Lith froze, staring at Marth with his eyes wide open before Vastor's voice forced him to turn around.

"I have to agree with Marth. If only we caught the disease earlier or if the child could survive even a few months after birth, then there would be a flimsy chance of success, but as it is, there's nothing we could do." Vastor wiped a lonely tear from his eye.

Age had made him softer in more than one way.

"Quylla?" Lith's voice was so thin that it was barely audible.

"Professor Vastor is right, Lith." Quylla shook her head. "To not negatively affect the mother and the other children, it would take months of therapy. After birth, even with a dozen Healers providing the baby with life force, he can't live without lungs.

"If we cure him fast enough to allow the child to breathe, his body will die because of the excessive stress the procedure requires. If we take it slow, he will simply choke to death."

Lith's knees buckled and it was only thanks to his friends that he managed to sit on the porch instead of falling to the ground.

"This is in no way anyone's fault." Marth said. "You and Tista couldn't predict this would happen. Heck, no one could. Diagnosing a fetus is already hard because of the link with the mother, but triplets is a mess.

"To make matters worse, the lungs form late and the disease has progressed at an uncanny speed. Unless one cast Scanner on a daily basis, it was impossible to spot the Strangler in time."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Vastor opened a Warp Steps and disappeared, quickly followed by Marth.

Quylla would have done the same, but Lith was refusing to let go of her hand.

"I'm terrible as a grief counselor and if I stay here one more minute, Rena is bound to hear me crying." She said.

Just like the two Professors, Quylla wasn't eager to leave out of indifference, but because she knew that nothing she could say would make Lith feel better. As Healers, they dealt with death on a daily basis.

Losing a patient was a feeling they had grown numb to, but when it happened to one of their own it was still as bad as the first time. It reminded them of their mortality and made them want to spend more time with their own families.

"Good, because I don't need a grief counselor. The reason why I kept you here is that you're more than a genius Healer. You're a genius Healer who knows who I really am." Lith's eyes were focused again and his voice was firm.

"I don't see how being a hybrid might help your sister. Sure, casting silent magic is a nice advantage over us humans, but our spells still follow the same principle. I've known you long enough to recognize your 'I've got a plan' face, but you can't outsmart a disease." Quylla said.

"Maybe and maybe not. To succeed I need more information on the Strangler and four Healers. I know just the place where I can get both." Without letting Quylla's hand go, Lith opened a Warp Gate while announcing his arrival via the communication amulet.

The exit point led them inside Faluel's lair. The Hydra was intrigued by the sudden call for help and had prepared several spells to face whoever had dared defy her authority in her own turf.

A single young woman yelping in fear and awe at the sight of her majestic body wasn't how Faluel had pictured the Council's goons. On top of that, the unknown woman wasn't even an Awakened.

"Well, that's definitely not the kind of life and death situation I was expecting." Faluel said after Lith had explained everything to her.

"Can you tell me anything about the Strangler disease that can help me with my nephew and more importantly, is it possible to save him?" Lith asked.

"First things first." Faluel assumed her human form while conjuring a redwood table, comfortable armchairs, and a hot beverage for everyone. Lith was too tense and Quylla to scared to make any sense. "Who is she and what does she know?"

Faluel now looked like a young woman in her mid-twenties, about 1.7 meters (5'7") tall. Her face had an oval shape, with rainbow-colored eyes and long hair of seven different colors that framed her fine features.

Quylla knew plenty of regular girls as pretty as Faluel now was. Yet the simple grace of her slender body seemed to be perfectly attuned with her demeanor, making the final result much more stunning than the sum of the single parts.

"My name is Quylla Ernas, your Ladyship. I'm a friend of Lith's and I know he is a hybrid." She said.

Faluel looked at Lith, asking him a silent question to which he answered by shaking his head.

"Nice to meet you, Quylla. My name is Faluel the Hydra and I'm Lith's mentor in the arts of Healing and Forgemastering. I wish we met in happier circumstances and earlier in your life. It's such a pity." Faluel's words puzzled both her guests.

'Quylla's mana core is bright blue with a tinge of purple. Probably she's beyond the point Faluel could Awaken her.' Solus thought.

"Now let's get to business. A Healer doesn't live for hundreds of years without treating the Strangler disease several times, so I know everything about it. Contrary to what humans think, it affects both genders.

"The reason why you never encountered it in a male is that it kills them in the womb way before the ninth month and it's always mistaken for a simple miscarriage." Faluel said.

'Dammit! The Strangler must be a genetic disorder linked to the X chromosome like hemophilia, but worse since it manifests even in females.' Lith thought.

"How can the baby be still alive, then?" He asked.

"Because of your blood." Faluel pointed her finger at Lith. "The same power that makes you who you are also flows inside your sister. Over time, your treatments made her stronger while weakening the dormant disease at the same time."

"Are you saying that it's because all the members of my family are potential hybrids?" Lith asked.

"Perhaps. Up to this moment, only your blood Awakened. Time will tell us if you are the rule or the exception." The Hydra said.

'Fuck me sideways. I don't know whether to hope Faluel is just speaking about the consequences of me using Invigoration on the members of my family or that being a hybrid is a trait we all share.' Lith thought.

"Is there anything we can do to save the kid?"

"I've successfully treated similar cases in magical beasts, but never in humans. Their bodies are much weaker so I can't guarantee you anything." Faluel replied.

"How?" Quylla was flabbergasted. "I mean, cubs come in litters and it takes one Healer for each patient. How could you do it?"

"With my seven heads, I alone can do the work of six Healers at the same time. Seven if it's a real crisis." Faluel usually preferred to keep one head free to use Invigoration. Each one of her heads was capable of independent action, but they all drew power from a single mana core.