After the most frightful vision, you had difficulty falling asleep again. The atmosphere in your luxurious chalet room felt chilly, but the sun was seeping through the light curtains.

By 7 am, Chaeyoung knocked at your doors to prepare for the day. You stood up begrudgingly, but as you sat up on your bed, you couldn't recall the vision that frightened you almost half to death.

All you could remember was that a white, gaunt face with deep black eyes was hovering over your bed, chanting eerie words. Still, when the ghostlike phantom wanted to reach out its ash-white arms as if to lift you from your bed, you woke up startled, with faint sweat droplets on your forehead.

But you couldn't figure out what the ghost had said. All you know was that the revelation of those words had a dark, ominous meaning. Was it the warning of the Oracle? or a foreboding of what you are about to do to thwart the Oracle's influence? Does the Oracle know what your family was about to do to stop its influence and prolong the bonding of the system?

Dahyun stood at the bathroom door, looking at the conflicted expression on your tired face. Your long, shiny brown hair was messy around your face,  but what struck Dahyun was the look of dread on your beautiful pale face.

Dahyun, with a concerned voice, said that as she came and stood before you, you didn't move to stand up." Luna, good morning. Are you okay? You look so befuddled. What's wrong." She sat beside you on the side of the bed, his big eyes calculating.

You blink your eyes as you are caught in a trance," "Oh, er... good mornin, Dahyun. I just couldn't sleep. Maybe because of this strange environment."

You throw the white duvet from your body. You could feel the morning chill on your bare legs.

Dahyun grinned, and she looked so joyful,"  I'm glad you don't have any reservations about being here. This resort is everything that we dreamt of. It looks so cool, but it's so expensive.  Did you see the Bali theme? It felt like a secluded island. I read the brochures thoroughly. The owner gave our school an entertainment area for free. Every team has its full-service chalet. They apparently cater to all our food, and we don't need to stand around. Eunwoo says that we can order whatever we like, but at morning and supper times, we will have buffets. Gosh, I love this place---"

Just then Chaeyoung was in your door. She was looking rather fresh and overly excited in a black top and denim jeans.Her hair was in a loose plait. Already out of the shower, and ready for the day. You ponder and what is it that makes her so happy.

“Morning! O, come on lady, all of you hurry up, the rest of the group is waiting for us at the upper deck. The golf carts are forming a queue. Eunwoo is already outside. Luna go take a shower, otherwise when we reach the buffet area all of the good meat will be taken. I was told it’s a proper English buffet today.”

You nodded and hurriedly went to the showers. Meanwhile, Dahyun and Chaeyoung stepped out of the room and engaged in a soft conversation as you busied yourself in the bathroom getting ready.

.....

When you reached the breakfast area, you could see the morning sun—illuminated through the open areas of the hall. The students were already gathering around the wooden tables and engaging in conversation, excited for the different foods on the breakfast buffet. There were, however, a few guys some had already gone to the areas of the buffet, getting their food.

You guided your friends, Chaeyoung, Dahyun, and Seulgi to a quiet corner at the very end of the hall, away from Yeonjun and his loud friends. You could even eavesdrop the laughter of Yeji and Lia who were seated with them.

A mixture of strong aroma make you more hunger: freshly baked pizza bread and garlic rolls, toast, fried bacon, fried sausages, hot assorted vegetables. You only just wanted to steer clear of Yeonjun. You, followed by your friends Chaeyoung, Dahyun and Seulgi, led them  away from Yeonjun’s view at the far side of the room. Or so you thought anyways.

“That table will work,” you indicated the one very near the exit. “This is a quieter.”It was as far away from Yeonjun’s usual spot as possible.

Chaeyoung, always quick to pick up on your cues, nodded. “Good idea. Plus, we can make a quick getaway if the games start early,” she joked, nudging Dahyun.

Dahyun laughed, appearing to be her usual happy self but there was something more in her eyes that was different more like a sadness,  that one could almost feel without her saying anything.

All you could hear was the sound of the rest of the silver cutlery , and a kind of low conversations  that enveloped the room. Everyone was enjoying the food even the teachers looked relaxed.

Seulgi raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t this a bit... secluded?” her eyes darted around the massive hall. Few table were empty around your vicinity. All the students were seated in the same area.

“Its perfect and private,” you replied softly with your back facing Yeonjun.

Seulgi glanced across the hall, noticing Yeonjun and his crew as they settled down with their trays, “Trying to keep your distance, huh?” she teased lightly.

You forced a smile, “Something like that.” making your bangs fell over your face.

Dahyun, oblivious to the tension, was already diving into her breakfast menu, “Guys, they have assorted pancakes and waffles today! This camp is the best.”

You went and stood in line luckily Yeonjun and his crew were done and already enjoying their food.  Eunwoo sat with some of his senior friends so you girls could talk freely about whatever.

You  were keenly aware to Yeonjun’s presence as the group devoured their mouth watering breakfast; the pull between you almost palpable with every passing minute, as though some force was compelling you to tell him what you had been hiding. The Oracle and the system wants you to activate and choose.

The clothes you wore that morning, loose and layered, were a deliberate choice to hide your soulmark—the mark that would soon define your entire life. You concentrated on how much food was left in your plate instead of seeing what was going on around you. 

The last thing you needed was for him to catch you being so aware of him—or worse, for him to notice anything unusual about you. He already got his suspicions and you dint need to fuel it further.

It was not hard to keep a distance given the spaciousness of the hall and the light buzz of several conversations in the background.

Strangely enough, you were grateful that the long sleeves were sufficient to cover your soulmark. All teenagers got soulmarks when they turned seventeen years old. It was such a light shade of gray that one could not tell what shape it would take until the bond had been activated . But only the position of the soulmark is known.

Such marks were only visible to the soulmates who were at least eighteen at the time, and even before the activation. But at that moment, the pull definitely wanted Yeonjun to know who you were, and it seemed determined to do just that.

You could not allow it to happen—not at that moment, nor at any time before your eighteenth birthday and especially not until you found a way to block any resemblance of the bond from him.

Neither of you could tell, but Yeonjun had his gaze on you, even trying to be discreet. There was a deep desire in Yeonjun's for you to turn in his direction even after he had tried to concentrate on what was more interesting , Yejis cheerful chatter.

You noted with concern that his discreet  sideways glances were becoming more and more frequent, and maybe he was curious as to why he is so drawn to you.

Yeji was nudging him to pay attention to the group discussion, breaking his gaze on you.

"He’s staring at you again,” Seulgi whispered, not bothering to hide the smirk in her voice. She knows that you are whipped for the handsome idol.

You kept your eyes firmly on your plate. “He’s probably looking at someone else.” You were so tempted just to turn, but you forced yourself to eat your bacon and sip on your jasmine tea.

Seulgi’s eyebrows lifted up, scoffing, “Right. Because there’s definitely something more interesting over at the buffet chefs'  than you.” Dahyun and Chaeyoung nickered softly. But Dahyun's eyes were longing for Soobin, who looked so carefree.

She winked, making you blush beetred. “Besides, Yeji’'s girlfriend is right there, practically glowing of his attention. Why wouldn’t he be looking at her?  And stop staring at the group, okay? Let’s just eat quickly,” you murmured, cutting off any further discussion on Yeonjun and his stares. You already felt the anxiety gnaw at your insides.

You know that  Yeonjun won't  have the same pull towards Yeji despite liking her naturally. It was a  comforting thought , knowing that once Yeji turned 18 years old next week, he wouldn’t be able to half-bond with her, but it also terrified you because he would still feel that strange pull towards you and might be forced to touch you just to activate the bond. It's imperative to stay as far as possible from the idol, but the administration of the portion is what makes you more anxious.

You can't let that happen.

When relaxing breakfast time was over, you felt both relieved and anxious. The pull was becoming too intense, and you knew it was only a matter of time before Yeonjun found out the truth.

You just had to hope that the potion would work and that it would keep the bond hidden until you could figure out what to do
next.

.....

After your relaxing breakfast, the groups were called into an open area for the day’s activities. The  energetic teachers were all ready with their clipboards to score tththe teams and whistles.

The atmosphere was crisp and fresh, filled with the scent of the surrounding greenery. The first round of games was a mixture of simple obstacle team-building courses and games like testing  both physical and mental endurance like tug-a-war etc. and rope climbing over a high wall. It was tiring for those who were not very sporty.

Your fan boy brought you a few bottles of ice-cold energy drinks and you took them graciously. He just smiled brightly and waved at you, running back to his smirking group, who was the Drama Team.

Seulgi and Chaeyoung were constantly teasing you about this boy. You just shrugged because it doesn't cost anything to be kind.

“Dance, vocal, and drama team, get ready for the next game ," Ms. Shim called out, clipboard in hand, as she gathered everyone’s attention. Her hair was in a high ponytail. Yeji and her team members were super hyped up. She was also a member of the vocal team.

Your instrumental team will go against the sport and visual art team; they were all standing together, hyped up to bring top scores to their respective teams.

“We’ve got this covered ,” Chaeyoung said confidently, her competitive spirit shining through.

You, Seulgi, and Chaeyoung will do the obstacle course.

“We’re going to crush this,” Eunwoo added with a grin, his enthusiasm infectious.

The games were intense; there were running, rock climbing, and solving puzzles under pressure. Everyone’s adrenaline was pumping, but your team’s coordination and energy gave you the edge.

The instrumental team won the mental games because of you and Chaeyoung.
But by the end of the round, Yeonjuns' dance team had taken first place in his batch, much to the disappointment of the vocal and drama teams.

Your team came in second and the sports team came in first.
“Great job, everyone!” Chaeyoung cheered, high-fiving everyone of you, “We’re going to be in the upper leaderboard in this camp! Our first leadership camp.”

But the excitement was far from over. Next up was the swimming competition—the art, vocal, instrumental, sport, cooking, and dance teams against each other.
The massive swimming pool was clear blue and sparkling  under the afternoon sun as everyone gathered on the deck to cheer on their reps.

“Eunwoo and Dahyun, you’re up!” Chaeyoung called, clapping him on the back as they stepped forward to represent your team.

Eunwoo's face flashed a confident smile. “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”

Dahyun smirked, " I'm like a fish in the water." kicking her legs out, her eyes always darting to where Soobin was standing, stretching for the next game.

The competition was fierce, with the Sport team’s natural advantage giving them an edge. Txt Taehyun and Ruyin were the reps of the sports Team.  You and Chaeyoung watched from the sidelines, your hearts racing as Eunwoo and Dahyun, representing your team, took his place on the starting block.

“Come on guys, Eunwoo...Dahyun ! You’ve got this!” Chaeyoung yelled, clapping her hands exuberantly together in encouragement. You just smile at her excitement. You are not really into these sporty activities; you would rather sit and read a book or play your violin.

The swimming race was especially intense and exciting, with the sports team pulling ahead in the final lap.
The students were screaming and cheering for their team reps.  Despite Eunwoo’s strong start, the sports team’s swimmer, TxT Taehyun, was just too fast, and they claimed victory in the end.

“It’s okay, Eunwoo, Dahyun. You did great!” you said, offering him a comforting smile as he climbed out of the pool. Chaeyoung helped Dahyun, who was panting.
Eunwoo nodded, slightly out of breath. “I tried. Those sports guys are on another level.”

Still, your team held their heads high, proud of how far they’d come even if Eunwoo came in third but Dahyun didn't place. But she wasn't concerned about losing this round. Team spirit and participation were the keys.
After the competitions, you got some free time to rest before the next event on the schedule and that was lunch. Everyone was looking forward to lunch because you could go and order your food anytime between certain hours. 

 .....

You, Chaeyoung, Dahyun, and Seulgi decided to explore the beautiful, lush resort, taking in the beautiful scenery and the artistic touches  of the Bali theme scattered throughout the resort. You had to walk down stone stairs   and stand against railings to look over the lush greenery. The place was so tranquil.

As you wandered through the resort, the mood suddenly shifted when Dahyun spotted Soobin with his hand intertwined with the cute Eunbin's, who had refreshed in a cute summery dress.

They were laughing and walking until he scooped her on his back, Soobin carrying her, who giggled over some flat rocks to stand by the waterfall to take some creative selfies.

The massive smiles on their faces were evident of their secret dating.
You looked at Dahyun, whose' face immediately fell, and she stopped walking, staring at them in silence, deep sadness mirrored in her eyes.

You inhaled deeply, grabbed her hand quietly and led her away from her heartache, following Seulgi and Chaeyoung through the dense foliage pathway to explore further...

......

A/N: The games had started. Luna and Yeonjun are aware of the intense pull.

Thank you to all the MOAs who're supporting this fanfic. Thank you for the engagement,  comments, reads, votes, and sharing this book. I'm so grateful for your loyalty and support.

1. Do you think something was up with both the Oracle and System in their quest to let Luna choose?

2. Any idea of what the dream meant?

3. Do you think Yeonjun suspects that Luna is someone else's soulmate?

4. How do you think Luna must administer the portion without activation?

5. Do you think Dahyun has given up on Soobin?

Some extra eyecandy🥰