Countdown

The ticking clock added so much tension, but I wonder if it was planned from the start or developed during writing. How did it influence the pacing and suspense?

Their decisions often felt morally ambiguous, which made me question whether I would act differently in their situation. Am I the only one who felt uneasy about who to root for?

The blending of genres kept me on edge, but I'm curious whether the horror or the political themes took precedence in the author's mind during writing.