“Monsters are born of pain, and grief, and loss, and anger. Your heart is full of them.”

"And?"

“And it makes you vulnerable.”

Tinn was running through the woods, her feet pounding the ground beneath her. She could feel her heart beating faster than her quick breaths. Sweat was pouring off her face and wetting her hair. She was becoming tired, but she couldn’t stop.

The knowledge that she couldn’t stop was reinforced when the sound of another set of feet running behind her hit her ears. She sped up, but so did the person behind her.

Suddenly, Tinn was met with the sight of a smiling Rin.

Even though nothing humorous was happening, Tinn had to laugh at the idea that Rin was running with her during her morning run.

Rin quickened her pace, and Tinn matched it.

Together, the two ran the perimeter of the camp, dodging tree branches, jumping over fallen logs, and avoiding streams.

Occasionally, there were a few confused or surprised shouts from people in their group, and before Tinn knew it, the running pair had turned into a running group.

Of course, the only one who seemed intent on keeping pace with the girls was Kris.

They had all run much farther than Tinn ever went when they returned to the cabins. Everyone was very obviously exhausted from the sprint… they were gasping and panting. Everyone except Rin and Kris, who seemed to be glaring at each other in complete composure.  

Tinn was about to say something when Xiumin's voice called out from the opposite direction. “Guys, the trainers want the whole group in the main building! So I’d look alive!”

“The main building?” Kai called back, panting. “But that’s across camp!”

Xiumin laughed, the bright sound echoing. “Then I’d get going.”

“Says the one that can run across the camp in less than two minutes without breaking a sweat,” Baekhyun growled. “We’re not all superhumans.”

Tinn groaned at the prospect of running again but looked up when Rin’s hand lightly touched hers. She looked at the younger and saw she was smiling. Rin pointed at the ground of the forest, where fallen leaves were illuminated by sunlight.

“Komorebi,” she said quietly.

“What?” Tinn panted. “What does that mean?”

Rin looked puzzled for a moment. “There isn’t a translatable equivalent,” she said, “but it’s the sunlight that is filtered through the trees of a forest.”

Tinn nodded.

“Race you?” Rin said louder, already preparing to run.

Tinn laughed and took off sprinting.

It turned out the meeting wasn’t much: one of the lesser liked trainers, Daniel, just wanted to give them assignments for the next several days. Tinn heard Xiumin mutter something about how he preferred run