He extended his arm, his fingers reaching to grab her shoulder. But Lyraena was already moving. She shot a high, powerful kick straight at his head. His arm, the one he had just extended, snapped up with impossible speed, blocking her kick with his forearm. The impact echoed with a dull thud. He hadn't even flinched.
She tried to pull her leg back, but she couldn't. He had grabbed it, his grip like iron.
"Let go of me," she growled, struggling against his hold.
"Mhm," was all Jin said, his lazy smile still on his face.
---
Ivan was crouched by the waterfall, filling a waterskin, when he heard a loud SPLASH!
He whipped his head around and saw Lyraena in the water, gasping as she surfaced. How did she get there?
He didn't hesitate. He dropped the waterskin and dove in, swimming towards her as quickly as he could, though moving through the water felt like moving through mud.
"Hey, Lyraena!" he called out, his voice panicked. "Are you okay? What happened?"
She didn't look at him. She just stared straight ahead, her eyes wide with a mixture of anger and shock. He followed her gaze and his heart sank.
The water splashed again.
Jin was already there, standing between them and the shore. There was no way he could have closed that distance so fast. It was impossible.
Adrenaline surged through Ivan's body. He swam forward and put himself between Jin and Lyraena, spreading his arms protectively, even though his body was trembling. He knew he couldn't win a fight against someone who could throw Lyraena like a ball and move like a ghost, but he was willing to protect her no matter what.
"What the fuck, Jin!" he yelled, his voice ragged from exertion and fear. "I left her with you for two minutes and you do this!"
"ANSWER ME!"
"Relax," Jin said, his voice calm and utterly out of place. "Your girlfriend and I just had a small argument. I'm not going to harm any of you, as long as you guys respect my boundaries."
'Girlfriend.' An out-of-place warmth spread through Ivan's chest. He was definitely not going to correct that.
"What are you talking about? What boundaries?"
"Listen," Jin said, his gaze shifting to Lyraena. "She's a stubborn girl, but she might listen to you. Tell her that some doors are better left unopened."
Ivan looked back at Lyraena, then back at Jin, confused.
"Because I know damn well that Commander Valerius is going to punish me if I hurt any of the students," Jin continued, his voice taking on a harder edge. "But I'm not exactly the type of person who follows the rules. I'm not doing anything right now just because I respect you as a man with his girl."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Ivan said."But fine. We won't open any doors or whatever."
Jin hummed, satisfied. He then walked out of the water as if nothing had happened.
Ivan and Lyraena also walked out of the river, shivering. Her clothes were soaked through, plastered to her skin. Ivan quickly took off his own jacket, the one he'd taken off before jumping in, and wrapped it around her shoulders. She was silent the whole time, looking uncomfortable and shaken.
Ivan felt a pang of guilt and frustration. He was uncomfortable with the fact that he had been completely powerless to protect her.
He went back to filling the waterskins in silence, then returned to Lyraena's side.
"Why are you guys acting like it's a funeral?" Jin asked. He had already put on his gear and was ready to leave.
"Yeah, well, there's a problem bigger than you," Ivan snapped. "Much bigger than you."
"Hm?"
"There's a bear beast somewhere in this forest," Ivan said. "I saw it."
Jin nodded slowly. "Do you remember where it was?"
"No," Ivan said. "I have no idea. I was lost yesterday."
"Oh," Jin said with a shrug. "Well then, I can't help you now. But," he added, a strange confidence in his voice, "I won't be late if it shows up. I'm never late."
He then approached Lyraena, his tone softening slightly. "And you," he said, "don't sulk. I'm just a senior teaching his juniors some manners. Don't pry into my past like that, alright?" It was the closest thing to an apology he was capable of giving.
He turned to leave. "You guys can camp here. At least you'd have a water source." He thought for a moment, then added, "Well, it may not be the brightest idea since it's in the open. Dog beasts might attack... Anyway, it's up to you."
And just like that, he was gone, vanishing between the trees.
Ivan turned to Lyraena, who let out a long sigh of relief now that Jin was gone.
"Let's go, alright?" Ivan said gently.
"Yeah."
They walked back to the camp in a tense silence. After a few minutes, Ivan couldn't stand it anymore.
"So... what was the reason for the argument with Jin?"
Lyraena looked at him, and for the first time since the incident, a flicker of her usual fiery personality returned. "You keep secrets from me. Why should I tell you, Rabbit?"
Ivan sighed. "Are you sure you forgave me?"
Before she could answer, a flash of red light shot up into the gray sky from a nearby area, followed by a loud BANG!
A firework. A signal for elimination.