Possession's Perilous Performance

The air crackled with an energy I’d only ever felt at the front row of a concert, a thrumming anticipation that vibrated through the soles of my sneakers. Today, however, it wasn’t the roar of a thousand voices or the dazzling lights of a stage that filled the stadium. It was the soft murmur of a crowd gathered for a fan meet, a casual meet-and-greet that felt both impossibly real and terrifyingly surreal. Jaehyun, my bias, my *legendary hunter bias*, was here. And so was I, not just as a fan, but as a huntx.

My heart hammered a frantic rhythm against my ribs, a frantic dance that mirrored the one I’d been practicing for weeks. Beside me, Mira stood with her arms crossed, a smirk playing on her lips. She’d been a rival, a sharp-tongued challenge, but lately, after the chaos of the amusement park and the festival, she’d settled into a more… grudging camaraderie. “Still think you’re going to freeze up, Rumi?” she teased, her voice low enough to be lost in the general din.

I swallowed, trying to push down the familiar flutter of nerves. “Never,” I lied, my voice a little too high. “I’m a huntx now. I’ve faced actual demons. A few hundred screaming fans should be a walk in the park.”