Ten thousand audience members—what does that even mean?
Honestly, with just a limited imagination, it's impossible to picture the scene. It's like a castle in the sky—no matter how grand or massive the image in your head, it still lacks that real, tangible feeling. In the end, you have to be there, experience it firsthand, to truly grasp the sheer impact.
Buzz buzz buzz.
Buzz buzz buzz.
Standing in the backstage hallway of the Verizon Center, you don't even need to see it with your own eyes—the heat pulsing through the air is undeniable. The faint rustling and clattering of countless small sounds collide, brewing into a rolling wave of energy. The whole space hums with it, and you can feel the surge rippling across your skin.
Before you know it, your excitement takes over, unstoppable. Your heart thumps so hard it feels lodged in your throat.
The hallway is a whirlwind of staff rushing back and forth. Busy figures don't even have a second to catch their breath. It's like a bustling street, packed and relentless—anyone daring to cross risks getting swept away or knocked over.
Ronan and Ollie, though, dart through like little hamsters, glancing left and right. They weave between the chaos, stopping and starting, trying their best not to disturb the frantic workers. Still, they press forward toward the stage, eventually peeking out from the wings.
"Did you see it?"
"Careful!"
"Ahhh! I'm exposed! I locked eyes with someone in the crowd—just staring at each other like that! Ahhh! We totally made eye contact!"
"Where are they? Are people still coming in?"
Watching Ollie bounce around like a rabbit, Ronan's anticipation and curiosity hit their peak. His heartbeat pounds against his eardrums, tugging at his nerves and veins, like every muscle in his body is gearing up at once.
Truth is, all five of them—including Alice—were buzzing with curiosity, itching to sneak a peek at the crowd from the wings. But after some back-and-forth, Cliff and Maxim decided to hold back their impulses. Alice had the job of filming everything, so in the end, it was just Ronan and Ollie who slipped out of the green room to check out the scene.
Ollie barely poked his head out before he started freaking out and hopping around, which only cranked Ronan's excitement to a whole new level.
Pushing Ollie aside, Ronan stepped forward half a pace and leaned out from the wings. And then—
Buzz.
All he could hear was a roar in his ears as a breathtaking panorama unfolded before him.
People. People. People.
A dense swarm was trickling in, filling the ten thousand seats. So far, only about a third were taken—plenty of time left until it was packed—but that contrast between empty and occupied seats made it so vivid. You could feel the venue coming to life. Compared to the empty arena during rehearsals, this was ten times livelier, like all the noise and chaos of the world had converged right here.
So unfamiliar, as if this were his first time stepping into the Verizon Center. Yet so familiar—the stage, the seats, the lights—all etched into his skin. Every move echoed through the space.
People, people, people, people, people.
Audience members hunting for their seats, others eagerly chatting with friends, some craning their necks to take in the venue, a few dancing solo without a care, groups waving excitedly to familiar faces, and more still pouring in…
The scene sprawling before him was chaotic, loud, and crowded, yet every little detail stood out crystal clear. It painted itself across his vision, searing into his eyes, delivering a visceral punch to his senses and a jolt to his soul.
More overwhelming than he'd imagined.
Grander than he'd dreamed.
Even if he'd stretched his imagination to its limits, the reality still soared beyond it. It was like the hazy, sweltering air of a blazing summer day warping the world, a tidal wave of heat crashing over him. His blood boiled with it, pulling him into a mirage-like trance.
Thump.
Thump!
Excitement, nerves, anticipation, and joy flooded his chest effortlessly.
"How is it? How is it?" Ollie's eager, hyped-up voice yanked Ronan back. His mind was buzzing, thoughts too scattered to pin down. After a slight pause, all he could muster was, "Wow."
But that was enough.
"Right? Right? Wow! Wow!" Ollie couldn't find better words either, just echoing the same awe.
Then a staff member's voice called out from behind, prepping for work. Ronan and Ollie didn't linger—they turned and bolted from the wings, their giddy steps turning into hops. They bounced and sprinted all the way back to the green room.
"Unbelievable!"
"You guys seriously need to see it—the whole place is full of people!"
"A packed venue is a totally different beast from an empty one."
"It's all people!"
"Wow! They're just starting to file in, and it's already on a whole other level!"
"Standing on that stage, we're like ants—tiny ants! So small!"
As he spoke, Ronan noticed his voice trembling slightly. Then he realized his fingers were shaking too. The mix of anticipation and nerves about stepping onstage swirled together, emotions bubbling up in his chest:
This was a real, professional concert stage!
And they were about to perform on it.
"Stop, stop, stop!" Maxim clutched his chest, shaking his head. "Even without you saying it, I'm already so nervous I'm cramping up."
Then he turned to Cliff, who was facing the wall, and threw him under the bus. "Look at Cliff—he's about to cry!"
"You're the one crying! You're crying!" Cliff whipped around, neck stiff, yelling back in a huff. His wide-eyed glare at Maxim was pure fury—until he realized his outburst just gave him away. Ronan and the others burst into laughter.
No one was immune.
They were all buzzing for tonight's show, but that excitement came with a flip side—doubts and nerves. What if they couldn't win over the crowd? What if they fell short of expectations? The tension hit hard, and suddenly, none of them felt like themselves.
Even now, laughing at Cliff's flailing, their amusement didn't last long. They quickly realized they were in the same boat, worrying about the performance. The nerves choked out their laughter, and the air grew tight.
What do we do? What do we do? What do we do?