TIMES UP

Valle woke with a start, his heart pounding in his chest, his skin damp with sweat. He sat up quickly, gasping for air, still reeling from the nightmare that had gripped him. It felt so real, so vivid. In the dream, he had seen Alexa—his love—drowning in a swimming pool. Panic had surged through him, and he had sprinted towards her to help, only to be struck by a sudden, sharp pain in his chest. He turned, and there was Leonard, standing there with a twisted smile on his face and a gun pointed at him.

"Time’s up," Leonard had sneered, his hand steady as he pointed the weapon towards Alexa. But just as the gun fired, Valle had jolted awake, his body trembling in terror.

Breathing heavily, Valle tried to shake off the lingering fear, but it clung to him. He wiped the sweat from his brow, his hands shaking. Then, suddenly, he heard Alexa’s voice echo in his mind, a desperate scream that sent a chill down his spine.

Without wasting another second, Valle leaped out of bed. The fear from th