My mind goes blank as Jake's words hang in the air like a challenge. Stolen? How is that even possible? We've been working on our code for months, pouring our hearts and souls into it. I feel a wave of panic rising up, threatening to consume me. Alex's eyes lock onto mine, and for a moment, I think I see a flicker of guilt. But then, his expression hardens, and he looks away. What is he hiding? I try to process what's happening, but my brain is a jumbled mess of emotions. Rachel's face is pale, and she's biting her lip, like she's trying not to say something. Jake's voice cuts through the chaos, "We need to figure out who did this and how to fix it. We can't let our entire project go down the drain." The room erupts into a cacophony of voices, each one shouting out a theory, a plan, a accusation. I feel like I'm drowning in a sea of uncertainty. And then, just as suddenly as it started, everything stops. The room falls silent, as if we're all holding our collective breath. Alex stands up, his eyes blazing with a fierce determination. "I think I know who did it," he says, his voice low and deadly. "And I'm going to find out for sure." He turns to leave, but not before his eyes meet mine, and I see something there that makes my heart skip a beat. A warning. A threat. A promise. "Alex, wait," I call out, but he's already gone, disappearing into the night, leaving me with more questions than answers. And that's when I see it. A note on the table, scribbled in haste. "Meet me at the old clock tower at midnight. Come alone." My heart is racing, my mind is reeling. Who wrote this note? And what do they want from me? I look up, and my eyes meet Rachel's. She knows something. And I'm about to find out what... just as the lights in the room begin to flicker, and everything goes black.