CHAPTER 184: HOSTAGE

Then Druk, the bone-plated brute, broke the silence.

"You don’t think he’s gotten to Nira... do you?"

Gork’s face twisted, concern flaring in his eyes. He raised his voice immediately, panic creeping into his tone.

"Nira! Is that you?! Reveal yourself!"

But there was no need for her to respond.

The blow I’d delivered to her head earlier must’ve shaken her concentration—her stealth faltered, then failed entirely. Her outline shimmered once, and then she was visible again, sprawled beneath me in the dirt.

At the same time, I dropped my own concealment. The shadows peeled away from me like mist clearing at dawn. No more hiding.

In one swift motion, I grabbed Nira by the arm and yanked her to her feet, twisting her around so her back was against my chest. My other hand pressed [Gravefang] firmly against her throat, the blade’s edge kissing her skin.

The clearing froze.

Then Hissra saw me. His eyes lit with fury, the flames along his arms flaring dangerously high as he raised one glowing hand.

"You bastard!" he roared, heat pulsing outward with the threat of incoming fire.

"Go on, then," I said quietly, tightening my grip around Nira’s arm. "Let’s see if it stops me from ripping her neck open."

My tone was calm, but the meaning wasn’t lost on any of them. The moment stretched, thick and sharp as drawn wire.

Gork reacted first. The archer’s bow creaked as he drew the string back, his voice hissing through his teeth. "Let her go."

"Try it," I replied, tilting my head slightly. The edge of [Gravefang] pressed deeper against her skin, a thin line of blood tracing down her throat. "But before you loose that arrow, think carefully—who do you think will feel the pain first? Me... or her?"

Hissra’s flames flared, his face twisting with anger. "You think I care about that?" he snarled, taking a half-step forward.

I smiled faintly and shifted my gaze to him. "Should I find out, then?"

The blade slid a little closer, enough for Nira to let out a sharp, trembling gasp.

That was when Gork snapped. His composure broke, panic flashing across his features.

"Don’t you dare harm her!" he shouted, voice cracking with something raw—fear or something far more personal.

I raised an eyebrow, glancing at him with mild surprise.

"Oh," I murmured, the corners of my mouth curving faintly.

So the archer cares more than he lets on.

I responded calmly, my voice steady despite the tension crackling through the clearing.

"I won’t have to. Not if you do one simple thing for me."

I turned my eyes toward Hissra, meeting his gaze without flinching.

"Take down the seal."

Before he could speak, Gork cut in, voice sharp with defiance.

"Over my dead body."

I let out a slow sigh, then applied just enough pressure to [Gravefang] for the blade to break skin. A thin line of blood slid down Nira’s neck, and she whimpered, barely suppressing the pain.

"Then I suppose we’ll test that theory."

Gork’s composure cracked.

"Hissra!" he shouted, panic rising like a tide in his voice. "We can’t afford to lose anyone else! If she dies, everything we’ve been planning falls apart. Just... listen to him. For now."

Hissra’s jaw tightened. The fire around his arms pulsed hotter, his expression twisted somewhere between rage and calculation.

Then he turned toward Gork slowly, his eyes burning—not with heat, but betrayal.

"Are you telling me to disregard the chief’s command, Gork?" Hissra growled, the flames coiling tighter around his arms. His tone was sharp enough to cut, the kind that dared anyone to answer incorrectly.

Gork’s jaw tightened. He didn’t respond immediately, but the way his hand trembled against the bowstring told the story. His loyalty was at war with his fear.

I noticed it—the flicker in his eyes, the subtle shift of his stance whenever he looked at Nira. It wasn’t just concern. It was something deeper. Something softer.

Leaning close, I lowered my voice to a whisper, my lips almost brushing her ear. "He seems rather desperate to keep you alive. Tell me, are you two... a thing?"

She flinched, barely noticeable—but enough. That tiny hesitation was confirmation. I smiled faintly, the kind that wasn’t friendly in the slightest.

Raising my voice again, I turned my attention back to Gork. "Gork," I said evenly, "bring me the seal, and I give you my word—I won’t harm her."

Before he could respond, Druk barked from the side, his voice rough and filled with disgust. "Don’t believe him, Gork! He’s playing you!"

I sighed, annoyed by the interruption, and pressed [Gravefang] harder against Nira’s neck. The blade bit deeper, crimson beading along the edge before trickling down her collarbone.

Nira winced in pain, a soft cry escaping her lips.

Gork’s composure cracked. His fingers trembled on the bowstring, his eyes locked on the blood trailing down her throat.

"Time’s ticking, Gork," I said, voice low and deliberate, each word a nail in the coffin of his indecision.

"You bastard," Druk spat, his voice filled with venom, but I didn’t even glance his way. His anger was useless noise.

"Five..." I began, tightening my grip on Nira just enough for her to gasp."Four...""Three...""Two—"

I didn’t get to finish.

Because that’s when it happened.

A flash of motion—fast, reckless—cut across my peripheral vision.

Hissra had struck first.

He unleashed a torrent of flame in my direction, the air around him warping as a searing column of fire erupted from his palm, roaring toward us with explosive force.

It hit—hard.

The impact exploded across my position, engulfing both me and Nira in a blinding flash of heat and force. The shockwave threw us off our feet, dirt and embers raining down as the blast lit up the clearing.

Nira screamed. I gritted my teeth, anchoring myself and her with [Mana Shield], the skill barely holding up against the force of the attack.

But before the smoke even cleared, Gork’s voice tore through the chaos.

"No!" he shouted, fury crackling in his tone.

He raised his bow and loosed a rapid volley, a storm of arrows cutting through the air with deadly precision.

Hissra turned, eyes narrowing as he palmed both hands together, summoning a dome of swirling flame around himself. The arrows struck the barrier with sizzling thuds, each one exploding harmlessly off the burning shell.

Then the dome vanished, flames collapsing inward with a hiss as Hissra stepped forward, his face twisted with rage.

"You piece of shit," he snarled at Gork. "Do you even realize what you’re doing?!"