Helios exhaled, his expression softening. "My mother cried, Sehan," he admitted, "I've never seen her like that before. She's always been strong—always fighting. But just hearing Poseidon's name broke her. I… I wasn't expecting that."
Sehan tilted his head, "So, in a way, you are jealous."
Helios blinked, then shook his head with a small smile. "Idiot… she loves someone just like she loves me. Doesn't that mean I have a brother?" His voice was light, but his eyes shone with something pure, something hopeful.
Sehan's eyebrows lifted slightly. "H-huh?" He hadn't expected that response.
Helios chuckled, "If she cares about him so much, then I can't wait to meet him. It means I might have a friend who's like a brother to me."
Sehan blinked, then let out a whistle, "Wow. That was a total 180. I didn't think you'd take it that way."
Helios giggled, his earlier worries fading, "I've always wanted a brother, Sehan. Always, always! It's been my biggest wish."
"Well, he's coming now, isn't he? All the way from Greece?" Sehan asked.
Helios nodded excitedly.
Sehan grinned, then stood up and walked over to the garden.
Helios watched in curiosity as Sehan plucked a handful of freshly bloomed yellow chrysanthemums and returned, holding them out. "Then before he's your brother, you've got to make him your friend first, right?" Sehan said, placing the flowers in Helios' hands.
Helios clutched them to his chest, a bright smile spreading across his face. "Yeah… Thank you, Sehan!"
"Alright, break's over. I was supposed to teach you the Inswinger's grip today, wasn't I?" Sehan said as Helios stood up, trailing behind him with the ball.
Taking it from him, Sehan demonstrated the grip while Helios watched intently, absorbing every detail with eager fascination.
____
The next day, Helios somehow ended up tagging along with Sahil and Layla to the hospital after school. And, as always, Sehan wasn't far behind.
"You really enjoy skipping work, don't you?" Helios remarked with an amused look as they sat in the hospital garden, enjoying their ice cream.
"I didn't, young master," Sehan replied, feigning innocence, "Since you were so insistent on coming to the hospital, your father dragged me here. I'm completely blameless."
Helios shook his head with a small smile, recalling how persistently Sehan had reassured his parents that Helios would be safe in his company. Once they finished, Helios hopped off the bench.
"Where are you going?" Sehan asked.
"To throw this away," Helios replied, waving his empty ice cream stick before dashing off.
Sehan sighed as he stood up, mumbling to himself, "What an eco-friendly little guy." Then, raising his voice, he called after him, "Wait for me, Heli!"
A mischievous smile spread across Helios's lips as he turned around, "Then try to catch me!"
"Huh?!" Sehan blinked, nearly dropping the ice cream from his mouth, "Hold on—! How can you expect an old man like me to chase after a sprightly little kid like you?!"
"Old man? Haha, You're just 20!" Helios laughed, running backward while scanning his surroundings.
But in that instant, Sehan's eyes widened. Suddenly, the sharp wail of sirens filled the air. A group of nurses rushed forward, pushing a stretcher in a frenzy. The urgency in their movements sent a jolt of alarm through him. Helios, still running, was about to step onto the brick pathway—straight into their path.
"Watch out!" Sehan shouted, lunging forward. In the blink of an eye, he caught Helios around the waist and pulled him back into his arms, stumbling backwards but quickly alleviating his fall.
Startled, Helios instinctively grabbed onto Sehan's shoulder, his heartbeat quickening. "S-sorry," he stammered.
Sehan, however, barely registered his words. His gaze was fixed ahead, his face drained of color.
Helios turned to look and his breath hitched.
On the stretcher lay a young boy, his face as pale as death, hair white as snow, and body frail. Far weaker than any eight-year-old should be. Tears slipped down his cheeks, his small fists clenched tightly as he trembled in pain. He gasped for air, his breathing ragged and strained. Then, as if in slow motion, a tennis ball rolled from his hands, bouncing gently before stopping right at Sehan's feet.
Helios's eyes widened. He felt his body freeze, a fear unlike anything he had ever known washing over him. No words came out.
"Hurry! Get him inside now!" one of the male nurses shouted.
"Call Doctor Layla and Surgeon Sahil immediately!" another yelled.
"Poseidon's struggling to breathe. Apply an oxygen mask, now!"
"He's having a paralysis attack, we need first aid, ASAP!"
"The intensity is far greater than before, hurry!!"
For what felt like an eternity, Sehan and Helios stood motionless, watching as the boy was rushed inside. Then, as if snapping out of a nightmare, Sehan turned sharply to Helios, patting his back. "Hey, are you alright, little buddy…?!" he asked urgently. But instead of an answer, he saw tears trickling down Helios's face, falling to his chin as his small hands trembled against Sehan's shoulders.
If that was Poseidon… Helios didn't want to believe it.
"Hey, little guy," Sehan said, concern deepening in his voice. "You okay? You didn't hurt yourself, did you?"
Helios shook his head, hurriedly wiping his tears, but they wouldn't stop. He didn't even know why he was crying yet an agony he couldn't describe gripped him. "I-I'm fine. I don't know w-why I feel like this…" he choked out between sobs.
Sehan let out a breath and pulled him into a light embrace, "It's alright. Be strong, Heli. Be strong."
Helios clung to him and nodded weakly.
Just then, Sehan glanced down and noticed the ball at his feet. "Ah, looks like the boy dropped this earlier," he murmured.
Helios's gaze lowered, his hands slowly reaching out.
Sehan gently set him down, watching as Helios picked up the small green ball and held it close, carefully brushing off the dirt.
Sehan ruffled his hair, offering a small, reassuring smile, "He'll be fine, Heli. He'll wake up all fine, believe me and when he does, you should return it to him."
Helios nodded, his grip tightening around the ball, as he looked at the hospital ahead.
Sehan hesitated, rubbing the back of his head before finally exhaling and speaking. "Then… shall we head inside? Your mother… no, your father… no, both will be worried." His words were careful, uncertain, but Helios met them with an assured smile. Without hesitation, he took Sehan's hand, a quiet yet steadying gesture, "It's alright. I know they're busy. Let's go."
Sehan nodded, but as they walked, he couldn't ignore the faint tremble in Helios's grip. Without thinking, he squeezed his hand tighter, offering silent reassurance.
Inside, the hospital corridors were unnervingly calm. Perhaps the initial emergency had settled by the time they arrived. Still, as they made their way toward the emergency quarters, Helios swallowed hard. He rarely felt afraid. And yet, something had shifted within him in the past few moments. Something unfamiliar, something unsettling.
Then, he saw her. A woman sat just outside a hospital room, her body trembling as she struggled to control her sobs. Her brown hair cascaded over her shoulders, shaking hands attempting to wipe away tears that refused to stop. Her pain was raw, undisguised.
Helios didn't need to ask who she was. He knew. His father's presence confirmed it. Sahil stood beside her, surrounded by doctors, speaking in hushed tones. And in that instant, the realization struck like a bolt of lightning.
"That boy… that really was Poseidon," Sehan whispered, his voice mixed with quiet shock, "And she… she must be his mother."
"Aunt Karin…?" Helios murmured, eyes locked onto the grieving woman.
Sehan nodded.
Helios turned to him, determination settling in his gaze, "Can I go to her? I want to talk."
Sehan didn't hesitate, "Yeah, your father is there as well. Go."
With that, Helios moved forward, each step heavy, careful. As he approached, the hushed conversations became clearer, mentions of medications, IV treatments, the possibility of surgery… and the haunting uncertainty of a coma. A chill ran down his spine, yet he did not falter.
Sahil noticed him first, and despite the solemn atmosphere, his lips curled into a soft smile, "There he is."
At the sound of his voice, Karin turned. Her tear-streaked face lifted, her exhausted eyes widened as they locked onto the boy. She stared at him as though seeing something impossible, something unreal. A flicker of recognition sparked in her gaze, followed by disbelief, followed by… hope. Her voice cracked, barely above a whisper. "Helios Zadeh…?"
Helios smiled gently. He took another step forward, erasing the distance between them, "Yes, Aunt Karin. It's me. Helios Zadeh."
In an Instant, she pulled him into a desperate embrace. Her arms wrapped tightly around him, her sobs spilling freely as she clung to him like a lifeline. The depth of her grief, her fear, her exhaustion. She let it all go in that moment, pressing him against her as if he was her only salvation.