“Alright,” Zane said as they pulled into the hospital’s visitor parking. “You sure you’re good to head out alone?”
Tarni looked over from buckling his belt. “Mate, I’m not the one planning to break into a magical system with a healing potion and wishful thinking. I’ll be sweet. I’m just going shopping.”
Zane gave a dry chuckle. “Right. Shopping. Try not to end up on a watchlist.”
Tarni stepped out of the ute, cracking his back and rolling his shoulders. “Mate, I’m going full Mad Max. I want armour, I want blades, and I want to look like I could ride through an orc invasion on a dirt bike and come out the other side drinking a Powerade.”
Zane smirked. “Don’t forget my Kids are meant to be turning up here later this afternoon/ evening.”
“Yeah mate, I will keep an eye out for them.”
With a nod, the two parted ways—Zane heading through the sliding glass doors of the hospital, and Tarni setting off down the block with one mission in mind: get tooled up without getting locked up.
Tarni’s first stop was the nearest motorbike store. Rows of matte black helmets, sleek kevlar jackets, and leather gloves greeted him like old friends. The shop assistant—a wiry bloke in his 30s with a neck tattoo of a spark plug—eyed him with professional disinterest.
“Need help, mate?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Tarni said, eyes scanning the gear. “Looking for light armour. Real flexible. Tough enough to stop a knife—or, you know... a claw.”
The assistant raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment. “Alright. Got some options. You want kevlar or ballistic mesh?”
Tarni grinned. “Both.”
Within ten minutes, he was trying on a black-on-black riding jacket with reinforced shoulders and elbow padding, a hardened spine plate, and just enough flex to swing a bat—or a machete.
He found matching riding pants too—lightweight but lined with impact foam—and some steel-capped boots that looked like they'd survive a minefield. Tarni admired himself in the mirror.
“I look like I should be storming a compound,” he muttered with a grin.
Turning to the assistant, Tarni said with a smile now I will need two more sets, one for a woman about this high, and a 2nd male set for someone two inches taller than me and four inches wider in the shoulder
At the counter, the assistant rang it all up with a small smirk. “Off-roading with the family?”
“Something like that,” Tarni said. “You sell machetes?”
“Bunnings is two blocks down.”
“Legend.”
Tarni’s second stop was more… agricultural.
The local Bunnings warehouse smelled like timber and weekend projects. He made a beeline for the garden tools section and stared longingly at the rack of machetes, hatchets, and heavy-duty pruning shears. After some very careful consideration, he picked out:
- Three Delta Class Decimate Sawback Machete with 3Cr13 Stainless Steel and a rubber grip.
- three tomahawk-style camp axes.
- A pack of heavy-duty zip ties. You never know.
He also grabbed some multi-tools, a torch with a strobe function, and a foldable shovel—because if this was going to be the new normal, he'd be prepared for the weirdest.
At the self-checkout, a retired tradie behind him looked at his selection and whistled. “Planning a bushwalk or a zombie apocalypse?”
Tarni grinned without missing a beat. “Mate, why not both?”
Back at the ute, Tarni loaded everything into the tray and slipped on the new jacket. It felt snug, secure. It felt like a second skin. He grinned at his reflection in the side mirror.
“Watch out, goblins,” he said to himself. “Tactical Tarni’s coming.”
As he waited for Zane to return from the hospital, he kept an eye out for Zane’s kids. Tarni cracked open a Powerade from the servo across the street and leaned against the ute.
The quiet hum of the hospital’s automatic doors was oddly grounding. As Zane stepped through, the sterile air and soft fluorescent lighting felt like a different world entirely—cold, still, painfully normal. After everything that had happened—goblins, the System, level-ups—this place didn’t seem real anymore.
His boots clicked softly on the linoleum as he made his way to the nurse’s station. A young nurse looked up, clearly exhausted but still polite.
“Can I help you?”
“Yeah,” Zane said, his voice dry. “Bell, Isabelle Rider. She’s my wife. I’m here to see her.”
The nurse typed briefly and nodded. “Room 213. Second on your right.”
Zane murmured a quick thanks and moved down the hall, heart pounding with every step. His Pocket felt very heavy, the vial inside it pulsing in his mind like a heartbeat.
Bell had been fighting cancer for over a year. The doctors said she had weeks—maybe. But after the world shifted, after goblins bled green and strange text boxes started appearing in his vision, Zane had stopped believing in timelines.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
He stepped quietly into Room 213.
The soft beeping of the heart monitor greeted him. Bell lay still, thinner than he remembered, but breathing. Her chest rose and fell in that same determined rhythm it always had—like even unconscious, she was still pushing back against the odds.
Zane pulled a chair up beside the bed and sat. For a long moment, he just held her hand, the silence stretching between them.
Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out the vial.
A Minor Healing Potion. Glowing faintly red, sealed with a tiny cork. It looked like it belonged in a video game. But it was real. And it might be her only chance.
Except…
The notification he saw still echoed in his mind:
Minor Healing Potion
(This will only work for those initiated into the system.)
Bell wasn’t part of the System.
Zane exhaled shakily and began to talk. He told her everything—from the moment he hit the first goblin, to the fights, to Tarni’s random skill that removed alcohol from his system, to the way Macca’s food apparently counted as poison now.
He kept his voice low, steady, half-hoping it would reach her, half-terrified it wouldn’t.
And then—her fingers moved.
He looked up and saw her eyes were open, watching him.
“Hey, love,” he whispered.
Bell’s voice came, soft and cracked but steady. “Zane… you have to hold it together. The kids… they’re going to need you.”
“I’m serious,” he said quickly. “I’m not making it up. It’s all real. The goblins, the potion—I think it could help.”
Her hand tightened weakly on his. “I know it’s hard. But you don’t have to invent magic to cope. It’s okay. I’m dying. But we had a beautiful life. You don’t need to pretend I can be saved.”
Zane’s chest tightened. She thought he’d made it all up. She thought it was grief.
Before he could say anything else, there was a knock at the door. Doctor Bracken stepped in. She stood there calmly, clipboard in hand, and gave a tired smile.
“Good afternoon, Mr Rider.”
He stood. “Yeah. How is she?”
The doctor nodded toward Bell. “She’s stable—for now. We had a scare yesterday, but she pulled through. Honestly… she’s tougher than most.”
Zane gave a weak smile. “She always has been.”
The doctor hesitated. “If there’s anything you need…”
“There is,” Zane said. “I want to take her home.”
The doctor blinked. “As in… for hospice care?”
“Yes. If it’s possible. I want her comfortable. With family.”
The doctor looked to Bell, who gave a faint nod of approval.
“It’ll take a bit of coordination,” the doctor said. “Some equipment, home nursing, transport. But if she’s willing, it can be done. Might take a day or two to organise.”
Zane nodded. “Do it. I’ll cover the cost.”
After she left, Zane sat back down, fingers curling gently around Bell’s.
“I’m going to get you home,” he whispered. “And then… I’ll find a way. I don’t care how crazy it sounds. I’m not giving up.” Just as Bell’s face was turning into a frown with words of rebuke on her lips
Tarni peeked in from the doorway.
“Hey… not to interrupt the moment,” he said, holding up a parking slip, “but I signed us in. We’ve got an hour before the fine fairy shows up.”
Zane cracked a small smile. Bell actually chuckled faintly.
Tarni stepped in further and gave Bell a small wave. “Hey, Bell. You’re looking fierce as always.”
Bell gave a weak smile. “Hey, Tarn. Still a smartass, I see.”
Zane looked to his best mate and gave a nod of thanks. As he turned back toward the hallway, he noticed the big double doors at the far end begin to swing open. Through them walked someone he hadn’t seen in months—but would recognise in any crowd.
Kai.
His son strode in with purpose, his boots thudding softly on the polished hospital floor. Zane’s breath caught in his throat. He couldn’t believe how much Kai had changed since he’d moved out and taken a job on the offshore rigs.
Gone was the tall, lanky engineering student who used to drag himself out of bed five minutes before class. In his place stood a well-built young man of twenty-four, broad-shouldered, sun-kissed from months at sea. His dark tan made his emerald green eyes all the more striking, and his once shoulder-length hair had been trimmed short, neat, military-like.
Zane felt a swell of pride and guilt all at once.
Kai walked briskly down the hallway, cutting a path straight between Tarni and his father, sparing them both a sharp glare that screamed: We’ll talk later.
But then, his eyes landed on Bell.
Instantly, his whole demeanour shifted.
The hard edges of his scowl melted into a warm, familiar smile. It was the kind of smile only his mother could pull out of him. Without a word, he quickened his pace and stepped into the room, moving to her side like he’d never been away at all.
Zane remained frozen in the hallway, heart pounding, watching his son crouch down beside Bell’s bed and take her hand with a tenderness that made his chest ache.
Kai gently took his mother’s hand in both of his, careful not to disturb the IV lines or the oxygen tubing. Her skin felt cool, fragile, like parchment wrapped around glass. But her smile—tired as it was, lit up the room like sunrise through hospital blinds.
“Kai,” Bell whispered, her voice thin but full of warmth. “You made it.”
“Of course I made it,” he said, giving her hand a squeeze. “Soon as I heard… I was on the next flight. You think I’d let something like the Indian Ocean keep me away from you?”
She chuckled softly, the sound barely more than a breath. “Still dramatic.”
“You taught me that.”
Bell’s smile grew, though her eyes shimmered. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t want you to see me like this.”
“Don’t,” Kai said quickly, shaking his head. “Mum… you don’t have to be sorry for anything. You’re the strongest person I know. Always have been.”
Her hand trembled slightly in his. “I’m not feeling very strong these days.”
Kai leaned closer, brushing her hair gently back from her forehead. “That’s alright. You’ve carried us your whole life. It’s okay to rest now and let someone else carry you for a bit.”
She closed her eyes at that, a tear slipping down her cheek.
“I’ve missed you,” she whispered.
Kai’s jaw tensed. “I should’ve called more. Visited more. I got so caught up in work and—”
“No,” she cut in softly. “No guilt, Kai. Life moves. I’ve always wanted you to live yours.”
He swallowed hard and nodded, his throat tight. “Still. I’m here now. I’m not going anywhere.”
Bell smiled again and opened her eyes, glancing past Kai briefly to Zane, still standing in the doorway, eyes glossy.
“He needs you too,” she said quietly.
Kai followed her gaze and met his father’s eyes for a long moment. There was a lifetime of unspoken things in that look—anger, regret, love.
But for now, he turned back to his mother and gave her hand one more squeeze.
“I’m here for both of you,” he said gently. “And I’m not leaving until we figure out how to get you better.”
Bell’s smile faded, her gaze drifting out the hospital window. “They’ve already done all they can.”
Kai looked down, jaw tightening. He glanced back at Zane, whose face had gone pale. But behind the washed-out expression, something was burning—something determined, almost desperate.
Before Zane could speak, Tarni suddenly gripped his shoulder and pulled him away from the door.
“Mate, give them a moment,” Tarni muttered. “Also… we need to talk.”
Zane blinked in confusion and shrugged his hand off. “Talk? About what?”
Tarni sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well—everything. Let’s start with the state of your house. You know, the one you just asked the hospital to bring Bell back to? There’s blood all over the place from your leg, the power’s out, probably no fresh food, and—” He leaned in, lowering his voice to a whisper. “There could be goblins nesting in there by now.”
“Shit. I didn’t even think of that,” Zane muttered, running a hand down his face.
Tarni gave him a sympathetic look, then added, “Also… did you tell Bell about the System?”
“Yeah, I tried,” Zane said, sighing. “She thinks it’s just grief messing with my head. And no—I don’t think just telling someone about it brings them in. I reckon it needs more than that.”
Tarni frowned slightly, lips pressed tight. “Yeah, it was a long shot anyway.”
He glanced back toward Bell’s room, lowering his voice again. “Look, Kai’s here now. And Lily should be here soon too. Once they’ve both had time with Bell, we take them back to your place. Find a way to get them into the System.”
Zane looked at him—really looked at him—and for the first time in what felt like forever, a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“If we can get them into the System…” he said softly, “we’ll know what to do for Bell.”
Tarni nodded. “Exactly. One step at a time.”