Roselle and Michigo made their way towards the Detectives club. Roselle noticed that Michigo was still dressed in her Karate uniform. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "Michigo, why didn't you change into something else like I did?"

  Michigo stopped in her tracks. She looked down at her Karate uniform, which was now glaringly out of place compared to Roselle's chic dress. The realization hit her. “Oh no!” she exclaimed in horror. “I completely forgot to change! I was so focused on getting you ready that I never once even thought about myself today!”

  Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. She flailed her arms. “I can’t believe this! I’ve been talking up your new look while I’m still in my Karate gear!”

  Roselle burst into laughter. “Well, it’s not like you don’t look great in your uniform too,” she said between giggles.

  Michigo’s face remained a deep shade of red. “This is so embarrassing. I wanted to look professional, not like I just came from a sparring match!”

  Roselle offered, "Well, you can always borrow a dress of mine."

  Michigo shook her head with a small laugh. “Thanks, Roselle, but your dresses are a bit too small for me. I like them, really, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable in one. I prefer outfits that make me look strong and ready for action.”

  Roselle nodded. “Fair enough.”

  Roselle and Michigo continued on their way to the Detective's Meeting. Along the way, Roselle's phone suddenly rang. It was Hashta on the other end.

  Hashta shouted so loudly over the phone that even Michigo could hear her. "Roselle! Why haven't you called me or answered my texts? It's been forever!"

  Roselle was startled and recoiled from Hashta's overwhelming energy. She finally replied, "Um…I've been really busy, Hashta. You know how things are."

  "Busy? That's not an excuse, Roselle! I've only been to one of your Detective Meetings, but I got told there’s one happening today. I'm coming whether you like it or not. I want to catch you before the meeting, so meet me in front of the school building."

  "Fine, Hashta. I'll see you there. Just please don't cause a scene."

  With that, they ended the call. Roselle’s eyes were filled with worry about this meeting with her.Michigo clenched one fist and raised it infront of Roselle. "If Hashta lays a finger on you, Roselle, she's gonna get one hell of a beatdown from me."

  Roselle chuckled. "Let's try to avoid beating anyone up today... We're all friends, after all."

  Michigo and Roselle reached the front of the school building, where they met Hashta. She was dressed in a shirt with a high collar which partially covered her face. Her short shirt had a unique feature, as it could open up to reveal her bra underneath. Despite the unconventional style, she somehow made it work.

  Hashta was sweating and fanning herself. "Ugh, this heat is killing me! Why is it so hot today?"

  Roselle gave her a sympathetic look. "I know, it's sweltering. We're all feeling it."

  Michigo chimed in, "But Hashta, what brings you here today? You said you were coming to the meeting, right?"

  Hashta nodded. "Yeah, I heard from someone that there's a meeting, so I thought I'd tag along. But seriously, the heat is unbearable!"

  Hashta approached Roselle. She looked like she was ready to vent her anger; however, Michigo swiftly stepped in front of Roselle, blocking Hashta's path.

  "Move, Michigo," Hashta said, “I gotta settle things with Roselle and set this straight.”

  Michigo, unfazed by Hashta's words, stood her ground and locked eyes with her. "If you plan to hit Roselle, then hit me instead. Let's see what happens."

  The tense standoff between Michigo and Hashta stretched on. Their gazes were sharp like drawn blades, poised to clash in an imminent duel. Just when it felt like things might escalate, Roselle stepped between her two friends, breaking the tension. "We need to get to the Detective's meeting. We can't afford to fight right now. Let's put this aside for the time being."

  Michigo hesitated, then slowly stepped back. Hashta suddenly pulled Roselle into what seemed like a tight embrace. Before Roselle could react, Hashta's grip shifted into a grapple with her fist nudging Roselle’s head.

  “Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner, Roselle?” Hashta demanded.

  Roselle chuckled nervously. “I…I’ve been busy, you know?”

  Michigo saw the way Hashta manhandling Roselle. She stepped in with a growl. “You need to stop acting like such a damn bitch.” She grabbed Hashta and pulled her into a grapple of her own, matching Hashta’s aggression. “Roselle’s been swamped with stuff. You can’t be mad at her for every little thing!”

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  Hashta blinked in surprise as Michigo held her in the grapple. She then tried to reverse the grapple. “Hey, don’t think you can get away with this so easily, Michigo!”

  Roselle shouted. “Both of you, behave yourselves! Please! You’re making me feel bad!”

  Slowly, Hashta and Michigo began to calm down. They released each other and stood back. Hashta wiped her forehead. “Alright, alright. I guess I got a bit carried away. Sorry, Roselle.”

  Michigo nodded. “Yeah, let’s just get to the meeting. We can sort out the rest later.”

  Outside the Detective's Club meeting, Roselle gathered her friends. "Okay, everyone, let's go in one at a time to make a grand entrance," Roselle suggested with a smile.

  Roselle, dressed in her vibrant and cheerful sunflower-themed outfit, was the first to step inside. She was a little self-conscious, but she heard some of the other member’s responses.

  "Wow, Roselle, you look like a sunflower! That dress suits you perfectly," Risebelle complimented.

  "Yeah, you're like a burst of sunshine in here. Love the outfit!" Jess chimed in

  Roselle beamed at their compliments. "Thanks, you two! I thought a little sunshine would brighten up our meeting."

  Moments later, Michigo, dressed in her karate outfit, followed.

  "Michigo, you look ready to take on anything in that karate outfit!" Risebelle exclaimed, genuinely impressed.

  Jess added, "Oh, this is exciting! Our meeting just got a lot more diverse with all these clubs joining in."

  Next entered Hashta. Hashta was sweating profusely. "Ugh, this heatwave is killing me. Why is it so hot in here,” Hashta questioned while fanning herself with one hand.

  Harty surveyed the gathered group and nodded with satisfaction. "Looks like we're all here. It's great to see everyone."

  Roselle took her seat next to Jess and Risebelle. Jess leaned in moments later and, in a seductive tone, asked, "So, Roselle, is Hashta single?"

  Roselle replied with a normal tone. "Well, as far as I know, Hashta is single. Why do you want to know, Jess?"

  Jess shrugged innocently. "Oh, no reason, I'm just curious." She leaned in closer to Roselle, giving her a wink. "By the way, you look absolutely adorable today, Roselle." Her words and the wink made Roselle blush.

  Risebelle, noticed Jess’s interaction with Roselle. Risebelle’s eyes narrowed, and she leaned over to whisper sharply to Jess. “Hey, Jess, what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

  Jess looked at Risebelle with wide, innocent eyes. “Oh, I was just saying hello. It’s not like I was doing anything out of line.”

  Risebelle raised an eyebrow. “It looks like you were flirting, Jess.”

  Jess grinned and shrugged. “Well, maybe I was a little. Roselle looks like such a doll today. I can’t help it!”

  Risebelle’s gaze turned serious. “Jess, you better take this meeting seriously and not get distracted.”

  Jess snapped a playful sailor’s salute. “Aye aye, Captain Risebelle! I promise I’ll be on my best behavior today!”

  Harty stood at the front of the chess club meeting room, his detective attire giving him an air of authority. Harty cleared his throat. "Ladies and gentlemen, I believe we are all aware of the strange happenings in our town lately. Mysterious doppelgangers, abductions, and an explanation for everything: a game we all love, Epic Quest: Realm of Shadows. What I am about to show you is the data we have found...”

  Harty pulled up a presentation on a screen, displaying images of doppelgangers and the game.

  "Doppelgangers have invaded our lives, and at the moment, their intentions are a mystery. But there does tend to be some pattern like the one in the game. They are replacing people just like in Epic Quest: Realm of Shadows and messing with events."

  Harty continued, while everyone else seemed to give serious looks. "But here is the big discovery. We ain't victims in the story at all. We have a chance to change the ending. We, uniquely, possess this advantage that will help us know the truth about these doppelgangers and put an end to their sinister plans."

  Harty placed a photograph on his presentation screen with a photo showing three question marks.

  "Now, we have here an informant in this place who has followed these doppelgangers. They know more about them than any other man alive. That somebody is here, amongst us, today."

  He then dramatically swung towards the door, revealing Angie, who was eavesdropping.

  "Angie has been doing recon and has some very valuable insights to share. She has key knowledge for defeating this threat. Angie, if you will, please join us."

  The room fell silent as Angie, still engrossed in her game, slowly looked up from her device and walked inside.

  The surprised looks on Roselle and Michigo's faces were hard to miss as Angie strolled into the room. They recognized her from their recent encounter in the hunt for Tina.

  She discreetly whispered to Michigo and Roselle, "Don't forget about those favors you owe me."

  The memory of Angie's face, the sinister look in her eyes while playing Epic Quest, and the revelation that they owed her two favors flashed through their minds. While Angie had helped with Tina's investigation, something kept eating at Roselle.

  Roselle leaned closer to Angie with a whisper. “What are you planning to make us do, Angie?”

  Angie’s lips curled into a dark smile. “Oh, I wouldn’t worry too much, Roselle. You’ll find out soon enough.”

  The ominous smile left Roselle with an unsettling feeling. Angie now put her game away and went to the front of the room.

  "Well, it's simple," Angie began. "I've been keeping an eye on you all, mainly because I knew something was amiss with your involvement in this whole mess. You're dealing with dangerous stuff, and you didn't even know it."

  She paused for a moment, letting her words sink in before continuing, "I found out about Shadowcroft and their interests in Roselle and Risebelle. They want to merge them into some super being, right? So, when I learned that Jess was getting closer to you, Risebelle, and possibly Roselle too, I decided to step in. You see, they were using Jess to get to you. I couldn't let that happen, even though I'm not too fond of any of you."

  Roselle and Michigo couldn't believe what they were hearing. Roselle leaned in slightly and whispered to Michigo, "This is a lot to take in. Are we really dealing with something this serious? And Shadowcroft... that's the same organization that's after us, right?"

  Michigo nodded. “We need to tread carefully. Angie might have helped us before, but she's also holding those two favors over our heads. We can't ignore the fact that she's got her own agenda. Her loyalty is very questionable compared to everyone else here.”

  Roselle’s eyes narrowed while staring towards Angie. Shadowcroft’s sinister plans and Angie’s dubious motives left a knot of tension in her stomach.

  To herself, Roselle whispered, “I have to be smart about this. Angie might have helped us, but she’s got her own agenda. And Shadowcroft… they’re still a major threat. I need to dig deeper into both of them.”

  Roselle’s eyes wandered to Jess, and what she saw made her pause. Jess’s usual playfulness was replaced by a fierce, burning rage. Her fists were clenched, and her expression was a storm of anger directed squarely at Angie.

  Roselle's jaw dropped. ‘W- What’s going on with Jess?’