Oleksii is a choreographer. The war caught him off guard — but not entirely without a plan. He and his family had an agreement in advance: in case of danger, they would leave the city. One of the hardest moments, he says, wasn't the explosions or the losses, but the moment the bus with his wife and son pulled away. That was the first time he felt completely alone. And the brightest moment came when, after the occupation, he saw his family again.