Seeing the reluctance on her Roselle’s face, her Mother, Mrs. Magenta spoke softly. "I know it's hard, sweetheart. I can see you don't want to do this, but sometimes, we have to make sacrifices for the people we care about."

  Roselle’s face hit the floor. “I just... I can't believe this is happening. How did everything get so complicated?"

  Mrs. Magenta took a deep breath. "Roselle, you’ve always been a kind-hearted person, and I’ve always encouraged you to help others… We have to protect Michigo, and if cutting ties with Jess and the Detective's Club is the only way, then that’s what we must do."

  Roselle looked at her mother with wide eyes. “But what about Jess? I can’t just throw her out. She’s...she’s homeless, Mom. Where will she go?"

  Mrs. Magenta’s face softened. "I know, darling. I don’t want to put her in a difficult situation either, but we must prioritize Michigo’s safety. Maybe we can find another solution for Jess, perhaps reach out to other friends or resources that might help her. But we can't risk anything happening to one of your closest friends."

  Roselle’s eyes began to water. "I just feel awful. Jess has been through so much, and now we're just...abandoning her."

  Mrs. Magenta sighed. "I know how it feels, Roselle. It’s never easy to make decisions like this, especially when it involves someone you care about."

  Roselle shook her head firmly. "I’m not going to abandon Jess. I can't just leave her with nowhere to go."

  Mrs. Magenta looked at her daughter with concern. "Then what will you do, Roselle? We have to be careful."

  Roselle took a deep breath, a spark of an idea forming in her mind. "I think I have an idea. I might know someone who can help us. Maybe Hashta or one of our other friends can provide a place for Jess to stay. I’ll---“

  Suddenly, Roselle's phone buzzed with an incoming call from Hashta. She glanced at the screen and grinned, "Speak of the devil. Roselle giggled while answering the call. "Hey, Hashta! I was just about to call you."

  "Roselle! Roselle! Roselle! Roselle! Roselle!" Hashta sounded frantic on each repetition of her name.

  Roselle's amusement faded, replaced by concern. "Hashta, what's going on? Is everything okay?"

  "Forget about the two of us meeting up today," Hashta blurted out. "You have to get home."

  Roselle was taken aback. "Uh, Hashta, I'm already home. What's happening?"

  "Then get online, now!"

  Roselle’s heart rate quickened. "What's going on? Why do I need to get online?"

  Hashta hesitated for a moment before saying, "Just hurry and get online now!"

  With that, Hashta hung up, leaving Roselle with a sense of unease. Roselle glanced at her mother with worry coming across her face. "Something's up, Mom. Hashta sounded really panicked. I need to see what's going on."

  Mrs. Magenta nodded. "Go ahead, dear. Just be careful."

  Roselle rushed to her room, quickly booting up her computer, and logging into the chatroom with her username "StarlightSeeker27" and looked around for any new messages or updates. She saw familiar usernames and the ongoing conversation:

  EclipseDreamer14

  CipherMystery08

  Chessmaster12

  EnigmaGamer19

  PixelChaos03

  KarateSpirit23

  KarateSpirit23: "Hello, everyone. I have an announcement to make..."

  Roselle, under her username "StarlightSeeker27," watched the chatroom members respond with curiosity.

  PixelChaos03: "You? Have an announcement? Why do I feel like you’re being serious?"

  KarateSpirit23: "I am serious. Today, we have a member among us who is no longer going to be a part of this group. StarlightSeeker27, also known as Roselle, has decided to leave."

  There was a moment of silence in the chatroom. Roselle felt her heart racing , but she calmed herself with a deep breath.

  EclipseDreamer14: "Wait, what? Roselle is leaving?"

  Chessmaster12: "Why, Roselle? What happened?"

  KarateSpirit23: "Roselle is leaving because I've talked to her, and she agreed to it. She knows why. I am also Michigo for those of you that don’t know."

  EnigmaGamer19: "This is surprising. We'll miss you, Roselle."

  PixelChaos03: "Yeah, no. Roselle, what's going on? You're one of the original members."

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  KarateSpirit23: "Roselle has her reasons. I just wanted to inform all of you about her decision."

  Roselle hesitated. She wanted to type out the truth but she knew that she coulnd’t reveal that now. She erased everything she planned to post in her message and left something simple.

  StarlightSeeker27: "I've had a great time with all of you. Thank you for the memories."

  A private chat request popped up on Roselle's screen. It was from PixelChaos03, and she quickly accepted it. The chat opened with just the two of them.

  PixelChaos03: "No, no, no, no, no! Don't just agree to this, Roselle! Ugh! This is not what I thought was gonna happen when I told you to get on!"

  StarlightSeeker27: "Hashta? Is that you?"

  PixelChaos03 (Hashta): "Yes, it's me. But keep it a secret. Don't tell anyone."

  StarlightSeeker27: "I won't, Hashta. What's going on? This is all so confusing."

  PixelChaos03 (Hashta): "I think Michigo is in trouble. This isn't like her at all. She outted you and herself. I don't think Michigo would just go ratting out our names if it's our secret identies. Even a brick like her is smarter than that."

  StarlightSeeker27: "Hashta, you're right. Michigo would never do something like this unless she was in trouble. I need your help. I know what's happening, but I can't reveal it in the main chat. Please keep what I am about to tell you a secret from the others."

  PixelChaos03 (Hashta): "Of course, Roselle. I'm with you all the way. So what's up?"

  StarlightSeeker27: "Hashta, earlier today, I received a call from an unknown person who claimed to have Michigo. They're using her chatroom name, 'KarateSpirit23,' to communicate with us. They want me to cut ties with the Detective's Club and kick Jess out of my house to see Michigo again. But I don't believe this is Michigo behind that account. It's all very strange."

  PixelChaos03 (Hashta): "Wait, Jess is staying at your place? Why didn't you tell me? I feel like I missed a whole chapter here."

  StarlightSeeker27: "It just happened last night, Hashta. Things are moving really fast. Jess needed a place to stay, and I couldn’t just leave her out in the cold."

  PixelChaos03 (Hashta): "Okay, that makes sense. But listen, Roselle, there's something else. When I was heading back home this morning from my... um, little school mix-up, I saw Angie. Or, I think it was Angie. She was talking to someone who looked exactly like you."

  Roselle felt her pulse quicken at this revelation.

  StarlightSeeker27: "It can't be... If that's true, it's possibly Rosebelle. You know how dangerous she is. This complicates everything."

  PixelChaos03 (Hashta): "I knew something felt off! Maybe that’s why Michigo is in trouble, and this impostor is trying to manipulate us.

  Hashta quickly sent another message.

  PixelChaos03 (Hashta): "That means Angie is a traitor. I wish I knew who Angie was in this chatroom. I’d rip her a new one!"

  StarlightSeeker27: "Ripping her a new one won’t help, Hashta. But if Angie is a traitor, and Michigo is in danger, then anything involving Angie could be a trap."

  Roselle paused as a new thought came to her mind.

  StarlightSeeker27: "Wait a minute. Angie always said we weren’t friends, even though we worked together. She’s always held those two favors over Michigo and me and still does. Angie might have been planning this from the minute she saved us that one day we went to the gaming club."

  PixelChaos03 (Hashta): "That sneaky bi#@$! I knew something was up with her. So, what do we do now?"

  StarlightSeeker27: "We need to be careful about Angie. If she’s been planning something, she might be trying to set us up. We can’t trust her, and we definitely can’t let her know we’re onto her. First, we should verify who Angie is in the chatroom."

  PixelChaos03 (Hashta): "Agreed. We need to figure out who she is, but we should be subtle about it. I’ll see if I can dig up anything on my end."

  Roselle suddenly received a private chat request from CipherMystery08. The name alone piqued her curiosity as this member had remained mostly silent in the group and hadn't shared much in the main chat. CipherMystery08 held the rank of Moderator, which made their message even more intriguing. She accepted the request, and the private chat opened with just the two of them.

  CipherMystery08: "Roselle, I've been watching closely."

  StarlightSeeker27: "Who are you, and what do you mean by that?"

  CipherMystery08: "I go by CipherMystery08 in this chatroom obviously, and my role is to observe and ensure the balance. I've noticed the turmoil in your group."

  StarlightSeeker27: "What balance are you talking about?"

  CipherMystery08: "The balance of information, trust, and secrecy within your group. As a Moderator, I strive to maintain that balance. And lately, it seems like secrets are unraveling."

  StarlightSeeker27: "Secrets? What do you know about the situation with Michigo and this person who contacted me?"

  CipherMystery08: "I know enough to be concerned, but I need your co-operation to gain the truth and restore the balance."

  StarlightSeeker27: "I want to help, but I don't know where to start. What should we do?"

  CipherMystery08: "In the Epic Quest: Realm of Shadows, the Doppelganger theory suggests that when a doppelganger appears, it must be confronted. And I believe that time has come for you, Roselle, to confront yours."

  Roselle was intrigued and bewildered by the revelation of a doppelganger theory.

  StarlightSeeker27: "How, when, and where do I confront this doppelganger? What do you know about it?"

  CipherMystery08: "I know everything about your doppelganger, Roselle, but this is not a conversation for the chat. We must meet in person, away from the eyes that also lie in the shadows. There's a place we can go, a place where secrets can be revealed and mysteries can be solved. There is an abandoned building that's a few blocks past the Silver Star Arcade downtown. Meet me there at 4 PM today. I'll be waiting. It's important you make it here on time. The life of your friend Michigo is on the line here, and you need to reach her before she ends Michigo's life at 6 PM.”

  StarlightSeeker27: “How do I know I can trust you? You could be behind all this, too."

  CipherMystery08: "Trust is a delicate thread, easily broken and hard to repair. I understand your doubts, but I promise you, meeting me is your best chance to uncover the truth. I assure you, I have no intentions of harming you or Michigo."

  Roselle hesitated, but something in CipherMystery08’s words made them feel a sliver of hope.

  StarlightSeeker27: "I have a lot of questions. How can I be sure this isn’t a trap?"

  CipherMystery08: "The best place to find out the truth is at the meeting place. If I say too much here, the truth will be lost forever. You must see things for yourself to understand."

  StarlightSeeker27: "All right, I'll meet you at the old, abandoned building. But if you try anything funny, I won’t hesitate to defend myself."

  CipherMystery08: "Understood. I'll be waiting. Remember, timing is crucial. Trust your instincts, and more importantly, don't be late."

  With those final words, CipherMystery08 ended the chat.

  Roselle was sitting in deep in thought, pondering the mysterious figure's words when, out of nowhere, she felt a warm breath on her neck and heard someone speak right beside her.

  Jess exclaimed, "That was quite an intense conversation, Roselle! I wonder who this CipherMystery08 is”.

  Roselle froze for a moment. She hadn't heard Jess approach, and she certainly hadn't expected to find herself in such close proximity to her. She slowly turned her head to see Jess's face inches from her own. She had a mischievous smile on her lips.

  Roselle's face turned bright red when realizing her current position. She was sitting in Jess's lap, and Jess's hands were gently wrapped around her. Roselle was caught completely off guard.

  Unable to contain her shock, Roselle let out a scream that could have woken the neighbors.