I'm left standing in darkness, my eyes straining to see anything. The sudden blackout is like a slap in the face, leaving me disoriented. Rachel's voice whispers in my ear, "What's going on?" I try to respond, but my voice is caught in my throat. The silence is oppressive, punctuated only by the sound of heavy breathing. And then, the lights flicker back to life, casting an eerie glow over the room. I blink rapidly, my eyes adjusting to the light. That's when I see it - Rachel's face, pale and frightened, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and knowledge. She knows something, and I'm about to find out what. I grab her arm, my grip tightening. "What's going on, Rachel?" I demand, my voice low and urgent. She glances around the room, as if checking to see if anyone is listening. "I didn't want to say anything," she whispers, "but I think I saw Alex talking to someone suspicious yesterday." My heart skips a beat. "Who?" I press, my mind racing with possibilities. Rachel hesitates, her eyes darting around the room again. "I don't know if I should say," she says, her voice barely audible. I lean in, my ear inches from her lips. "Tell me," I whisper, my voice a gentle plea. And then, just as she's about to speak, the door bursts open, and a figure strides in. It's Jake, his face set in a determined expression. "We've got a problem," he announces, his voice loud and clear. "The competition organizers just announced a surprise twist - we have 24 hours to resubmit our code, or we're disqualified." The room erupts into chaos, with everyone talking at once. But I'm frozen, my eyes locked on Rachel's. She's still trying to tell me something, her lips forming a single word... "Run." And then, everything goes black again, but this time, I'm not sure if it's the lights or my own sanity that's failing me. As I stumble backwards, I feel a hand grab my arm, pulling me towards the door. I try to resist, but it's too late. I'm being dragged out of the room, into the darkness, with only one thought echoing in my mind - what's waiting for me outside? The last thing I hear is Rachel's voice, whispering a single word... "Alex."