Run: 2026-02-22-01KJ3A4HT34XKWXKBTKWCQMYK3

Mara did not want to be there. She had promised herself she would not go back, but there she was, standing in the lobby of the building she had left three years ago. It was not supposed to feel like this. "You are late," stated the receptionist, a young man who did not look up from his screen. He was typing something and did not pause. "She is waiting in the conference room. You will want to hurry — she is not in a good mood." Mara could not decide if this was a warning or merely polite conversation. She was not convinced it mattered. She had made up her mind, and there was no use in doubting herself now. The hallway remained unchanged. The same grey carpet, the familiar harsh lighting, and the same faint odour of coffee that had been sitting for too long. Mara would not have been shocked to discover her old nameplate still on the door, but it was no longer there. Another person's name had taken its place. "I did not think you would actually come," Priya remarked, having stood up from her chair the moment Mara walked in. She was not smiling. "We have a problem, and you are the only one who can assist." "I am not certain that is true," Mara replied. "I have not been part of the project for years. I would not know where to start." "You would be surprised," Priya insisted. "It is the same codebase. They have not altered the core modules. You would recognise it right away." Mara did not respond immediately. She had already assured herself she would not be drawn back in. However, she had not anticipated Priya asking in person. That was not fair — it is more difficult to refuse when facing someone. "I will consider it," she said. That was not a confirmation, and they both knew it was not a refusal either.