frantically wiped his tears away, as if by sheer will he could erase them, as if they had never fallen at all. Yet this time, he didn't try to hide. He let himself break. He cried openly, brazenly, as though it were the last time he would ever allow himself such a thing.
The IV drip beside him ticked away the seconds, a steady rhythm against the trembling of his hands. The cannulas buried in his veins served as a cruel reminder of his reality.
Helios stepped closer, standing silently by the bed. He knew Poseidon felt his presence. But today, there were no forced smiles, no false bravado. Poseidon did not pretend. "Stop it, Poseidon… You're only hurting yourself more," Helios murmured, his voice raw.
Poseidon shook his head violently. "No! Not today—hic—today, I will cry, I will sob until there's nothing left! And then, then I will never cry again!" His voice cracked as he continued, "I'm tired, Heli. I'm so… tired. What's the point of it all? They say I won't live past twenty. Then what am I supposed to do? Just sit here and accept it? I don't care anymore! I don't want to live! I-I'm tired of hoping!" His cries tore through the room.
The others had followed, but as they reached the doorway, they froze. Mirza, Sehan, Claude, and the rest stood still, wide-eyed, unwilling to believe the words they had just heard. No one dared to step forward. No one dared to interrupt.
Poseidon continued, his voice hoarse, "At first, it didn't matter. But ever since I met you, Ezekiel, the others. Ever since I started dreaming of playing in the World Cup with you all… I wanted to live. I wanted to study, to become someone important. I wanted to laugh with you, take care of Mom and Dad, uncle, aunt and Sehan. Make a hundred more memories. But I don't get that choice, do I? I don't want to leave! I don't want to die!" His hands clenched into fists, his tears falling faster.
Helios reached out, gripping Poseidon's arm. His own tears slipped down his face, but still, he smiled, a small, unwavering smile, "You won't. I promise you."
Poseidon shook his head again, refusing to believe. "I will! I will, Heli! That's the truth, isn't it? No matter what I want, it doesn't change anything!" His voice broke, and his porcelain-pale skin flushed red, his tear-filled blue eyes blazing with helpless anger.
Helios's hands trembled. His heart ached like a raw wound, thudding painfully against his ribs. He had never seen Poseidon like this. Never seen him crumble. Not once since they were kids. The strongest patient he had ever met, his dearest friend, had reached his breaking point.
"Tell me, Heli…" Poseidon choked out, gripping Helios's sleeve as if holding on for dear life. "When someone is powerless against fate… what are they supposed to do? Besides praying, what else is there?" His eyes burned with desperation, "And don't you dare tell me to just accept it!"