I'M THE HERO OF THIS STORY?

Chapter 23: A Means to an End

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MAL POV:

The air in Dorin's chamber crackled with tension. Mal's sharp eyes locked onto Dorin, who sat uncharacteristically still, his usual jovial demeanor replaced with cold calculation. The dwarf's fingers drummed lightly on the table, the rhythmic tap echoing through the heavy silence.

"Tell me something," Mal said, his voice low, almost taunting. "Was this all part of the plan? Gain our trust, then stab us in the back?"

Dorin smirked, leaning forward with a sharp, mocking edge to his voice. "You misunderstand, outsider. It's not betrayal—it's necessity."

Before Mal could respond, Dorin moved with blinding speed. 

His hand shot beneath the table, drawing a gleaming sword that shimmered with an otherworldly light. 

A twist of the wrist, and the blade transformed mid-swing into a massive hammer. With a sickening crack, it slammed into Mal's chest, sending him crashing through the chamber wall and into the street beyond.

The impact created a crater in the building's exterior, dust and rubble cascading around Mal as he groaned, forcing himself upright. 

The heavy sound of armored boots thundered in the distance—reinforcements were on their way.

Mal staggered to his feet, fury darkening his sharp features. He took a steadying breath, his body protesting the movement. "No choice," he muttered, voice strained. His hand rose, fingers curling as he whispered a single word:

"Chronostasis."

The world around him froze. Dust hung suspended in the air, and Dorin's soldiers, now charging into the alley, stood motionless, as if caught in mid-stride. The crackle of distant fire from the torches ceased, replaced by an eerie silence.

Mal wasted no time. His legs burned with exhaustion as he sprinted back into the ruined chamber. Fein was still slumped over the table, unconscious, while Ryazania's chest rose and fell steadily in her forced sleep. With a grunt, he hoisted Fein over one shoulder and lifted Ryazania onto the other, each movement deliberate, though his body screamed in protest.

He staggered through the destroyed wall, leaping onto the roof of the adjacent inn, desperate to put distance between himself and the soldiers. His vision darkened from the strain, but he pushed forward, hurling himself across the street and landing heavily in a narrow alley. His knees buckled, and he sank to the ground, the spell shattering as time resumed its natural course.

The world rushed back in a cacophony—voices shouting, boots clattering on cobblestones, and the hum of Dorin's soldiers mobilizing. Mal gasped for air, trembling violently. 

Chronostasis was powerful, but the cost was immense; his mana reserves were depleted, leaving him weak and vulnerable.

Through the fog of exhaustion, Mal heard Dorin's voice booming from the distance.

"Find them!" the dwarf commanded, stepping onto the street with an aura of authority. His hammer had retracted back into sword form, gleaming ominously in the moonlight.

One of Dorin's soldiers stepped forward—unlike the others. 

This one was a towering creature with elongated ears and fur that glistened like dark steel. Its amber eyes glowed faintly, scanning the rooftops with unnerving precision.

"Bring them back," Dorin ordered coldly. "Alive, if possible. But don't be gentle."

The creature nodded silently, moving with deadly speed as it leaped onto a nearby building, its glowing eyes locking onto Mal and the unconscious figures in his arms.