Ten steps out of the safety zone and Somi was already in the air, hovering above the heads of those that attacked them. She hung, weightless and fuming as her hands shot out, pushing flames towards those that aimed to hurt them. The force slammed her back into a tree and she grunted in frustration, gritting her teeth as she let herself drop back to the ground. She landed on her feet, bracing herself with a hand on the ground as she looked up. Her actions were sharp and quick. Her uppercuts knocked the wind out of those that came towards her and her boots collided with the ground in heavy thumps as her legs took strides to not back down from a fight.

Kihyun let out a snarl when a fist collided with his face. His eyes pinched shut as his body snapped in the opposite direction. He opened his eyes again, narrowing them as he moved his jaw, making sure nothing was out of place. There was a gurgle from behind him and Kihyun crouched down, covering his head and rolling away quickly. Sickening laughter broke out and Kihyun looked back at his attacker. The gargoyle screeched, spreading its wings and running towards Kihyun again. Kihyun rolled his neck, crawling on his hands and knees until an enraged koala was screaming as it ran towards the gargoyle. He jumped at the gargoyle, spreading his arms out and preparing his claws. Kihyun attacked the gargoyle's face, scratching and clawing at the gargoyle's face and pulling at the horns on its temple. Kihyun threw his body around and the weighted form of the animal pulled back and forth until they were both rolling along the ground with both of them screeching and snarling, trying to get the best hit in that would get the other off their back.

Changkyun soared through the hair, clawing and ripping at his opponents with the feet of an eagle. The flap of his wings made strong winds that whipped Somi's hair into the face of her competitor that had her in a chokehold. She kicked and coughed, digging the heel of her boot into their legs and reeling back and forth, trying to throw them off. Hyunwoo came up behind them, ramming his fist into the head of the choke holder, his grip on Somi loosened and he dropped to the ground as blood poured out from where Hyunwoo's brass knuckles connected with his head.

"Holy " Somi brushed her fingers over her neck and Hoseok grabbed her by the arm, ripping her back and out of the way of an arrow soaring through the air.

"Are you out of your mind?! Use your senses for once!"

"This isn't working" Minhyuk winced from Hoseok's other side, strangling a screaming girl in bright blue and green clothes. Somi cringed at the girl's costume and Minhyuk kicked her away from them.

"We need to find a way forward from this area" Hyunwoo nodded, pulling them to move forward, looking around for anyone that may jump at them.

"We just need to take off and avoid any attacks. Staying in the front and fighting isn't going to help us in the long run" Minhyuk discussed with him and Jooheon slid across the ground, coming to a stop at their feet, he jumped back up and went in for another attack with Kihyun following him. Hoseok spun around. kicking a siren away from them and pushing Minhyuk behind him.

"Start moving forward, we'll get the others to follow" Hyunwoo nodded and Minhyuk took Somi's hand, pulling her through the trees and the dirt.

"Get on my back" Minhyuk began to crouch down and Somi opened to protest, shaking her head rapidly.

"I can't do that!" Minhyuk shifted into a large wolf who lowered their body for Somi to be able to sit on his back.

"I guess there's no time for arguing" An arrow whistled through the air past them and Somi's body was thrown into action, she saddled Minhyuk's back and in his wolf form he stood tall again. Somi laced her fingers through his thick coat and laid forward, looking forward from between Minhyuk's wolf ears. He took off in a sprint and Somi grit her teeth, squinting her eyes as the wind whipped around them and watered her eyes. They created a distance between themselves and the safety zone, leaping and dodging for what felt like the longest time until Minhyuk came to a stop, slowing down to a run and then a trot until he was in his place, looking around and moving his ears to see if he could hear anything.

"I don't hear anyone" Somi spoke quietly and Minhyuk huffed, laying down on his stomach. Somi crawled off his back and dusted her hands off on her pants, taking a look around at the part of the forest they were in.

"Everything looks the same in here" Somi breathed out as rustling came from Minhyuk's direction.

"There's some water over there" Minhyuk wasn't wrong, when Somi looked, there was a body of water in the direction that Minhyuk was pointing. It was still, unmoving as they watched it and Somi nodded.

"So there is" She took a cautious step forward, wanting to look and Minhyuk held onto her hand, his gaze stern as he watched the water.

"It's rippling, there's something in there" Somi rushed back, pulling Minhyuk with her and they both watched with wide eyes as someone flung their body out of the water. The hands of the Undine dug into the ground, pulling its body up as Somi took in a sharp breath, using her hand linked with Minhyuk's to pull him behind her.

"Don't be stupid" Minhyuk cursed her and Somi shook her head.

"We need to go, Hyunwoo said to avoid fights for now" Somi rushed out and Minhyuk tightened his grip on her hand as the Undine stood on his feet. Water dripped down his blue clothes that covered his body like scales, with knee and shoulder pads, several belts and a spear, with his wild hair that remained unbothered by the water it was just submerged in, he had Somi gulping.

"We're too far from the safety zone now, we have to fend for ourselves until they catch up to us" Minhyuk shook his head, he grit his teeth, pulling Somi back again as the Undine laughed. He shot towards them. Somi and Minhyuk pushed each other to the side. Minhyuk fell to the ground and Somi stumbled back over roots of trees and rocks from the force of his push. The Undine turned back, running at Somi. Minhyuk jumped onto his feet. He grabbed the Undine's raised spear and Somi rolled away as Minhyuk ripped his arms back, pulling the Undine away from Somi. Somi made a trail of fire that ran straight toward the Undine. With a wave of the Undine's arm, water splurged over the fire, stopping it in its tracks before it could do anything to him, he laughed and it rumbled through his chest as Somi stood up slowly.

Minhyuk snuck up behind the Undine on nimble feet. He kicked him in the back of the knee and put his hands on his spear again, ripping it out of his fingers and aiming it at the Undine as he scampered back on the ground. The Undine grew angry. His lips pulled back, revealing sharpened rows of teeth as Minhyuk raised the spear, aiming for him. The Undine turned at the last second, racing against the floor of the earth and shooting straight for Somi. She jumped, raising herself several feet in the air and slamming back down on the ground to turn and look at the Undine.

"You give that back!" He bellowed. throwing his fist at Somi, she dodged the attack, kicking his leg, she missed and the Undine grabbed her by the throat, raising her feet off the ground. Neither of them noticed when Minhyuk ran towards them. He put the spear through the Undine's side and the Undine dropped Somi back onto her feet as he collapsed on the ground. 

"Let's go!" Minhyuk took her hand, dragging her away as the Undine snatched at her feet, trying to pull her back. He narrowly missed, watching them run off as he growled in anger, slamming his fist against the ground before making an effort to crawl back to his body of water behind him.

------------

It was serious and it was daunting, some part of the woods was so dark, she could hear the screams of other students deep within hidden caves. And other parts were etherial like she was in a movie, the sun would shine down through the trees and she could see everything around her, a bird would chirp and she could almost feel an illusional peace taking over her.

And Somi wasn't sure what out of those things scared her more.

Especially now that she was up close an personal, getting a good whiff of dogs breath as a wolf crouched over her, snarling in her face.

"Uhm, good puppy?" She chuckled awkwardly, her hands slowly moving down towards her belt. The wolf growled in response, it was a loud rumble that came from its chest. Somi gulped, looking from left to right for any signs of help or more danger.

"I'm sorry pupper, but I have to do this" Somi reached for one of her knives and the wolf gnashed at her face. On instinct, her elements kicked in. The wolf lost all connection it had with gravity. It rose through the trees with a howl and a flame followed it. Somi could hear it whining and howling in misery and she got up, looking at her surroundings and taking off again. She jumped over small boulders and weaved to avoid trees. Her eyes scanned the area and her legs pumped to push herself across the forest floor as quickly as she could. Somi didn't like that she was all alone, it meant no backup and a bigger chance of a group spotting her and ganging up on her, which she didn't want to happen.

Something swooped at Somi and she dropped to the ground, rolling down a sudden drop in the earth, screaming as gravity pulled her body down. Her chest heaved, rising up and down in a panting motion as she scampered back on the floor of the forest and pushed herself against the trunk of a tree, using it to help her stand again. Her legs shook for a moment, still shocked by the sudden ride her body was taken on. But she forced herself to stand strong, looking around as her body came back to its senses.

And this, this was something Somi was sure to be traumatised by, as if everything else she was seeing wasn't already traumatising enough. Why had they even given them all weapons when they had their own powers to use? Why were all the other students looking forward to this race so much when she could hear their cries of pain? And how did she manage to get chased down by a red eyed, vein popping vampire? Somi screamed. Her mind was racing just as frantically as her feet took off and she could feel terror taking over her as she realised there was no way to escape this vampire almost immediately.

She appeared in front of Somi again, showing her teeth as she hissed at her. With a leap, she took Somi down and the vampire would have succeeded in putting her on her back if it weren't for the way her hands flew out at her side, sweeping her through the air like there had been a strong gust of wind. Somi's legs flailed and she was surprised when she landed on her wobbly feet to be standing behind Hyunwoo, who looked absolutely livid with the way she could see his shoulders rising and falling in heavy breathes.

"I see you still don't know how to control your gravity gift" Hyunwoo bit monotonously, trying not to put his anger