Roselle clicked on the link to message WiseOwl67, and a chat box appeared. She began to type her message.

  StarlightSeeker27: Hello, WiseOwl67. Naughtybunny99 suggested you might have some information about my friend Tina. I've been looking for her, and any help would be greatly appreciated.

  After sending the message, Roselle anxiously waited for a reply. A few moments later, WiseOwl67 responded.

  WiseOwl67: Greetings, StarlightSeeker27. I have seen Tina fluttering about, though she's been quite busy lately. I can share what I know, but I'll need something in return.

  StarlightSeeker27: I'm willing to offer something in return. What do you need?

  WiseOwl67: I've heard tales of a mystical item called the "Moonlit Trinket." It's said to have unique properties. If you can acquire it and provide me with its description, I will share what I know about Tina's whereabouts.

  Roselle hesitated. This request sounded rather peculiar. Nevertheless, she decided to accept the challenge in her quest to find Tina.

  StarlightSeeker27: The Moonlit Trinket it is. I'll do my best to find it and describe it for you, WiseOwl67.

  WiseOwl67: Excellent! To obtain the Moonlit Trinket and discover Tina's username, we shall embark on a journey through a virtual world. I challenge you to a Versus Exploration game. The prize will be the Moonlit Trinket, but you must defeat me in this game to claim it. Are you ready, StarlightSeeker27?

  Roselle was intrigued by the proposal but was also puzzled by the cryptic nature of this chatroom. She responded cautiously.

  StarlightSeeker27: I'm willing to accept the challenge, but can you please explain more about this game and how it works?

  WiseOwl67: Of course, my dear friend. In this virtual world, we'll navigate through a series of puzzles, riddles, and challenges. The first to reach the end and solve the final puzzle will obtain the Moonlit Trinket. It won't be an easy journey, but it's a test of wits. Be prepared, and remember, Tina's username is our ultimate prize.

  WiseOwl67: Oh, and I should also mention, you need to be more discreet about using her real name in the main chat. An admin named HotBunny is quite sensitive about such matters. Fortunately for you, they are offline right now.

  With the explanation in mind, Roselle braced herself for the upcoming game. The challenge popped up infront of her, and she accepted it.

  In the digital world of the Versus Exploration game, Roselle and WiseOwl67 found themselves facing a challenge filled with colorful landscapes and mysterious creatures. As they began their journey, a digital path opened before them, and they could hear the excited chatter of digital creatures around them.

  The race had begun, and they soon encountered their first puzzle. It was a riddle displayed on a massive digital screen:

  "Start your journey, follow the path,

  A word that guides you, do the math.

  It's where you want to be in the end,

  The answer's clear, it's your best friend."

  WiseOwl67 guessed, "Home!" But the answer was not as simple as it seemed.

  Roselle, took a moment to think, and then said, "Destination?" With the riddle cracked, Roselle was now at 1-0.

  As Roselle solved the first riddle, she was rewarded with an image of a bunny which appeared to take a humanoid shape. Its body was sleek and curved in all the right places. The bunny stood on its hind legs, arching its back slightly. It was inviting her closer for a better look.

  Roselle recoiled out of her chair with a flustered face. As a fan of bunnies, this was certainly not the kind of image she was used to.

  She quickly glanced over her shoulder to see if Michigo and Sarah had noticed. They were busy trying to get to sleep, but the sudden noise from Roselle's chair had caught their attention.

  Michigo turned over sleepily. "Roselle, what's going on over there? You alright?"

  Sarah rubbed her eyes and added, "Yeah, you made quite a racket. Something wrong?"

  Roselle hesitated."Oh, it's nothing. Just got a little spooked by a... pop-up. You know how these online chats can be."

  Michigo raised an eyebrow, still half-asleep. "You sure? You look more than a little spooked..."

  Roselle nodded, doing her best to maintain her composure. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just unexpected graphics, I guess. Anyway, you two should get some rest. I've got this under control."

  Sarah yawned and lay back down. "Alright, if you say so. Just don't stay up too late, okay? You need your rest too."

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Roselle took a deep breath and whispered to herself, "This is for Tina” She refocused her efforts on the game. Each puzzle brought new challenges, but with each victory, she earned more images, some more surprising than others. Despite the distractions, Roselle endured, keeping her eye on the prize: finding Tina.

  Roselle managed to stay one step ahead of WiseOwl67. With each victory, she grew more confident.

  Finally, the score stood at 9-9, with only one puzzle left to solve. It was a riddle displayed in bold letters:

  "I am always hungry,

  I must always be fed.

  The finger I touch,

  Will soon turn red.

  What am I?"

  Roselle took a moment to think, knowing that this was her last chance to win the game. She ran through the possibilities in her mind, carefully considering the riddle's clues.

  Then, with a flash of insight, she exclaimed, "Fire!"

  The screen confirmed her answer, and with that, Roselle claimed victory over WiseOwl67 with a final score of 10-9.

  Roselle was crowned with a special digital trinket, the Moonlit Trinket. The creatures around them cheered, and WiseOwl67 graciously admitted defeat, saying, "Well done, StarlightSeeker27. You've proven to be a master of both wit and riddles. Now, the description of the Moonlit Trinket."

  Roselle’s username now had a Silver pendant on the side of it. A congratulatory message appeared on the screen:

  "Congratulations, StarlightSeeker27! As a reward for your triumph, HotBunny has prepared a special video for you to watch. Would you like to view this 'exclusive content?' ????"

  Roselle hesitated, recognizing the suggestive emoji and knowing the nature of the chatroom she was in. Her intuition warned her about the potential content of the video.

  Roselle muttered to herself, "I'd better not."

  She decided to forgo the video and click ‘no’.

  WiseOwl67: You've shown great skill. Now, I'll uphold my end of the bargain. Tina's username is "SilentSongbird88."

  Roselle felt a pang of disappointment as she checked the list and saw that SilentSongbird88 was offline.

  StarlightSeeker27: Tina is offline. I was too late.

  WiseOwl67: I'm sorry, StarlightSeeker27, but it seems Tina had her own plans. Keep an eye out, though. She might return when you least expect it.

  Roselle signed off from the chatroom. She closed her laptop with a feeling of anticipation and curiosity about her friend Tina's presence. She turned around to see Michigo, who was watching her.

  Roselle let out a small yelp. “I thought you guys were asleep by now,” Roselle said with her eyes raised slightly.

  Michigo grinned. “I got kind of curious. I mean, it sounded like you were having quite the adventure over there.”

  Roselle nodded. “Yeah, but no luck finding Tina. She’s offline, and I was too late.”

  Michigo chuckled and gave Roselle a knowing look. “Seems like you had your first real taste of the ‘adult’ side of life, huh? Bet you never saw that coming.”

  Roselle sighed. Her face slowly returned to normal. “Yeah, I’ve been shielding myself from these things. It was... interesting.”

  With a playful grin, Michigo suddenly picked Roselle up and tossed her onto her own bed, making Roselle let out a surprised laugh. Michigo grinned and said,“Alright, now that your virtual escapades are over, it’s time to get some sleep!”

  Roselle fell asleep instantly.

  ...

  The next morning, Roselle stirred in her bed. She realized that she was in a rather unusual sleeping arrangement. Somehow, during the night, both Michigo and Sarah had found their way into her bed.

  Roselle was in the middle, sandwiched between her two friends. Sarah was on one side with her arm wrapped possessively around Roselle. Michigo was on the other side, having pulled Roselle over slightly, leaving her feeling trapped between them.

  Roselle attempted to extricate herself from the cozy but somewhat suffocating embrace of her two friends. She felt Sarah's arm tighten around her. It was then that she noticed a mischievous look Sarah's eyes which were now open.

  "Sarah, stop playing around," Roselle said with a laugh.

  Sarah giggled and released her grip slightly. "Good morning, Roselle. You were so warm; I didn't want to let go. We must have had quite the adventure in our sleep."

  Michigo stirred on the other side of Roselle. She yawned and mumbled, "Morning, Roselle. Guess we all got pretty cozy."

  Roselle giggled. "Well, it was a bit snug, but it's nice waking up with my best friends."

  The trio prepared for another day at school. Roselle and Sarah chatted while keeping a watchful eye on Michigo's morning routine. Michigo was meticulously adjusting her headband in front of the mirror,

  Roselle asked, "Michigo, do you really need to put on your red headband last every morning?"

  Michigo replied, "Of course, it's a battle accessory! Gotta make sure it's perfectly in place before I head into the daily school battlefield."

  Sarah chuckled and added, "And don't forget to sharpen your pencils, Michigo. You never know when you might need them as weapons."

  Michigo grinned. “Another day, another battle, right Sarah?"

  The girls were on their way out, ready for another day at school, when they noticed Roselle's mother engaged in a conversation with a familiar face. It was Sadie, the sleuth of shadows. Her presence was never a casual occurrence.

  Roselle's mother called out to them, "Girls, come down, please."

  Roselle's mother gestured for them to take a seat. Sadie addressed them and said,"It's time."

  Michigo, Sarah, and Roselle exchanged glances before Michigo asked, "Time for what exactly, Sadie?"

  Sadie declared, "It's time for the final battle against Shadowcroft."

  The room fell silent for a moment. Sadie continued, "Rosebelle was subjected to some... ‘Persuasive’ methods, and she eventually cracked. She revealed the location of Shadowcroft's main base. You see, they've been extremely cautious and clever in hiding it, but they overestimated the resilience of someone like Rosebelle. She’s human like anyone else, so of course she’d crack under pressure."

  Roselle asked curiously, "Wait, does this mean we know where they are now?"

  Sadie nodded. "Yes, we have the coordinates of their main base. This is our chance to end it once and for all."

  Sarah chimed in. "We can't let this opportunity slip through our fingers. We've got to strike now, before they can regroup or reinforce their defenses."

  Sadie emphasized, “This is our best chance, right now. Shadowcroft's defenses are at their weakest during this time of the day."

  Roselle gave Sadie a look of concern. "But we have school, and we can't just skip it."

  Her mother, who had been silently listening, chimed in, "She's right, Roselle. You all have school, and it's important to maintain a sense of normalcy in your lives."

  Sadie countered. “If we wait until after school, Shadowcroft's high-tech security system will be fully operational, and we won't stand a chance. This is the only window of opportunity we'll get, and it won't last long."

  The girls exchanged worried glances.

  Just then, it appeared as if Sadie had a brief moment of stillness with her eyes seemingly rolling to the back of her head; however, only a few seconds later, their eyes returned and met the group. With a calm and composed yet different voice and tone of speech, she said, "I am Rune, and you can think of me as Sadie's mother. I've watched over her for a long time, and I've seen the pain she's gone through. But now, we face a crucial battle against Shadowcroft, and we believe it's time to share our true story with those we trust."