When morning came, it took a minute for Mingi to remember where he was. The bed beneath him was so soft and cozy...

He stretched his arms over his head, then cringed when a sharp pain shot through his abdomen.

"Are you alright?" Wooyoung's soft voice came from somewhere in the room.

Mingi opened his eyes and blinked a few times, then turned his head to see Wooyoung sitting up in his own bed, his eyes puffy from lack of sleep.

Right... the competition.

"Yeah," the older groaned and pushed himself up in bed. "Yeah, I'm good. You?"

Wooyoung shrugged and picked at a piece of lint on his blanket. "Alright, I guess. I couldn't sleep."

Mingi didn't like hearing that, it made his chest ache with concern for his friend. "You could have slept with me, Young-ah."

"I know, but you looked so peaceful sprawled out on the bed, there was no room for me." Wooyoung managed a small giggle while shrinking into himself a little.

A knock on the door drew their attention. When Seonghwa poked his head in, he smiled at them with that motherly smile they'd grown to love so much. "Good, you're awake. Joong wants us downstairs so we can decide what to do today."

Both boys rose immediately and trudged downstairs in their loose pajamas. Bright red lights on each of the cameras acted as an instant reminder that they were being filmed. Now they had to be on their best behavior, yet still perform well for the people watching.

Which was something they were used to, of course, and when all eight of them were gathered in the living room again, that familiarity helped all of them settle into some sense odd comfort.

"Right. Let's talk about our first day." Hongjoong nodded to the room and sat up a little straighter. "We have nothing for breakfast, so finding food needs to be our first priority."

"At least they were decent enough to give us running water." Yeosang leaned forward to brace his elbows on his knees. "We'd be screwed otherwise."

A few murmurs of agreement followed his statement, then Yunho said, "It may not be a good idea to find and secure fresh water sources though. Just in case. There's already been enough happening that we couldn't have predicted. I feel like we should plan for the worst-case scenarios."

"There's our strategic gamer we love." San said, clapping Yunho on the shoulder. "I agree with him. They want this to be based off an omegaverse? Then we need to think like a wolf pack. Food. Water. Pack. Den. Survive." He counted off each thing on his fingers, holding an open hand, then closing it into a fist. "Then we will work as one unit."

"I bet not a lot of other groups will have that mentality!" Jongho said, holding up his fist as well. "They only way we are going to win this is by working together as one!"

Then their youngest stands up and puts his fist in the center of their circle. His eyes dart between each of his members, his brothers, his pack, and they all stand together and put their hands in the middle.

"We can do this." Hongjoong had a proud look in his eye, one that always fueled the team with the desire to do better, all so they could get that look again. "We have a bond no other group has!"

"Yeah!!" Everyone else cheered together.

"We always have each other's backs. We know how to communicate better than most people. We go through hell and back every day just to do our normal jobs. And we are always stronger when we are a team." Their captain took another moment to look at each of them in the eye. "1, 2- "

"EIGHT MAKES ONE TEAM!!" Everyone yelled at the same time and threw their joined hands in the air with a cheer.

It was just what they needed to get energized for the day and they dressed in a matter of minutes so they could meet up in the front yard.

The only thing that slowed them down was when Mingi went to clip the leash onto Wooyoung's collar.

Seeing the pained look in the younger's eyes nearly ripped his heart out, but neither one of them commented on it.

They had to do it, they had to, so there was no point in fighting it.

But Mingi did pull Wooyoung into a tight hug so they could have a moment together off camera before the rest of their day began.

When they stepped outside, Mingi had to admit that it was rather pretty.

Wildflowers poked through the fallen pine needles and pinecones and grass in various shades of blue, white, yellow, and pink. The soaring pine trees were huge, covering up much of the sky, but the needles still weren't thick enough to block out patches of sunlight, giving the area an almost dreamy look to it.

The only thing that interrupted the strange beauty was the multitude of cameras affixed to almost all the trees, giving the viewers a chance to see everything.

"What first, Hyung?" He asked, turned to where Hongjoong was surveying the area.

"The market isn't scheduled until tomorrow, so for now I think we should focus on finding something to eat. Maybe we can head in the direction of some of the trainings being offered and see what we can find."

Everyone agreed with him, and they started walking in the direction of the main plaza.

The tough thing right now was that they could talk the talk, say they could work as a group and know what they needed to do to survive... but they didn't really know what it meant to do that.

None of them had ever foraged for food, tried to do any form of tracking, knew how to build a fire... Because of their goals, they'd been in school and training their entire lives. And now, if they really needed something, either they or one of the staff members at their company would get it or see that it was done.

They'd been living in luxury compared to this.

So, the training classes was definitely in their best chance to stay in the game and get ahead.

As they got closer to the plaza, they started to see more and more groups appear in the trees around them. A few seemed to be exploring, taking in the area and their surroundings. A couple were in the process of gathering firewood and even chopping down a few shorter trees.

Mingi made a mental note to make sure they did that too. The more supplies they could stockpile, the better.

The sound of chatter grew louder the longer they walked, and soon they made it to the great stone plaza.

It felt like a completely different place... Banners had been put up above all the buildings originally assumed to be shops that said information could be obtained inside about specific events.

"Damn." Seonghwa gasped. "This place is..."

"Incredible yet terrifying?" Yeosang offered, holding his chin.

The older looked at him and smiled. "Yeah. That's exactly it."

"Don't let your guard down." Hongjoong scowled slightly, then winced and rubbed his stomach.

It was a motion they'd all been doing every so often, Mingi especially. The sharp pain wasn't unbearable, but it was happening often enough that he felt a little discomfort now.

But it was probably just hunger pains. While they were used to dieting for comebacks and when they wanted to lose a little weight, they were not used to not having an option to eat, which played a bigger psychological game than dieting.

By scanning the buildings, they saw options for training in hunting, foraging, tracking, and basic survival skills.

They stood off to the side and just observed to begin with, and that's when Mingi noticed something...

"Hyung," He whispered, leaning over to get closer to Hongjoong, "I really hate to say it, but I don't think you can lead us anymore in public."

"Why not??" Hongjoong bristled and spun around.

The younger flinched slightly, then held up the hand holding Wooyoung's leash. "Because you're not..."

It took Hongjoong a few seconds, then the bridge of his nose scrunched with annoyance, and he huffed. "So dumb." He huffed again, clearly not feeling comfortable with giving over control. "So, which of you two will be our Head Alpha?"

Mingi glanced at Jongho and the two of them made eye contact.

If he was being honest, Mingi didn't think he had the confidence to be their leader. And really... despite teasing the others about it, he didn't really understand why he was an Alpha.

And hand gently grabbed the back of his neck and he turned to see Yunho standing next to him, his kind eyes swirling with concern and understanding, all linked to a connection only they had.

Mingi leaned a little closer to the older, then said to Jongho, "Do you think you can do it?"

Their youngest's eyes flew open and he shook his head a couple of times. "What?? No! There's no way- "

"Yes, you can." Wooyoung and Seonghwa said at the same time.

"You have better instincts than most of us." Seonghwa continued. "Plus, it's not like it's permanent, we just need someone to speak for the pack in front of others."

Jongho's lower lip started to push out in a pout, and he looked down at his feet. "I don't want to mess things up for us..."

"I'll still help you." Mingi said, trying to draw on whatever inner leader the organizers of this game saw in him. "Plus, aren't you always saying how you'll do anything to protect your hyungs?" A wide smile tore across his face at the slight blush dusting Jongho's cheeks.

"I hate you all."

The small amount of laughter that passed through them managed to ease enough of the tension that Jongho felt better stepping out in front to lead their pack to the information buildings.

Mingi fell into step right behind him and because of the leashes, Wooyoung and San had to follow. The other four fanned out around them, acting as a protective barrier.

Jongho must had taken to his leadership role better than he thought he would, because he led them straight to the hunting building without consulting anyone else.

"Welcome." The Android inside greeted in perfect Korean. "Are you here to sign up for hunting classes?"

"Yes." Jongho answered.

"Excellent. Alphas and Betas are allowed to participate. Omegas must be left at home or wait elsewhere."

"What?! That's bullshit!" Wooyoung exclaimed. "I am perfectly capable of hunting, so is Sannie!"

Despite the emotionless, frozen face, something changed when the Android spoke again... "I suggest you get your Omegas under control. Disrespect will not be tolerated here. Do not forget the controls in your watches."

"How da-!" Wooyoung started to say again, but Yunho was quick to slap a hand over his mouth.

"Hush." He whispered. "We will figure this out, but you need to stay in control."

Mingi glanced over his shoulder and tried to send the message with his eyes that he really didn't want to have to do something to Wooyoung just to appease the game.

Thankfully the younger seemed to get it and looked to the side with a scowl.

"How many of you will participate today?" The Android continued as if nothing had happened.

As always with important questions like that, Jongho immediately looked to Hongjoong. So did Mingi. The three of them had a silent conversation, with Hongjoong pursing his lips and nodding once.

Jongho turned back to the Android. "Four of us."

"Excellent. With two Alphas and two Betas participating, your pack will earn four hundred points per hour to be added to your score. Please have your Omegas escorted elsewhere." It said as it typed in the details on a tablet.

Now both San and Wooyoung scowled at the Android, but thankfully didn't say anything while Mingi and Jongho handed their leashes over to Seonghwa and Yeosang.

"Be careful." Seonghwa said softly, looking at each of them in turn, saving Hongjoong for last. "Please."

"We will. You too. Keep a watchful eye on everything." Hongjoong, in a rare moment for him, took Seonghwa's hand in his own.

With a sinking feeling, Mingi watched as their group split in half. He started to wonder if maybe he should stay with them too, but the Android beckoned them forward and handed over an envelope.

"Inside you will find a step-by-step guide for what you need to do and what to expect. There is also a location that you may find once you complete the first few steps that will contain weapons for you to use. Each location is tailored to each pack, and can only be unlocked with an Alpha's watch, so you do not need to worry about someone else finding your weapons. But once you have them, other packs may take them if you leave them unattended, so be careful. There is plenty of room to hunt and there are herds of wild game, so you do not need to worry about not finding food. Finally, remember that this is a competition and there are few rules to follow. Do not start something with another pack unless you are prepared for the consequences." The Android bowed its head when it finished speaking and took a step back.

Jongho hesitated for a moment before he grabbed the envelope. He led the way outside, eyes immediately searching the area for the rest of their pack. "I wish we had a way to communicate with the others."

"Me too, but they will be just fine." Hongjoong said, though his tone didn't fully convince the others that he believed his own words. "Let's take a look at what they expect us to do."

The group of four walked away from the courtyard and away from the other contestants starting to gather there.

In the distance, Mingi noticed Chan, Changbin, and Hyunjin speaking amongst themselves over some kind of scroll or map or something.

Other than that, it was just a sea of strange faces swirling with undecipherable words.

So many people... How was this area supposed to support all of them?

"Mingi?"

"Huh?" Mingi's head whipped around to face Yunho, who was looking at him with concern.

"You spaced out there." His best friend stepped a little closer.

Mingi blinked a couple of times, trying to clear his head. "S-Sorry. I was just... This place is getting to me."

"Us too," Hongjoong hummed. "But we need to try and stay focused." His hand drifted to his abdomen as he spoke. "Come on, let's get started."

Jongho opened the envelope and pulled out their guiding list, written in perfect Korean, detailing the best ways to track prey, look for signs of struggle or animal trails, as well as listing the best ways to trap and kill their chosen target.

They were also given a clue to start their search for their weapon stash.

Find the tree with a knot it in and walk fifty paces north.

"Wow, could they have made it any less helpful??" Yunho snorted.

This earned a small chortle from the others, but the light mood didn't last long. The need for food drove them to take things more seriously.

The forest was quiet as they walked deeper into the trees. Birdsong and leaves crunching beneath their feet was the only thing to follow them.

An entirely unknown world lay before them... one they needed to learn to conquer fast.

Otherwise... they could lose themselves...

To the trees.

To the island.

To the game.