diff --git a/src/app/events/[world]/page.tsx b/src/app/events/[world]/page.tsx
index ba62e12..d73f78c 100644
--- a/src/app/events/[world]/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/events/[world]/page.tsx
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ export default async function WorldPage({ params }: PageProps<'/events/[world]'>
           <p className={styles.lead}>{w.intro}</p>
           <div className={styles.actions}>
             <a href={`/#/world/${w.slug}`} className={`${styles.cta} ${styles.ctaPrimary}`}>ENTER THE WORLD</a>
-            <Link href="/events" className={`${styles.cta} ${styles.ctaGhost}`}>ALL EVENTS</Link>
+            <Link prefetch={false} href="/events" className={`${styles.cta} ${styles.ctaGhost}`}>ALL EVENTS</Link>
           </div>
         </section>
 
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ export default async function WorldPage({ params }: PageProps<'/events/[world]'>
 
         <section className={styles.section} aria-label="Next world">
           <p className={styles.kicker}>NEXT WORLD · {next.statL.toUpperCase()}</p>
-          <p className={styles.h2} style={{ '--accent': next.accentL } as CSSProperties}><Link href={`/events/${next.slug}`}>{next.name} →</Link></p>
+          <p className={styles.h2} style={{ '--accent': next.accentL } as CSSProperties}><Link prefetch={false} href={`/events/${next.slug}`}>{next.name} →</Link></p>
         </section>
       </div>
     </EventsChrome>
diff --git a/src/app/events/page.tsx b/src/app/events/page.tsx
index 0134f8b..c082c9e 100644
--- a/src/app/events/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/events/page.tsx
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ export default async function EventsPage() {
         </p>
         <div className={styles.actions}>
           <a href={`/#/worlds/${WORLDS[0].slug}`} className={`${styles.cta} ${styles.ctaPrimary}`}>EXPLORE THE WORLDS</a>
-          <Link href="/" className={`${styles.cta} ${styles.ctaGhost}`}>BACK TO INNOVISION</Link>
+          <Link prefetch={false} href="/" className={`${styles.cta} ${styles.ctaGhost}`}>BACK TO INNOVISION</Link>
         </div>
       </section>
 
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ export default async function EventsPage() {
           {worlds.map(({ w, list }) => (
             <article key={w.slug} className={styles.world} style={{ '--accent': w.accentL } as CSSProperties}>
               <p className={styles.kicker} style={{ margin: 0, color: w.accentL }}>{w.statL.toUpperCase()} · {w.category.toUpperCase()}</p>
-              <h3 className={styles.h2}><Link href={`/events/${w.slug}`}>{w.name}</Link></h3>
+              <h3 className={styles.h2}><Link prefetch={false} href={`/events/${w.slug}`}>{w.name}</Link></h3>
               <p className={styles.tagline} style={{ margin: 0 }}>{w.tagline}</p>
               <p className={styles.worldIntro}>{w.intro}</p>
               {list.length > 0 ? (
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ export default async function EventsPage() {
                 <p className={styles.count}>LINE-UP ANNOUNCED SOON</p>
               )}
               <div className={styles.links}>
-                <Link href={`/events/${w.slug}`} className={styles.link}>{w.name.toUpperCase()} →</Link>
+                <Link prefetch={false} href={`/events/${w.slug}`} className={styles.link}>{w.name.toUpperCase()} →</Link>
                 <a href={`/#/world/${w.slug}`} className={styles.link}>ENTER THE WORLD</a>
               </div>
             </article>
diff --git a/src/components/events/EventsChrome.tsx b/src/components/events/EventsChrome.tsx
index e4bcc89..fa21aa3 100644
--- a/src/components/events/EventsChrome.tsx
+++ b/src/components/events/EventsChrome.tsx
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ import styles from './EventsPage.module.css';
  * BreadcrumbList JSON-LD describes, and a footer linking every world page. Server-rendered, no client JS.
  * Links into the animated explorer (/#/...) are plain <a>, not <Link>: the explorer reads its hash route once its
  * loader finishes, and a full page load is what keeps that hash (as for a visitor arriving from search).
+ * Every <Link> here (and on the /events pages) has prefetch={false}: by default each one in the viewport costs uncached
+ * RSC requests on Vercel (3 to 5 per page view were measured). A click still navigates client-side, fetching then.
  *
  * @param trail [name, path] from the home page down to this page; the last entry is the current page.
  */
@@ -19,7 +21,7 @@ export default function EventsChrome({ trail, children }: { trail: [string, stri
       <img className={styles.stars} src="/assets/starfield.svg" alt="" decoding="async" />
       <div className={styles.wrap}>
         <header className={styles.top}>
-          <Link href="/" className={styles.brand} aria-label="INNOVISION 2026 home">
+          <Link prefetch={false} href="/" className={styles.brand} aria-label="INNOVISION 2026 home">
             <Logo style={{ width: '22px' }} />
             INNOVISION
           </Link>
@@ -27,7 +29,7 @@ export default function EventsChrome({ trail, children }: { trail: [string, stri
             <ol>
               {trail.map(([name, path], i) => (
                 <li key={path}>
-                  {i === trail.length - 1 ? <span aria-current="page">{name}</span> : <Link href={path}>{name}</Link>}
+                  {i === trail.length - 1 ? <span aria-current="page">{name}</span> : <Link prefetch={false} href={path}>{name}</Link>}
                 </li>
               ))}
             </ol>
@@ -38,19 +40,19 @@ export default function EventsChrome({ trail, children }: { trail: [string, stri
           <nav aria-label="Event worlds">
             <p>WORLDS</p>
             <ul>
-              <li><Link href="/events">All events</Link></li>
-              {WORLDS.map((w) => <li key={w.slug}><Link href={`/events/${w.slug}`}>{w.name}</Link></li>)}
+              <li><Link prefetch={false} href="/events">All events</Link></li>
+              {WORLDS.map((w) => <li key={w.slug}><Link prefetch={false} href={`/events/${w.slug}`}>{w.name}</Link></li>)}
             </ul>
           </nav>
           <nav aria-label="Innovision">
             <p>INNOVISION</p>
             <ul>
-              <li><Link href="/">Home</Link></li>
+              <li><Link prefetch={false} href="/">Home</Link></li>
               <li><a href={`/#/worlds/${WORLDS[0].slug}`}>Explore the worlds</a></li>
-              <li><Link href="/register">Registrations</Link></li>
-              <li><Link href="/merch">Official merch</Link></li>
-              <li><Link href="/privacy">Privacy Policy</Link></li>
-              <li><Link href="/terms">Terms and Conditions</Link></li>
+              <li><Link prefetch={false} href="/register">Registrations</Link></li>
+              <li><Link prefetch={false} href="/merch">Official merch</Link></li>
+              <li><Link prefetch={false} href="/privacy">Privacy Policy</Link></li>
+              <li><Link prefetch={false} href="/terms">Terms and Conditions</Link></li>
             </ul>
           </nav>
           <p style={{ margin: 0, alignSelf: 'flex-end' }}>© 2026 Innovision · NIT Rourkela, Odisha</p>
diff --git a/src/components/innovision/Innovision.tsx b/src/components/innovision/Innovision.tsx
index a1a7c6c..f7bc65e 100644
--- a/src/components/innovision/Innovision.tsx
+++ b/src/components/innovision/Innovision.tsx
@@ -728,8 +728,10 @@ export class Innovision extends Component<Props, State> {
     this._warmed = true;
     if (slowNet()) return;
     // The overlay and view a visitor is most likely to open next are fetched ahead too (their own hover/tap also does).
-    // The pages of their own too, so MERCH (and REGISTER while closed) open at once (a no-op on the dev server).
-    this.cleanups.push(this.idle(() => { this.prefetch('auth'); this.prefetch('detail'); OWN_PAGES.forEach((p) => this.props.router?.prefetch(p)); }));
+    // The pages of their own (OWN_PAGES: MERCH, REGISTER while closed) are NOT prefetched: each router.prefetch cost 3
+    // uncached RSC requests on every home page view, for a page few visitors open. A click on one still switches
+    // client-side (the document click listener in componentDidMount), fetching the route then.
+    this.cleanups.push(this.idle(() => { this.prefetch('auth'); this.prefetch('detail'); }));
     // The menu (where the top bar has a MENU button) and the register / log-in overlay are mounted, closed, ahead of
     // time: mounting one on its first tap blocked a phone for ~100 ms just as its reveal began. One per idle period.
     this.cleanups.push(this.idle(() => {
@@ -2947,8 +2949,10 @@ export class Innovision extends Component<Props, State> {
       authSub: reg
         ? 'Three short stops to register for Innovision 2026 at NIT Rourkela.'
         : am === 'login' ? 'Sign in or create your account with Google.' : P.status === 'CONFIRMED' ? 'Your payment is verified. Your INNO pass is always available here.' : P.status === 'REJECTED' ? (this.canRegisterAgain() ? 'See why below, then register again with the right details.' : 'Please contact the registration helpdesk for assistance.') : 'Your payment is under review by the registration team. Your pass appears here after approval.',
-      // The seat counter (GET /api/seats) beside the registration form.
-      showSeats: reg,
+      // The seat counter (GET /api/seats) beside the registration form. Only while the overlay is open: it is mounted,
+      // closed, at idle (warmDeferred), and a mounted counter polls every 30 s. `auth` turns true before the overlay
+      // animates in and false after it has animated out, so the counter is never cut off mid-animation.
+      showSeats: reg && s.auth,
       // REGISTER AGAIN on a rejected pass; the pass itself decides whether to show it (attempts left).
       registerAgain: REGISTRATIONS_OPEN ? this.registerAgain : undefined,
       idCardUploaded: this.idCardUploaded,