Qing’s mind raced as he stepped back, his boots crunching on the blackened feathers that carpeted the hellish landscape, as he wiped a shaky hand across his forehead. The weight of the decision before him pressed down on his shoulders, heavier than any armor he’d ever worn. The acrid smell of sulfur and decay filled his nostrils, a constant reminder of the dire situation they faced. Cedric’s blood still dripped from his face, a horrifying reminder of the angel’s power and cruelty.

“I need a moment,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I need to think.”

“Tick tock,” the angel said.

Qing’s gaze swept over the gathered crowd, taking in the frozen faces of those who had fought beside him, bled with him. Each one a statue, caught in a moment of fear, hope, or resignation. Qing’s heart ached as he imagined what they might say if they could speak.

Cedric would find a way to make him stay. To fight. And he’d do or say anything to make it so. He’d only see the consequences on the large scale.

Ghida’s thin smile couldn’t mask the pain in her eyes, even frozen in time. Her fingers were twisted in the hem of her tunic, a nervous habit Qing had noticed over their time together. He knew she’d tell him to go, to save himself and his sister. But her eyes would betray her true feelings, the desperate hope that he’d stay.

Knut stood with his arm wrapped protectively around Ruqiya. The queen leaned into his embrace, her regal bearing at odds with the fear that flickered across her face. Knut would understand if he left. Ruqiya even more so. Though, like Cedric, she’d say anything to make him stay. She knew the weight of responsibility.

Rowan’s scowl spoke volumes, and his hand gripped the hilt of his new sword, even when facing down a literal angel. Qing knew what choice the experienced warrior would have made. He’d stay and fight, no question. But Qing wasn’t him.

The sailors’ dejected stares contrasted sharply with Captain Thundershield’s open glare of hatred. The captain’s eyes burned with an intensity that made Qing’s skin crawl.

I should have had him thrown to the sharks.

And then there was Morgana, her face a mask of resignation, the lines around her eyes deeper than Qing had ever seen them. He could imagine her words cutting through the chaos of his thoughts. ‘Do the right thing. Even with the heavens opposing us, you will find a way to save us.’

The imagined words seemed to suck the air from around him. The realization settled over Qing like a shroud. If only this was a game where he could save-scum. But no. These were his friends. Real people he cared for.

Qing’s fists clenched at his sides, nails digging into his palms. The pain helped ground him, cutting through the fog of indecision. But then he thought of his family at home. The horrible things he had been forced to do here, just to survive. The hundreds he had slain to gain his current power.

All I have to do is say yes and I can go back to Earth. Save meimei and leave this hellhole behind.

But the memory of Cedric exploding into a gory mess flashed through his mind. Even though the wizard now stood whole and unharmed, the image wouldn’t fade.

Can I trust a being capable of such casual cruelty to deliver on his promise? If I leave, giving up my quest, what will happen to Earth? Will Blaine take over? What happens to Elrydisan?

The faces of those he’d met flashed through his mind - the villagers of Shadowgrove, the refugees he’d saved, even the survivers in the Gilded Hold. Could he abandon them all?

And Cleo... trapped here in hell, waiting for rescue. How could he leave her to whatever fate Rufus had in store?

But Mei Mei... his little sister, fighting for her life back on Earth. The thought of her smile, of her laughter, made his heart ache. Could he risk sacrificing her for a world that wasn’t even his own?

The angel’s words echoed in his mind. A chance to go home, to live a normal life. It was everything he’d wanted when he first arrived in this world.

Qing looked up at where he imaged Earth’s point of view was.

What’ll meimei think if I don’t accept? If I fail here, will she hate me, knowing I could have healed her?

But why did it feel so wrong?

Qing’s eyes narrowed as he studied the angel. Its wings fluttered lazily, perfectly groomed feathers gleaming in the hellish light. But then, in front of his eyes, another feather turned black, nestled among the white. An imperfection in something supposedly perfect.

Just like its offer. Too good to be true. Too easy for this world where nothing has come without a price.

“If there’s no chance for us to succeed,” Qing said, his voice low and dangerous, “why are you here? Why stop us by offering me a way out? Why not just strike me down? Kill us all and guarantee the outcome you want?”

The angel’s perfect features tightened almost imperceptibly. If Qing hadn’t been looking for it, he would have missed it. But that tiny reaction confirmed his suspicions.

“You’re afraid,” Qing said, goosebumps running down his spine as he stalked closer. “Because you know we can succeed.”

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

The angel crossed its arms, lifting its chin. “You stand no chance. I came here to give you a gift. The gift of living a full and rich life. Yet you choose to spit in my face? To deny my gift?”

Qing let out a harsh laugh. “I’ve watched enough politicians on tv to know when someone’s full of crap. When an answer means nothing. And you just lied. You don’t care about me. I don’t know what you do care about, if this is all about boredom, but I can tell you’re lying. You’re a false angel if I ever saw one.”

Faster than Qing could blink, the angel rushed at him. Air flashed by, and suddenly a glowing silver sword held across his throat. So close, he could feel the magical enchantments tingling against his skin. Yet the blade didn’t touch. The angel’s face, once serene, now twisted with barely restrained fury.

Qing swallowed hard, fighting to keep his fear from showing. He arched an eyebrow as well as he could. “Not as friendly as we pretend to be, are we?”

“You will leave this world,” the angel snapped, its voice booming painfully. “Crawl back to your filthy, rotten Earth where you came from. Your payment will be your life and that of your sister. You have one chance.”

Qing’s mind raced.

It can’t harm us directly. It has to be following rules, limitations. Can I use that?

He thought of meimei, of Earth, of all he’d be risking. But then he thought of Cleo, of his friends frozen around him, of all the people in Elrydisan counting on him.

In that moment, Qing realized the truth. He wasn’t just fighting for Elrydisan. Giving up here would mean giving up on Earth. On the person he was becoming. Meimei would understand. Not only that, but she would be the one egging him on to make the right choice. Help those around him, like she did the smaller kids in the hospital.

“Last chance,” the angel said, growling. “Accept my offer or die.”

Qing looked past the angel to his frozen friends. They had followed him here. Ghida, the magical princess. Knut, who had died and come back to life. Morgana, who worked harder than any to redeem herself. All his friends had fought and bled by his side.

And he thought of Cleo, trapped with Rufus. Of Earth, and the threat Blaine posed. Of meimei, and the life she deserved to live. A life that wouldn’t mean much if the world ended around her.

Giving up would betraythe very idea that good could triumph over evil, that ordinary people could stand up to gods and demons alike.

Qing smiled. “No,” he said, his voice firm. “I will not. And fuck you.”

The angel froze, its perfect features going blank.

For a moment.

Then the mask cracked.

“You dare?” it snarled, its voice shaking the very air around them. “You insignificant speck of dust, you dare defy my will? The will of heaven?”

Qing cracked his neck and gave his best smile, even as every instinct screamed at him to run. “I dare,” he said, surprised at how steady his voice sounded. “Because someone has to. Because what you’re doing isn’t right, and I don’t care if you’re an angel or a god or the devil himself. I won’t let you destroy this world just because you’re bored.”

The angel’s wings flared out, a dazzling display of divine fury. “You know nothing of our struggles, of the eternities we’ve endured! What right do you have to judge us?”

“The right of someone who gives a damn,” Qing said. “The right of someone who’s seen the people you’re so eager to sacrifice. They’re not toys, not game pieces. They’re living, breathing beings with hopes and dreams and families. And I won’t let you take that away from them.”

For a moment, something almost like doubt flickered across the angel’s face. But it was gone in an instant, replaced by cold fury. “I have fulfilled my obligation,” it said, spitting out the words. “I have tried. A quarter has been offered and rejected. None may say I did not try.” It showed its teeth. “Now watch in despair as I doom your world.”

With a snap of its fingers, Qing’s companions unfroze. They stumbled, disoriented, as the angel beat its wings powerfully. The gust sent Qing tumbling backward, rolling to a stop amidst the black feathers.

“Qing!” Ghida said, rushing to his side. “Are you alright?”

He pushed himself up, and nodded, spitting out ash and the remains of feathers.

“By the gods,” Cedric said, his face pale. “What have you done, boy?” The wizard stood out as the only clean person among the party.

“What I had to.” His eyes remained fixed on the angel soaring into the sky, and he started climbing up the ridge.

“I told you he’s going to save us all,” Morgana said, ignoring Cedric’s blood running down her chin, her voice filled with awe and a touch of fear. “You told that feathery bastard to shove it. Didn’t you, Qing?”

Qing nodded, a grim smile on his face. “Something like that.”

“Are you insane?” Captain Thundershield roared, his face purple with rage. A sailor had loosened his bonds, and he stood on wobbly legs. “You’ve doomed us all!”

“No,” Rowan said, wiping his sleeve across his face and stepping between Qing and the captain. “He’s given us a fighting chance.”

“A chance at what?” Knut asked, holding Ruqiya’s hair back as she kneeled, vomiting. “That thing’s an angel. What hope do we have against that kind of power?”

“The hope of the desperate and the damned,” Jenny said with a fierce grin. She drew two fingers across her cheekbones, spreading the blood like war-paint. “My favorite kind.”

“Qing,” Ghida said softly, running a hand across his face. “You could have gone home. Saved your sister. Why...?”

He took her hand and squeezed, meeting her eyes. “Because this is my home too now. And you’re all my family. I couldn’t leave you to face this alone.”

And she wouldn’t want me to.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she pulled him into a tight embrace. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Their moment was interrupted by Cedric’s shout. The wizard stood at the top of the ridge. “Look!”

Qing broke away from Ghida and rushed to Cedric’s side, his eyes following the wizard’s pointing finger. The angel hovered in the air, halfway between them and the Darksoul Tower.

“What’s it doing?” Rowan asked, his voice tight with tension as he came up next to them.

“Nothing good,” Cedric replied grimly.

Morgana poked her head up above the ridge. “Shouldn’t we be hiding from the tower?”

“Hiding now would be like pulling out after your dick goes limp,” Cedric said, rage in his voice. “The devil knows we are here, as will every damn demon in hell.”

Then the angel raised its hands to the sky, and lightning flashed down from above, striking the angel, thunder rolling across the plains, shaking the ground beneath their feet.

As the afterimage faded, the angel held a large, two-handed crystal-like sword in its hands. And like a shooting star in reverse, the angel plummeted towards the ground.

It struck sword-first.

A shockwave blasted outwards from the point of impact, filling the air with dust and feathers. And from within the dark cloud, a shimmering blue barrier erupted. A dome-like wall of energy that spread at an impossible speed, enveloping the Darksoul Tower. The top of the barrier disappeared into the clouds above.

Silence fell over the group as they stared at the shimmering wall of divine energy. The enormity of what they faced settling over them like a shroud.

Qing stared at the barrier. A hopelessness welled up inside him at the power radiating from that barrier. It was impenetrable.

“I can’t believe it,” he said, his voice barely audible as a shockwave-propelled wind howled past them. “An angel protects the Devil.”