The Shadow's Oracle// A BTS Fanfiction

Chapter 21

It was oddly warm for December, especially considering it was only a few days shy of Christmas. The snow had melted, and the sun was shined brightly without a speck of cloud coverage. The dirty soil mixed perfectly with the melted snow, leaving behind nothing but murky puddles scattered across the training area as if they were explosives in a minefield.

Kaitlyn's eyes expanded in shock at the sudden splash that coated her leg. Under normal circumstances, she would have easily avoided the puddle. Though the wet feeling shocked her, she couldn't muster up the energy to care. Her mind was preoccupied with more important thoughts, like the pain that radiated within her body. It was becoming increasingly difficult to conceal from the others. They knew about her exhausted state and the toll it took on her ability to stay awake and focused, but the constant physical pain that accompanied her was almost too unbearable, which caused it to become more challenging to hide.

Yet, here she was, standing in a small circle with Yoongi, Jungkook, Lexi, Yuri, and Yeonjun for another small training session. Silent stretching ensued as the oldest spoke softly.

"We all know that we try and keep together the best we can but that's not always possible. What we are attempting today is some one-on-one combat. It's a great way for us, as a group, to learn each other's fighting styles as well as point out our weak points and work on them. The safest place to find those is amongst ourselves and not against an enemy. At least here, your weaknesses won't result in death," Yoongi bore a look of exhaustion. He kept speaking knowing the sole reason was that if he were to stop, the others would interject to voice their complaints or ideas, "Jungkook, just because I know you'll keep an eye on her condition, you're with Kaitlyn. But, regardless, do not go easy on each other. If I see you slacking it won't be me that kills you."

"Damn that was harsh," Jungkook mumbled, earning a hard glare from Yoongi. His lips instantly sealed shut in a flat but guilty line. He would rather die at the hands of a monster than to Yoongi.

Yoongi shifted his attention from Jungkook to Lexi, "Lexi, I think you're best suited to be paired with Yeonjun," She shifted uncomfortably on her feet as she glanced from the oldest to the newest recruit. He was offputting since the moment they met. The first words he spoke only riled the group up. Training with him did mildly pique her interest as to what the man with the big mouth could do, but at the same time, she couldn't help but wonder if he would try to inflict more damage than words could cause.

"Wait what? I thought you'd pair me with Yuri." Lexi furrowed her eyebrows, wondering why Yoongi thought this was the most ideal match. If anyone could put a new recruit in their place, it would be Yoongi.

"You'll go easy on her. We can't have that, now more than ever. I know for certain you won't take it easy on him and vice versa. Don't forget you need to get stronger too," Yoongi sighed, his eyes narrowing in slight annoyance at the sheer fact that two newcomers did nothing but make things more complicated, "Yuri you're with me."

Valuing her own life more, Yuri simply nodded in response. It was absolutely terrifying the way his eyes narrowed and his demeanor changed when he was about to kill something. If there was something she was sure about, she knew she didn't want to be on the receiving end of that fury.

With the pairings made, each of the three groups separated, moving to different areas of the training compound.

Lexi opted to take Yeonjun to the training dummies that stood in a far-off field with tall brush that blocked it from everyone else's view. The dummies stood at various heights. Some were shaped like various magical creatures while some looked more humane. All were made of wood, the best substance since it allowed for more accurate readings and lasted longer than their predecessor. Cloth dummies were one used and then quickly trashed since they ripped every time the blade even grazed it. With wood, and with just one throw, it was easy to gauge their strength by how far the blade sunk into the dummies along with their accuracy.