The tunnel stretched endless before us. My legs moved automatically, following Hyunki's silhouette toward the blinding stage lights.
Last performance of the night.
Six teams already done.
We had to be flawless.
The stage lights hit me like a physical wall.
Bright. Blinding. Heat washing over my face even through the mask.
I could see the audience now—not individual faces, just a massive wave of bodies stretching back into darkness. Lightsticks glowing in scattered blues and purples and reds.
The scale of it made my stomach drop.
Thousands of people. All watching.
All waiting for us to either triumph or collapse.
My legs felt wrong. Unstable. The headache pulsed behind my eyes with every heartbeat.
But adrenaline flooded my system, sharp and electric, drowning out everything except now.
I couldn't mess up.
Not here. Not after everything.
