Qing’s Quest 3: Chapter 68 - Homecoming

As reality reasserted itself, Qing jerked to with a shock, water surrounding him on all sides. He opened his eyes and barely stopped himself from screaming.

I'm trapped!

The water tank was still there. Nobody had come to rescue him.

The storage unit's dim light filtered through the glass, distorting his view of the cramped space. He kicked up, just to bang his head against a solid lid, panic seizing him.

He kicked and punched at the glass walls, his movements sluggish in the water.

Outside the tank, Ghida pounded frantically on the glass. Her face contorted with desperation as she pushed against the heavy cylinder, trying to topple it. But it remained stubbornly upright, too massive for her to move.

His lungs burned, screaming for air.

As his vision swam from lack of oxygen, Qing cursed himself.

I should've taken a different spell and just brought a health potion for meimei!

Suddenly, light flooded the storage unit as the door creaked open.

Qing's heart raced with fear.

Blaine? His followers?

The thought of being forced to watch them take Ghida while he drowned sent a fresh wave of panic through him.

Seven figures entered the unit. Qing's eyes widened in horror as several of them grabbed Ghida.

He screamed then, the precious air bubbling from his lungs, the sound muffled by the water, as he hammered helplessly against the glass.

Then, without warning, the cylinder tipped, and Qing hit his head on the way down.

As the aquarium crashed onto the concrete floor, it shattered, water and glass bursting outwards, spilling Qing onto the ground. He gasped and coughed, desperately gulping in air.

"Yes! We did it!" someone shouted. The group cheered and high-fived each other.

"We got your message," one of them explained, grinning, helping Qing to his feet. "I'm Mikal. This is Bavin, Galahad, Saskia, Kadin, and Avian. And Jean is the geo guesser who found the storage unit!"

"Thank you so much for coming," Qing said, relief flooding through him. "Are we safe here?"

Bavin nodded. "We've got two police cars outside, part of the Chicagoans. The Blainers ran at the first sight of the boys in blue."

Qing reached for Ghida, and brought her into a tight hug, kissing her.

"God, what a welcome," she said.

"Welcome, princess," Saskia said, doing an awkward bow. "Not sure if that's the right way of greeting a Zylphadian princess, but I just wanted to say I'm a huge fan, and so happy you decided to come to Earth!"

"Fan?" Ghida asked.

"Means someone who admires another person, like a follower of a famous knight or king," Galahad said, smiling at Ghida.

"Oh, I see," she said, though Qing wasn't quite convinced she did.

"Do you know where my family is? Are they safe?" Qing asked, his voice hoarse from his close encounter.

"Your parents are safe, but..." Mikal trailed off.

"But what?"

"Your sister," Avian said softly.

Qing's heart clenched. "What about her!? Is she still alive!?"

"Barely," Bavin said. "They just reported on the radio that she's dying."

Ghida squeezed Qing's hand and stepped forward. "Take us to his sister, now."

  *

Qing's heart raced as he sat in the back of the police car, its siren wailing through the Chicago streets.

I hope the champions GG cuts contact with may still return home once they complete their quests…

The familiar sounds and sights of his hometown felt weird after having become accustomed to the fantastical but medieval world of Elrydisan. Ghida pressed close to him, her eyes wide as she stared out the window, trying to view everything all at once.

While he took some comfort in her warmth, his emotions were a complete chaos.

Did I wait too long? Should I have gone immediately, directly from Hell? What if she's already dead?

At least he had picked the right item. Most likely.

The ring fit perfectly on his finger, but when he'd tried casting Divine Light, it failed. He thought it was due to lack of mana, with him having none to regenerate, and hoped the special ability would work. But he couldn't afford to test it until he was actually next to his little sister.

The uncertainty was killing him.

"What are those enormous structures? They reach higher than any castle I've ever seen!" Ghida asked, talking loud to be heard above the siren as she pointed.

"Those are called skyscrapers," Qing said, his own gaze drawn upwards to the familiar silhouettes against the night sky. "Kind of a silly name for them really, but they are normal buildings here. People work in them and some people live there."

Ghida's gaze darted from one marvel to another, her head swivelling so quickly Qing worried she might get whiplash. "And what did you call this thing again? We are moving so swiftly."

"A car," Qing said, a small smile tugging at his lips despite his worry. "We use them for everything. Moving stuff and people. They replaced horses, actually. And they're machines, not magic, powered by... well, it's complicated."

"How can Earth be so different?" Ghida asked. "Just look at that painting!" Her finger pressed against the window, leaving a smudge on the glass.

Mikal leaned back from the front seat, his expression a mixture of amusement and sympathy. "That's an electronic billboard. It's used for advertising products and services. Think of it as a merchant's sign, but much bigger and able to change."

"Changing pictures?" Ghida said, frowning. "I…" She looked at Qing. "It seems there is a lot for me to learn here. Maybe more than there was for you."

Qing chuckled. "At least you won't need to learn magic. That sucked."

As they sped towards the hospital, Qing found himself looking out the window, seeing Earth through Ghida's eyes, marvelling at the wonders of modern technology. Yet beneath his impromptu tour guide role, anxiety for his little sister gnawed at his insides, and he wished for the car to speed up.

Ghida's eyes widened at a passing elevated train, the screech of metal on metal piercing through the closed windows and she clutched his arm tightly. "Qing, is that a dragon? It moves like a serpent through the sky!"

The policewoman driving couldn't help but chuckle. "No, mam, that's called the 'L'." Her voice was calm despite driving at breakneck speed, one cop car in front, and several other Chicagoans following behind in civilian cars. "It's just another form of transportation, like a really long car that runs on raised tracks. It carries lots of people around the city."

Ghida's mouth formed an 'O' as she kept staring.

Then the night erupted into chaos.

The police car ahead exploded in a deafening blast, a fiery mushroom cloud billowing upward, bathing the street in a hellish glow. The shockwave slammed into their vehicle, rattling windows and knocking Qing against his seat.

"Ambush! Everyone brace!" the policewoman screamed, wrenching the steering wheel, sending their car swerving violently to avoid the flaming wreckage. Tires screeched.

A high-pitched whistle preceded a rocket-propelled grenade streaking past them, exploding against a nearby building. The detonation shook the ground, showering the street with chunks of concrete and glass. Dust and debris enveloped them, reducing visibility to near zero.

"Blainers!" Mikal shouted into a walkie-talkie, his face illuminated by the flickering flames. "Heavy weaponry!"

Automatic gunfire erupted from both sides of the street with bullets pinging off the car's metal frame, punching holes through doors and shattering what remained of the glass. The staccato of gunfire was deafening, drowning out the distant wail of sirens.

Qing's heart hammered in his chest as he lunged over Ghida, pressing her down between the seats. "Stay down!" he yelled, his voice barely audible over the chaos.

"Qing, what is happening?" Ghida's eyes were wide, not with fear, but with a fiery determination.

"Blaine's followers," he said, frustration and anger boiling within him. "They're here to kill me!"

And they are stopping us from reaching Meimei.

The policewoman grabbed the radio, her hands shaking. "Officer down! Multiple hostiles at the intersection of Lake and Wells! Request immediate backup! We are under heavy fire!"

The car behind screeched to a halt next to them, forming a V, and Bavin ripped open the door on Ghida's side.

The acrid smell of burnt rubber filling the air.

"We're pinned down!" he shouted, helping Ghida out. Then he stood, ar-15 shouldered, and snapped off several rounds toward the muzzle flashes flickering in the shadows.

The scent of smoke and gunpowder filled the air, stinging their eyes and throats.

"They've blocked off both ends of the street!" Jean said, crouched behind the engine block, pulling the pin from a grenade with swift, practiced movements, and lobbing it towards the enemy.

A rhythmic thumping sound grew louder, the air vibrating with each beat.

Qing's fists clenched as the grenade blew. The scream of their enemies punctuating how helpless he was, and each second felt like an eternity lost as his sister's life slipped away.

We don't have time for this.

"We need to move or we're toast!" Mikal said, leaning into the cop car and shooting through its broken windshield.

Ghida ducked as a bullet zipped past, but her jaw was set. "No. We have to fight," she said.

"It's too dangerous!" Qing said, grabbed her arm. "Without my abilities, I can't protect you."

I am fucking useless here.

But Ghida's eyes blazed with fire. "Then let me protect you."

Before he could tell her how outgunned they were, a sleek black helicopter appeared over the rooftops, its searchlight piercing through the smoke and dust. The downdraft whipped debris around them, a maelstrom of chaos.

Mikal's face paled.

The helicopter hovered above, a menacing presence.

"Welcome back, Qing!"

His stomach dropped.

Despite the loudspeaker's distortion, there was no doubt as to whose voice it was. Paul, Blaine's second in command, slid open the helicopter's side door, revealing him manning a mounted machine gun. His small eyes locked onto them, a predatory grin spreading across his headset-wearing face.

Damn. I'd hoped I killed him with the pen to the neck.

Ghida's gaze never wavered. "I can stop that bird," she said, her voice steady amid the chaos.

Qing shook his head. "No! They'll kill you before you get a chance!"

The machine gun roared to life, unleashing a hail of bullets. The sound was thunderous, reverberating off the buildings. Cars exploded as Paul painted a circle around them, flames erupting into the night sky. The heat was intense, waves of it rolling over them.

"Long live the Blainolution!" he shouted, laughing, seeming to enjoy the moment.

"Trust me," Ghida said. "I got a plan."

Before he could protest further, she stood up, hair whipping around her face from the helicopter's downdraft. Bullets from the ambushers zipped past, one grazing her shoulder, another tearing her sleeve.

She didn't flinch.

"Brave bitch you brought!" Paul laughed over the loudspeaker as he trained the machine gun on her, finger tightening on the trigger.

Qing watched as time seemed to slow, the cacophony fading into the background.

Then, with a fierce cry, Ghida thrust her hand forward and a colossal Fireball burst forth, blazing toward the helicopter.

Paul's eyes widened. "Evasive manoeuvres!" he screamed, but it was too late.

The Fireball struck the helicopter's rear and a fiery explosion engulfed the aircraft. The helicopter spun out of control, smoke and flames trailing as it descended, Paul hanging out by a strap.

The ground trembled as the helicopter crashed into a nearby building, and the structure groaned before collapsing in a thunderous roar, sending a cloud of dust crashing over them.

Qing scrambled over to Ghida as Mikal and Jean sprinted left, grasping the opportunity to flank the enemy.

She breathed heavy, one hand covering her bleeding shoulder. He caught her as she stumbled. "Are you okay?"

"Just... a bit tired," she said. "I didn't expect casting magic here to be so... intense."

He pulled her into an embrace, relief flooding through him. "You were incredible," he murmured, holding her tightly.

The distant sound of sirens grew louder, the flashing lights of emergency vehicles painting the smoke-filled sky in hues of red and blue.

A series of gunshots filled the street, followed by cries, and then Bavin slid down next to them. "We need to move, now! The whole city's gonna be here soon."

Qing nodded, his resolve hardening. "We have to get to the hospital."

They piled into a bullet-hole-riddled SUV whose engine still purred with life, as they sped away from the devastation, they passed the downed helicopter, and Paul's headless body.

Then Qing looked back. The street was unrecognisable. A war zone in the heart of the city, with flames licking at the night sky. Chicago's very own hell.

Ghida rested her head on his shoulder. "Did we... hurt anyone innocent?" she asked softly.

Qing's gaze was distant. "I don't know," he said. "Probably. But we didn't start that."

"You certainly finished it though," Bavin said. "I can't believe you've got actual magic!"

"I didn't have a choice." Ghida said. "We need to save Qing's sister. That's what matters now."

Qing looked up at the sky, searching for the familiar feeds amongst the multitudes. The images were so much larger now.

A third of the champions removed. Fewer feeds to blot out the sky.

He found Blaine's first, showing him on a world populated by dog-like people. As Qing watched, Blaine cut down one wearing a crown. A pack of the creatures jumped him, but Qing doubted he'd be lucky enough for Blaine to die on some foreign world.

Then Qing spotted his own feed.

His heart nearly stopped as he read the timer: 29 days, 23 hours, and 32 minutes remaining until the next quest.

A wave of emotions washed over Qing. Relief, joy, and a touch of disbelief mingled in his chest.

Fuck. I wonder how many there are.

Previously, he'd only had an hour at a time at home.

Now, he had nearly a full month.

His chance to reconnect with the world, plan how to survive his next quest, how to stop Blaine, and how to make Quaxinor'ay regret ever leaving his initial hard drive.

But, most importantly, to be there for his family and sister.

If only he could get to her in time.

  *

The car raced past sandbags and chainlink fences, waved through by uniformed troops with machine guns, and screeched to a halt, tires smoking against the asphalt. Qing barely waited for it to stop before he was out, Ghida hot on his heels.

The hospital loomed before them, a stark white monolith against the Chicago skyline, riddled with bullet holes.

Qing burst through the sliding doors into a bustling emergency room, the smell of antiseptic assaulting his nostrils.

"Where's my sister?" he blurted out, then immediately felt foolish as armed soldiers turn to glare at him.

How can they possibly know who I am or why I'm here?

To his immense relief, a nurse waved them down and called out, "Can't you see that's Qing!" before moving and calling for him to follow.

He sprinted after her, Ghida keeping pace. The corridors seemed endless, twisting and turning. For a moment, Qing wished desperately for his Blink ability, missing the agility it had provided. The hallways seemed to narrow, stretching out before him like the nightmarish visions of Hell's Howling Expanse.

Then, finally, the nurse waved them into a room.

Qing's heart clenched at the sight.

His parents and grandmother stood around a bed.

In it lay his little sister, a frail figure dwarfed by machines and tubes.

Meimei.

Sobs filled the air, accompanied by the steady, unbroken beep of a heart monitor whose line has gone flat and unmoving.

"No," Qing said, stumbling forward, pushing away his parents. "Meimei! This can't be happening!"

He activated his ring's special ability and mana flooded through him. Without hesitation, he cast Divine Light.

But nothing happened.

Panic rising, he cast it again.

Still nothing.

"Why isn't it healing her?" he asked desperately, looking around the room. "It's healed everything else... except..."

He thought back to Kaela in the cemetery. But her body had been healed too much. It wasn't the same. Here, his little sister was simply… dead.

The realisation hit him like a punch to the gut.

Divine Light couldn't resurrect.

But this wasn't a medieval world. This was modern Chicago.

He turned to the nurse and grabbed her arm. "Shock her heart," he demanded.

"It's too late," she said, wincing, pulling on her arm. "I am so sorry."

"Do it, goddammit!" Qing shouted, his voice raw with emotion. "I've fought through literal hell to be here. Shock. Her. Damn. Heart!"

"Listen to him," Ghida said, peeling Qing's hand off the nurse, and taking it in hers. "He's usually right."

The nurse looked to the doctor, who shrugged and nodded.

"Get a crash cart!" the nurse yelled.

Tears streamed down Qing's face.

His mother reached for him, but he waved her away.

Not now. Not yet.

"Qing-a-ling, there's—"

"Do not call me that!" Qing said, screaming.

His father took a step towards him, but Qing's glare stopped him in his tracks. The man recoiled, shock etched across his face as if facing an elite demon.

Qing's grandmother reached out, her weathered hand trembling in the air between them. Qing shook his head sharply, and she nodded.

She understood.

He had to try.

Qing stood rigid, his eyes fixed on Meimei's lifeless form, Ghida squeezing his hand as they waited.

Finally, the crash cart arrived, its wheels squeaking across the linoleum floor. The medical team sprang into action, positioning the defibrillator pads on his sister's chest.

"Clear!"

The machine whined, then zapped. Nothing happened.

Qing turned to the medical team, speaking with the authority he'd gained leading armies in Elrydisan. "Shock her again."

The doctor hesitated, then nodded. "Charging... Clear!"

They shocked her again. And this time, a single beep came, followed by the flatline.

"Again!" Qing said, licking his lips and preparing.

The machine whined once more. "Clear!"

With a loud zap, electricity coursed through his sister's body, and her heart struck.

The moment he saw the line jump, Qing cast Divine Light. In the short moment her body was brought to life, the spell flooded her body with healing magic, and she sat bolt upright, eyes clear and bright in a way they hadn't been for years.

"Big bro!" she said, smiling. "You're back!"

Qing grabbed her hand and sank to his knees beside the bed, tears flowing freely.

Ghida's hand rested on his shoulder as relief washed through him.

I made it.

The End

Of Qing's First Quest