An Understated Dominance Novel (Dahlia & Dustin) by Marina Vittori updated 2025-26 - An Understated Dominance Chapter 2655

Chapter 2655

Tristan, Matthias, and Nathaniel ran as fast as they could, glancing over their shoulders, terrified that the white-robed man might appear behind them at any moment.

Only after several miles—far from the deep pit—did they slow down, gasping for air, faces still drained of color.

“What… what kind of monster is that? How can anyone be that powerful?” Nathaniel leaned against a tree, his voice trembling, his complexion pale.

Tristan shook his head. “I don’t know… but I’m sure he’s no ordinary man. We’re in serious trouble this time.”

Matthias’s grip tightened on his sword. “Talking won’t help. We have to move on and find somewhere safe. Who knows when that monster will appear again?”

They exchanged looks and saw the same flicker of fear in each other’s eyes.

Their boots crunched on gravel, thorns tore at their clothes, yet the rhythm of escape didn’t stop. Sanji had thought only of running, never once looking back.

Behind them, the once-orderly troops thinned. In the chaos, a young soldier was dragged screaming into the strange plants that covered the island, vanishing without a trace.

The sun slid westward, stretching their shadows. Each time they turned back, they saw the sky still stained by that blood mist—like a nightmare following close behind.

“Your Highness, slow down… I can’t run anymore…” Milton staggered after Tristan, leaning on a broken branch. His gray hair hung in disarray; sweat and dust streaked his face; his legs trembled.

He was completely spent, his strength long since overdrawn.

Tristan stopped and looked back at the handful of soldiers still with them. A chill crept into his chest.

Nearly a hundred elites had left the shore. Barely thirty remained—clothes torn, faces haggard.

He drew a hoarse breath. “We’ll rest for a bit. Eat something, drink some water. We need a hidden place before dark.”

As if pardoned, the group collapsed where they stood, devouring dry rations and gulping water so fast they choked and coughed.

Matthias leaned against a tree, wiping blood from his face with his sleeve, scanning the forest around them.

Towering trees blotted out the sky; only scattered shafts of sunlight pierced the canopy. The air smelled of damp rot. Unseen creatures cried in the distance, adding to the eerie silence.

“Brother… do you think that monster will chase us?” Nathaniel mumbled around his food.

The bloody scene kept replaying in his mind—the general, a master in his own right, erased like an insect with a single wave. The memory made him shudder.

Tristan’s gaze hardened. “We have to assume the worst. His strength is unfathomable. The farther away, the better.”

Matthias frowned. “We can’t just wait to die. Rest now. We move on soon.”

Then the light vanished. The forest dimmed as the last threads of sun slipped away.

A cold breeze rattled the leaves.

Everyone instinctively looked up—and froze. Color drained from their faces.

High above, the handsome man hovered in his white robe, halo faint but unmistakable. Even in the dim woods, he shone.

He stared down with icy detachment, as if the frantic chase meant nothing to him at all.

“Why… why is he here?!” A soldier’s teeth chattered. The dry ration tumbled from his hands as his legs gave way and he collapsed in terror.

Tristan, Matthias, and Nathaniel sprang to their feet, gripping their weapons, faces paper-white, eyes full of horror and despair.

They had run all day. They still hadn’t escaped.

The man said nothing. He didn’t even acknowledge their panic. He simply raised his hand and pressed downward.

The sky seemed to shatter.

A colossal palm materialized out of thin air, blotting out the canopy. It descended like a mountain, the weight of destruction rolling with it.

Fine lines etched the surface of the palm. Its pressure compressed the air until it hissed. Leaves ripped from branches; the earth trembled.

“It’s over…” Tristan closed his eyes, despair washing through him.

He could feel the power—absolute, inescapable. Death was seconds away.

Matthias and Nathaniel’s faces were grim. Weapons clenched tight, yet courage had already fled.

The soldiers were worse—eyes wide with terror, bodies trembling.

Then, just as the giant hand was about to crush them, a blinding sword-light burst from the far horizon.

It streaked across the dark sky like a meteor, its shrill whistle cutting through the air. In an instant it crossed miles, slamming head-on into the descending palm.