An Understated Dominance by Marina Vittori

Nathaniel’s expression turned grim. He didn’t dare linger and quickly led his men to safer ground. Only after they’d gotten far away from that strange area did everyone finally breathe a sigh of relief.

It was a perfect example of how a single spark can start a wildfire. One soldier’s touch on a flower had triggered a violent chain reaction, and the consequences were terrifying.

Now Nathaniel and his men finally understood that this seemingly dazzling, beautiful landscape was actually full of deadly traps.

“Take a moment to rest, but stay alert,” he ordered, leaning on his sword as he gasped for breath.

Sweat seeped into the wound on his back, and the pain was so intense that he was on the verge of passing out. He signaled two of his personal guards to keep watch while he rested against a tree trunk.

In just a few minutes, he had lost over a dozen skilled soldiers. The weight of their deaths pressed heavily on him.

The medical team worked quickly to bandage the wounded. As soon as the medicinal powder was applied to the wounds scratched by the vines, white smoke hissed up, and the injured grimaced in pain.

A soldier suddenly pointed ahead and said, “Your Highness, look over there.”

Everyone followed his finger and saw a wisp of bluish-gray smoke rising from deep within the fog-shrouded valley. It rose steadily through the damp air.

The smoke didn’t swirl like ordinary household smoke. Instead, it moved with a quiet, measured rhythm, as if it had lingered there for centuries.

“Smoke?” Nathaniel asked, snapping upright and forgetting the pain from his wounds.

made sense. That smoke had to be

up with joy. All their losses

his sword and pointing toward where the smoke was rising. “Stay alert

Exhaustion melted away, replaced by excitement. After all, what did a few injuries matter if

grew calmer. The ferns that had been moving shrank back to the edges of the path, and the vines hung down like

of tall, lush trees. The trunks stretched at least 30 feet high, each branch catching a faint golden light. The leaves brushed against one another, producing a soft, clear

end of the grove, a gray-blue roof came into view.

the others to move quietly. He then straightened his blood-stained battle

tall, lush trees and soon came upon a yard enclosed by a wooden fence. Pale blue morning glories climbed the

in the center of the yard with the ropes tied to two sturdy tree branches.

was fair, and his bare feet pressed against

basket of freshly picked wild fruit sat in one corner. Everything seemed so ordinary, yet there

be the apprentice of an immortal. So, he stepped forward quietly and spoke gently

me, young sir,

on the sky, and he seemed not to

immortals are, please tell us. We would sincerely like to pay our respects and greet

child finally reacted. He let out a snort, but was still staring at the

standing behind Nathaniel, could no longer hold back his anger. His left arm had been scalded by the carnivorous plant’s sap and