Iode was stunned when he heard Reggie's voice beside him. Moments later, Nivea, Amica and Madam Begonia entered the room.
"Uh… where am I?" he asked, visibly confused.
"You're in a hospital, silly," Nivea said.
"And all this?" Iode glanced at the tubes in his wrist and the oxygen mask on his face. "What are these? This mask… it's making me feel… I don't really know…"
"You collapsed and were brought here," Amica said, her tone gentle. "Iode, you were unconscious for three days. We were all so worried."
"Hmph. Took him long enough to wake up," Reggie snorted.
"Says the one who was the most worried," Amica replied with a smirk.
"I wasn't worried," Reggie muttered, looking away.
"Really?"
---
*Flashback
"Methuselah has collapsed! What are we going to do? Is he going to be alright?!"
"Methuselah hasn't woken up yet! What's happening—whaaaa!"
"Methuselah, please wake up. Please wake up… don't leave us!"
*End of Flashback
"I didn't do any of that," Reggie said, pouting with a faint blush. "I knew he'd wake up. Just… didn't think it would take this long."
Chuckles
"You were the one who carried him all the way to the university infirmary," Nivea teased. "Iode, you should've seen his face—he was drenched in sweat, running like a madman. I've never seen him that nervous!"
"Hmph." Reggie turned his face away, blushing.
"I too was worried," Madam Begonia added. "When I got the report about your collapse and the transfer from the school infirmary to the general hospital… it was alarming."
Just then, the door opened, and a doctor in a white coat entered, a stethoscope hanging around his neck.
"You're awake. Thank goodness," the doctor said, then began checking Iode's pulse and other vitals. "Well, his signs are stable and he responded well to treatment. However, he'll need to stay a few more days for observation."
"Thank you, doctor," Madam Begonia replied with a polite nod.
---
A few days later, Iode was freed from the oxygen mask and IV lines. He was called into the doctor's office, accompanied by Madam Begonia.
The doctor sat across from them and folded his hands.
"Iode has a rare condition called Granulomatosis with polyangiitis," he began. "It's an autoimmune disorder that causes inflammation of blood vessels in the nose, throat, lungs, and other organs. From the scans, it seems he's had this issue for some time."
"He's going to be alright, isn't he?" Madam Begonia asked, worried. "What medication does he need?"
"Unfortunately, there is no permanent cure. It's a lifelong condition. But with proper treatment, the disease can go into remission. He'll need to stay on prescribed medication and come in for regular monitoring."
Iode said nothing. He noticed the sadness in Madam Begonia's eyes. To humans, this disease—whatever the doctor called it—was mysterious and incurable.
But he knew better.
This wasn't some random sickness. It was the price of a warrior's fury.
A technique meant for last stands—where one pours all of their life force into a final, devastating attack. A suicide move.
Iode had used it against Queen Bathsheba, intending to sacrifice himself to protect his tribe from the Valkyries. But his plan failed. The Queen had shielded him—ironically saving him from himself.
Still, both had paid dearly.
Bathsheba lost all feeling in her left leg and had to halt her conquest. Iode, however, was cursed with a chronic illness that bled him from within. He had briefly overcome it by diving into forbidden magic—but only temporarily. That magic had to be renewed every two years to extend his life.
Later, when he used warrior's fury again—this time against a cyclops—it drained him further. And Hades, angered by Iode's actions in the underworld, cursed him as well. The combination accelerated his condition.
Now, having lost the will to live—after accepting the death of his wife and children—he no longer sought to renew the spell. If death came, so be it. At least then, he could join them in the afterlife.
The ride back to the Raubenheimer mansion was silent.
When they stepped through the front door, the household was waiting.
"WELCOME BACK, IODE! WE MISSED YOU!" a huge banner stretched across the ceiling.
Confetti and glitter rained down. Iode flinched slightly, but then smiled—softly, genuinely.
Among the crowd, Reggie held up another banner:
"THE DISEASE LOVES YOU—BUT WE LOVE YOU MORE!"
He beamed. "Iode, read this!"
Everyone turned and stared at him.
'Typical Reggie. No wonder he was hiding it.'
"Reggie… must you write that first part?" Nivea asked.
"Yes!" he exclaimed. "It shows how much we love him—more than any sickness or curse. The hospital tried to keep him, but our love brought him back!"
"Can you just be quiet?" Amica said flatly. "We're having a heartfelt moment."
Reggie shot her a playful glare. "No."
Everyone sighed.
---
That night, Iode lay in his room, staring at the ceiling. Thoughts weighed heavily on him—until two familiar shadows appeared from the corner of the room.
He groaned. "What in Heaters' name are you two doing here? I just got back. Isn't it a bit early for shenanigans?"
"We came to see you," Nivea said innocently.
"You've seen me all day. You can leave now."
"It's about your sickness, Methuselah," Reggie said.
"If you're trying to convince me to prolong my life, don't bother. I'm done. When my time comes, I'll go. At least then I'll see my family again."
"We told you before… you can see them again," Nivea said.
He scoffed. "My kids are dead. My wife is dead. What's the point? They're gone. If I see them again, it'll be because I died too. That's the only way."
Reggie grinned slyly. "Actually, you can bring them back to life."
Iode raised an eyebrow.
"The only catch," Reggie added, "is that you need Hades' permission."
Iode stared at them.
"Right, you did hurt Cerberus," Nivea murmured. "Hades should've been furious. Surprised he didn't toss you in Tartarus or give you some eternal punishment…"
"He did curse me," Iode said quietly. "Worsened my condition. But… then he said he acknowledged me. If Nyx hadn't intervened, who knows what might've happened."
"Wait… did you just say Hades acknowledged you?" Nivea blinked. "And Nyx stood up for you?"
"Yes. Is that a problem?"
Reggie and Nivea turned to each other, stunned. They exchanged a long, loaded stare.
Then, as one, they asked:
"Who are you?!"