Baekhyun breathed in the fresh air blowing in his face. Just being away from the city, from home, made him feel slightly uncomfortable.

"Those idiots are pretty loud, right?" Kyungsoo asks from beside him as they lean on the railing. Somehow, they had made their way to the roof of the cafeteria, which was only a two story building but you could still see most of the campus ground from where they stood. The cafeteria wasn't a typical school cafeteria. The walls were made of deep red-colored bricks with ceiling high windows that allowed you to looking into and outside the building. With such a high ceiling, there were stairs to go up to a second floor with a balcony over the main floor.

"They're nice people, I think." Baekhyun says respectfully. They were technically his seniors. He couldn't talk down about them, at least not until he knew them better.

Kyungsoo chuckles. "You could say that. They're a mess of trouble and pranks but they're really reliable. They always have my back."

Baekhyun's eyes scan over the tops of the trees that seemed to run on forever. How far away from Seoul was he?

"Was it difficult for you to get used to this school?" Baekhyun asks mindlessly.

Kyungsoo shrugs. "I can't really remember. The seniors when I first came here were a lot more intimidating..You're not uncomfortable with me, are you? "

The younger male shakes his head quickly "No, no at all! If anything, I'm glad you're my roommate." He says honestly and Kyungsoo smiles.

"That's good to hear. I'm glad you're my roommate, too." Kyungsoo nudges Baekhyun playfully with his elbow before turning to face the view in front of them.

They watched the clouds slowly drift through the sky before Kyungsoo's eyes suddenly widen and he's leaning further over the railing.

"-!" He exclaims before he's dashing back to the stairs. Baekhyun looks out and squints noticing a small cloud of dark smoke before he runs after Kyngsoo.

"Hyung, what's wrong?" He asks as his legs carry him down each step faster than his brain can process. Kyungsoo doesn't reply as he immediately approaches the table of his friends, panic on his face.

"Kyu-"

"He's at it again!" Kyungsoo exclaims, taking off towards the exit and almost instantly, they jump up from their seats and run after the shorter male.

Baekhyun follows after Jongdae and Minseok with worry. He still didn't know what was happening or why they were running. Who was at what again?

"What's going on?" He asks, trying to keep up with the others. They ran down the path leading into the forest. He was too confused to stop and question why he had followed them.

"It's Chanyeol." Minseok says with a slight frown on his lips. Baekhyun furrowed his eyebrows.

"Chanyeol?" He repeats and Minseok nods but doesn't say another word as they run forward.

"Where is he?" Joonmyun asks loudly from up ahead. It seemed that they were slowly getting separated in the forest. It wasn't that it was dark outside, but each area looked so identical to each other that it was difficult to navigate your way in and out.

"I don't know! I just saw the smoke and-"

"! Why did I know he would start this.." Kyungsoo says, almost aggravated but Baekhyun could only follow behind them like a lost puppy.'

"He's such a trouble maker!" Luhan groaned, just a few feet ahead of Baekhyun.

"L-Luhan hyung!" Baekhyun called out, almost completely out of breath.

The older male turns around to see Baekhyun struggling. "Baekhyun..Just..Just stay here. We'll come back to get you. Don't worry."

Baekhyun was about to say something in protest but by the time he was able to get words out of his mouth, Luhan had already ran ahead and was out of sight within seconds.

"What am I going to do now?" Baekhyun frowned and pulled out his phone, holding it up to the sky.

"Great. No signal." He says to himself before putting the device away in his pocket.

There was a cold breeze that brushed Baekhyun's hair into a mess and he immediately regretted not wearing a sweater. Baekhyun ran his hands over his forearms, and slowly walked down the path. He could only hear bird chirping and the wind rustling the leaves.

Why did I follow Kyungsoo..? Why were they all rushing here? Who is Chanyeol?

Baekhyun sighed as he continued his stroll. The leaves crunched under his feet with every step and Baekhyun could only feel himself getting more and more lost.

"M-Minseok hyung!.." Baekhyun called out. "Kyungsoo hyung! Jong-"

Baekhyun paused as he noticed a black spot on the ground, almost as if it had been burnt.

The smoke..!

Something had to have been on fire, Baekhyun determined.

He looked around and noticed they seemed to look more like a trail.

"They probably followed these to find their friend.."

Baekhyun, too, followed the black spots deeper into the forest. After a few minutes of walking, he wondered how far they would go. Another ten feet? 30 Miles?
Just as he was about to take another step, he heard something drop to the ground. The sound was coming from the side opposite to the trail.

M-Maybe it was just a squirrel..or even a wild bear..those animals are bound to live here....right?

Baekhyun took another few steps but something was screaming at him to go the other way. His legs were frozen in place as he looked down at the burnt spots. They guided him to one area of the forest but the sound had come from the other end. There was an uncomfortable tug and twist in his stomach. He wasn't sure if it was death calling him to his grave, or if it was just his stupid gut telling him that something, or rather someone, was there.

Baekhyun shut his eyes and took a deep breath before taking a step back and jogging the other way.

I am going to die today.

The short male felt his feet pick up speed as he ran past countless trees and bushes. He didn't know where he was going or even what he was looking for.

As he continued further, he could hear a loud noise. The sound of heavily running water.

Baekhyun looked around, searching for any areas that looked as if it would lead him to a river or a stream.

Within four minutes, he found himself at the edge of a deep slope that led to the bay of a rapid. The crashing of the water against the rocks was now roaring in Baekhyun's ears and he could only gulp at the sight. He was barely 10 feet above the water.

Just as he was about to turn around, he noticed something laying on the ground near the river.

Is that a person?!

Baekhyun's eyes widened as he observed the motionless body get splashed with water. He could slightly see the side of the face but its gender wasn't distinguishable from his distance. His heart thumped with fear but knowing that the person might be alive, Baekhyun carefully climbed down to the lower level.

With quiet and hesitant steps, Baekhyun approached the body half drenched with water.

W-What should I do?!

He tried to not panic as he got closer and knelt next to the person who turns out to be a male. His hair is a dark brown, almost black, color. It was ruffled and had bits of leaves and twigs. He was wearing a large black sweater and tight blue jeans, covered in brown scratches and soaked with dirty water.

"H-Hey.." Baekhyun says but he gets no response.

"Hey.." He tries again, but this time, extends his hand and shakes the person's shoulder. His face had smudges of dirt and Baekhyun couldn't help but notice how large his ears were. It was only then that the person begins to heavily breath and cough, taking the shorter male by surprise. Baekhyun half rolled the guy's body over so that he was facing up.

The unknown boy's eyes were closed but Baekhyun couldn't help but stare at his facial features. He had thick eyebrows and a straight nose that led down to his pale lips. In fact, his skin was too pale for him to be healthy. Baekhyun gently brushed the hair out of the guy's eyes and onto his forehead in a weird hairdo.

"A-Are you okay?" He asks, feeling a bit more relieved when the guy's breathing began to regulate. With his body laid out, Baekhyun could already tell that he was quite tall.

The male slowly opened his eyes, staring up at the tree filled view of the sky, before looking over at Baekhyun. When their eyes came in contact, Baekhyun nearly fell over in surprise.

"Chanyeol-ah!" A voice called out and Baekhyun immediately turned his head around. Standing where he had stood just minutes ago were Kyungsoo and his friends. Without hesitation, they slid down the slope and ran towards the guy laying on the ground beside Baekhyun.

"Baekhyun!" Luhan says with surprise as he approaches them and the said male stands up.

"H-Hyung.." Baekhyun mumbles, feeling the stress slowly disappear. It was a miracle that they had found him, and Chanyeol. Baekhyun looked back down at the male who was surrounded by the other seniors.

"Someone help him up." Joonmyeon says, collecting the water from his clothes before throwing it back into the river. Baekhyun couldn't get use to this sight.

Kyungsoo pulled Chanyeol's shoulder to get him to a sitting position while Luhan and Baekhyun watched from the side. Minseok patted Chanyeol's back as he coughed.

Is he alright..? Baekhyun thought with a heavy heart.

"Yeah, he'll be okay." Luhan says beside him and Baekhyun's eyes widen.

"I didn't mean to pry in on your thoughts but your signals were strong.." Luhan says apologetically but Baekhyun could barely understand what he was saying.

"You said you'd be fine. And this is what happens." Joonmyeon says with an obvious frown. It was clear this wasn't the first time something like this has happened.

"I am fine." The mess of a boy says once he's completely dry and no longer half awake. His voice was deep and calm, almost soothing to listen to. He brushes off his clothes once more and runs his hand through his hair, Minseok stands up, shaking his head. Joonmyeon holds out his hand for Chanyeol but the latter just looks at the offer and stands up on his own. On his feet, Chaneyeol stood taller than the others by a few inches. Taller than Baekhyun by a whole head.

"Fine my ." Joonmyeon refutes.

"I swear one day you're going to die in this forest." Kyungsoo says almost angrily, but his face looked more worried than upset.

Chanyeol ignored his comment and continued to walk back up the slope.

"Jongdae went to get Yixing after we saw you two." Luhan explains to Baekhyun as they walk back. There wasn't much of a conversation between the boys as they made their way through the forest as a group but it wasn't an awkward silence either.

"Oh, I see.." Baekhyun replies. He wasn't sure if what he had just experiences was something he shouldn't have been involved in. It was obvious that everyone was concerned about Chanyeol but the taller male didn't need their worries.

"It's only the first day and you're getting into so much trouble." Minseok says and Chanyeol just sighs.

"I was just testin-"

"Testing how many times it'll take to kill yourself?" Kyungsoo raises his eyebrow and Chanyeol turns around to look at him.

"Maybe." He says, and his eyes over at Baekhyun for a split second before he's facing the front again but the shorter male didn't notice. Baekhyun could only watch his tall frame from behind as they walked.

Another ten minutes passed before they got to the end of the forest. They were able to see the open field and the path that led to the main campus.

Baekhyun thought about how lucky he was to have made it out alive even without having a superpower before quickly looking over at Luhan, fearing that he has just read his thoughts. The older male just looked at him and smiled as if nothing as wrong.

Can he really read minds?

Baekhyun shrugged off the crazy idea of novas, despite having seen what Joonmyeon can do. It was clear that he was able to use his nova quite openly, which others like Luhan couldn't.

"This must have been startling, right?" Kyungsoo asks as they walk back to their dorm. Everyone parted ways and Kyungsoo offered to take Baekhyun back. Suho and Xiumin went with Chanyeol to find Jongdae and Yixing. Luhan...well, he went somewhere.

"A little..why was Chanyeol like that? And how did you know he was in trouble?" Baekhyun asks. Kyungsoo sighed.

"It's quite a long story..Chanyeol is actually a third year, like you."

Baekhyun's eyes widened. "He looked so much older..and he's so tall.."

Kyungsoo chuckled. "He is, isn't he?"

Baekhyun watched as Kyungsoo pulled out his room card and slide it over the lock. They entered their room and Baekhyun flopped onto his bed. He had barely started to unpack.

"But the thing is, Chanyeol is a bit strange.." Kyungsoo says, taking a seat on his bed across from Baekhyun's. The latter looks over at him, slightly turning his head.

"Strange?"

"After a childhood incident, he doesn't touch people." The doe-eyed male says and Baekhyun blinks.

"What do you mean?"

Kyungsoo frowns. "It's a bit complicated and we don't know the whole story but even when Chanyeol first came here, he always avoided us. And from what you've seen of Jongdae today..He's very..affectionate, let's just say that."

Baekhyun lets out an awkard laugh. "Does Chanyeol have some sort of weird phobia? Or like a skin disease?"

Kyungsoo shakes his head. "I don't think it's a disease. When he's sleeping or unconcious, we can touch him but when he's concious, he just prefers to not make skin contact with others."

Baekhyun looks up at the ceiling and bends his arms behind his head. "Oh."

Kyungsoo, too, lays down on his bed. "So do you have any questions about how our school works?"

Baekhyun sits up and nods. "Actually.. the novas.."

"What about them?"

Baekhyun tried to not make it obvious. "I mean..is there a strongest one? Or like.."

Kyungsoo nods. "There is a ranking at our school,"

Baekhyun narrows his eyes. For sure, he'd be at the bottom, considering he didn't even have a nova in the first place.

"The rankings depend on how well you do during your NP. But also, the strength of your nova."

Baekhyun listens closely.

"W-What do you mean by that?"

Kyungsoo relaxes into the pillow under his head. "There are general categories within the ranks. For example, mine is Strength. I belong in the Physical category. The Physical category is 4th out of the 10 categories."

Baekhyun tries to understand this school system but it didn't make much sense. Back at his old school, rankings were based on your test grades. The higher your grades, the higher your rank. Simple as that.

"What other categories are there?" Baekhyun asks and Kyungsoo thinks.

"Well, theres Psychic, which Luhan is in. Suspension, which Minseok hyung is part of..Uh..There are the Healers, like Yixing..I think another is Universal, which deals with time."

"Then who are at the top of the ranks?"

"There are two categories on top. Subnatural, and the Elemental. Jongdae is part of the Subnatural. They have powers that can cause natural disasters." Kyungsoo explains.

Baekhyun lets out a nervous chuckle. "Jongdae? With that kind of power? Sounds dangerous to me."

Kyungsoo laughed at that. "Which is why his rank is so much higher. And also why he's not allowed to use his nova outside of NP. However, some students still do it anyway." 

Baekhyun couldn't help but agree for the safety of the students at the school. "What about the Elementals?"

Kyungsoo turned to his side and faced the younger male. "There are only 5 elements at our school. Apparently one of them is a first year student."

Baekhyun suddenly felt worse about himself being at this school. "Thats a lot of pressure, to be part of the top five."

Kyungsoo shrugs. "Not like they had a choice. It's their nova."

"What are the Elementals' novas?"

Kyungsoo counted on his fingers. "Light..Darkness..Earth..Water is Joonmyun,.He is one of the five."

Baekhyun can't help but feel honored to have met the said male. Knowing that he had such a powerful nova made him feel smaller and slightly pathetic.

"And what's the last one?"

Kyungsoo sighs.

"It's the most powerful nova, making this the highest rank within the Elemental  category."

Baekhyun raised an eyebrow with interest. "What is it?"

"Fire... Chanyeol's nova."

This story is going to be one hell of a ride!

Leave a comment! What do you think so far? Any foreshadowing? What did you think of Chanyeol and Baekhyun's short encounter?

If you're confused about anything, just let me know! Don't hesitate to ask questions :)

Thanks for reading! ^o^