"Tighten formation!" I shouted, loud enough to cut through the chaos. "Hands up, no contact, keep moving forward."
I stepped into the gap the frozen handler left, angling my body to create a moving barrier. My voice stayed firm and calm even as my pulse raced. "Step back, please. We need clear passage."
Some people listened. Most didn't.
A fan stumbled at the right barricade. The ripple effect pushed three more forward. A phone clattered to the ground. A scream of fear rose.
I lost sight of Rune.
Five seconds.
My chest locked up.
Every worst-case scenario flashed through my mind—someone's hand on him, grabbing and pulling, sending him down under the surge. Trampled. Crushed.
I shoved forward through the gap, one hand on the shoulder of the contractor ahead to signal my trajectory, the other clearing space. Professional. Controlled.
Terrified.
I found Rune. He'd stopped walking. Soyeon was trying to shield him while moving forward, and it wasn't working. He'd frozen how prey animals do when they realize continued motion won't save them. He'd pulled his hoodie back, and his eyes were wide, breathing shallow.
I reached him in three strides, placing my hand on his spine. He inhaled sharply.
"Walk," I said directly into his ear. "Steady pace. Don't stop. I'm right here."
He started walking again.
The corridor opened up beyond the checkpoint. The crowd thinned. It wasn't entirely safe yet, but I knew it was survivable.
We cleared the threshold. Made it to the secure space beyond the checkpoint. The noise dropped away as a door sealed behind us.
I counted. Jinwoo, Taemin, Minjae, and Rune. All present. Handlers accounted for. No visible injuries.
Kang was on his phone, speaking Korean in clipped, professional tones. Damage control.
Soyeon exhaled hard and looked at her tablet.
I checked Rune. It was professional, a visual sweep, assessing for injury or shock. Whole. Safe. Still here.
His eyes met mine. I saw the adrenaline underneath the composure. He tried to steady his hands, but didn't quite manage it. Saw the question he couldn't ask and the answer I couldn't give.
Are you okay?
No. Are you?
No.
We couldn't do more. Everything was already in motion again. Handlers directed the band members toward the exit. Vehicles were waiting.
I thought about who wasn't there.
Soo-jin.
He hadn't been in the corridor. He didn't appear during the breach, and he wasn't part of the recovery.
In Portland, he'd told me people get hurt when the system breaks down.
No injuries here, but it was close enough.
