Sadie threw herself into the fray, meeting Riselle’s strikes head-on. Each blow she took was punishing, but Sadie’s grit kept her on her feet. Despite the damage, Sadie retaliated fiercely with her own blows that connected on Riselle’s. Despite the barrage of hits, Sadie’s counterattacks were relentless. She sidestepped a particularly brutal strike and landed a solid punch to Riselle’s face. Through gritted teeth, she muttered to herself, “I’m getting used to this speed. I can keep up. I won’t lose.”

  Riselle’s eyes narrowed in frustration. “I don’t understand why you’re still standing!” She struck Sadie with a series of powerful blows. Sadie grunted with each hit but managed to hold her ground. “Looks like someone didn’t do their research,” she said with a strained smile. “I can take a lot more than you think.”

  Sadie unleashed a power kick to Riselle’s stomach, sending Riselle tumbling backward. The doppelganger’s face now showed signs of exhaustion. Her breaths came in ragged gasps, and her aura faded away.

  Despite the relentless assault she had endured, Sadie appeared remarkably unfazed.

  Riselle staggered foward. “Why? Why do you have to interfere?” she growled “Why can’t you just stay out of my way?!”

  Without waiting for an answer, she charged at Sadie with renewed ferocity. Roselle, barely able to move, managed to fumble through her bag with trembling hands. As Riselle closed in, Roselle mustered her remaining strength and shouted, “Watch out, Sadie!” She hurled a can of bug spray at Riselle, aiming for her head.

  The can hit Riselle squarely, causing her to flinch and momentarily lose her focus. The distraction was enough for Sadie to seize the opportunity. She pulled back her hand and, with a powerful swing, drove it into Riselle’s midsection.

  For a fleeting moment, Sadie’s body was covered in a white aura, amplifying the impact of the strike. Riselle’s eyes widened in shock. Her breath was caught in her throat. “This... can’t be...” she gasped.

  Before she could finish her sentence, Riselle’s eyes rolled back, and she crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

  “You did great,” Roselle managed to say. “Thank you.”

  Sadie nodded.

  A sudden jolt of foreboding gripped Roselle. She closed her eyes tightly, and the world shifted. In her vision, she saw Risebelle’s mother rising from the floor with a menacing look. The scene shifted quickly, showing the woman moving with a speed that belied her earlier state.

  Roselle’s eyes flew open. She spoke in a panic. “Sadie, we need to—”

  Before she could finish, she saw Risebelle’s mother’s silhouette materialize behind Sadie. It was too late.

  Sadie let out a gasp of pain. A knife was buried deep into her side. She staggered. Her face contorted with shock and pain. She fell to the ground with blood staining her clothes.

  Roselle’s eyes widened in horror. “No! Sadie!” Roselle ran over to them and dropped to her knees beside Sadie. "Sadie..."

  Risebelle's mother made her way over to Roselle with a disturbing face of anger and confusion. She muttered, "It's not my fault... These children came in…and hurt my daughter... I have to do this... It's not my fault..."

  Roselle looked at Risebelle's mother with fear. The woman raised a knife towards her. Just then, a sudden noise echoed through the house. It was a chiptune melody. Angie came into the house wielding her hand-held video game console like a weapon. Her outfit bore small, game-related patches and pins. Her skirt had been slightly altered for comfort during her gaming sessions.

  Risebelle's Mother knew Angie as one of Roselle’s friends. She muttered, "Angie, you... you shouldn't be here."

  Angie took a deep breath. “Mrs. Neon, I don’t know what’s happened, but this isn’t the way to handle it. You’re being manipulated. You need to put down the knife.”

  Risebelle’s mother looked at Angie with fear. “You don’t understand… They came here, and they hurt my daughter. I’m just trying to protect her. It’s not my fault…”

  Angie stepped forward. “I understand you’re scared and angry. But hurting Roselle and Sadie won’t fix anything. Let me explain what’s really going on here. You’re being bamboozled by someone who’s using you.”

  Risebelle’s mother’s gaze remained fixed on Angie. She spoke desperately. “You’re lying! My daughter is in trouble. She needs me. You don’t understand what’s happening!”

  Angie frowned. “I’m not lying. Your daughter is actually in the hospital. The real Risebelle is safe and getting the care she needs.”

  Risebelle’s mother’s face twisted in disbelief, her eyes wide with shock. “That’s impossible! I saw her… I saw her here, hurt. She—she’s in trouble!”

  Angie stepped closer. “I know this is hard to believe. But the person you’ve been dealing with isn’t your daughter. It’s a doppelganger, someone who’s been manipulating you to get what they want.

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  Risebelle’s mother shook her head. Tears came in her eyes. “No, no, I can’t— I won’t believe it! My daughter… my daughter needs me!”

  Roselle’s shouted with urgency. “Angie, look out!” She saw the knife poised for another attack, though Risebelle’s mother hadn’t yet struck.

  Risebelle’s mother glanced over her shoulder with desperation. “Shut up!” she snapped at Roselle before hurling the knife with a fierce throw. The blade grazed Roselle’s arm, causing her to wince.

  Angie let out a deep, resigned sigh. “I didn’t want to have to do this,” she said.

  The room seemed to darken. Angie raised her hand-held video game console. The screen glowed with a strange light. With a swift, decisive motion, she swung the game at Risebelle’s mother. The impact was forceful, and the woman crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

  Roselle stared in disbelief. “What… what did you just do?”

  Angie looked at Roselle with a faint, apologetic smile. “I’m not exactly normal either. As long as I’m holding this game, it gains strength in my hands. I can channel that power into it, making it more than just a device.”

  Roselle’s eyes widened. “So, you can use it as a weapon?”

  Angie nodded. “Yes, it’s not just for gaming. It has its own unique abilities that come into play when I’m in a tight spot.”

  The room had calmed down significantly. Angie had successfully disarmed the tense situation, and Risebelle's mother was now tied to a chair. Angie had taken the opportunity to explain the bizarre events that had unfolded.

  Roselle tended to Sadie's wound. She wrapped a bandage around the wound. Sadie winced in pain. The wound was not too deep and already seemed to be healing up.

  Roselle’s curiosity was piqued while examining the wound. “Sadie... you’ve endured one hell of a beating, and that wound should be deeper than it is. But it’s already starting to heal. Your body… it’s amazing.”

  Sadie managed a faint, pained smile. “It’s not just me. Some people have a natural resilience or abilities that help them heal faster. I guess I’m one of those people. It’s not all that surprising if you’ve seen enough battles.”

  Roselle’s eyes widened slightly. “I haven’t seen many like you. It’s incredible. Most people would be down for much longer with a wound like that.”

  Riselle was also bound to the chair. She remained silent. Risebelle's mother, on the other hand, was in a state of shock after Angie had explained what was going on to everyone. Angie's words had hit her like a tidal wave

  Angie reiterated, "Mrs. Neon, I know this is a lot to take in, but we had to protect your family. Riselle here is not your daughter. She's a doppelganger sent by a sinister organization. We believe she was planning to harm your daughter."

  Risebelle's mother spoke. "I... I had no idea. I thought I was protecting Risebelle. I didn't know..."

  Angie placed a hand on Risebelle's mother's shoulder. "You were doing what any loving parent would do. We want to help your family. In order to do that, we need to stop this organization from causing any more harm."

  Sadie, with her wound now bandaged, spoke next. "We have a chance now to expose Shadowcroft and put an end to their sinister plans. We'll need your help, Mrs. Neon."

  Risebelle's mother nodded. "I'll do whatever it takes to protect my family, and to make sure this doesn't happen again."

  Riselle let out an echoing laugh. "Impressive, you think you've captured me…but this little victory of yours will be short-lived. You can tie me up, but you can't stop what’s going to happen to each and every one of your families."

  Sadie gave Riselle a look of gloomy disdain. "Riselle, you're mistaken if you think we're just going to let you go after this. You see, we didn't capture you to simply restrain you temporarily… oh no…"

  Riselle shifted from defiance to unease upon seeing Sadie’s face. "W-What do you mean?"

  Sadie leaned in closer to Riselle. "Your name, your appearance, your very identity will be wiped clean. You won't be able to impersonate anyone ever again when we're done with you."

  Riselle's eyes widened in horror. She had been a doppelganger for so long, manipulating others and causing chaos. Now, her own existence was being threatened? “Impossible…”

  "Before we erase your existence, we're going to extract one thing from you, Riselle: the location of Michigo and Rosebelle. I know that Rosebelle is the mastermind behind all of this. Your words earlier about proving to Shadowcroft that you're not useless reveal that you and Rosebelle are acting independently to prove yourselves. Now, tell us where they are."

  Riselle casted a resentful gaze at Sadie but remained silent. Sadie turned to Angie with a deep sigh. "Angie, give me the 'thing.'"

  Angie hesitated for a moment before nodding. "If you're sure, Sadie. We only have one of these made, and it's our last resort."

  Roselle looked confused. “Thing? What 'thing' are you talking about?"

  Sadie turned to Roselle and gave a serious look. "We recently made some connections with a big-shot scientist who's been willing to help us take down Shadowcroft. This person's name is... Juliana Kintovar."

  Roselle's eyes widened in shock. The pieces of the puzzle fell into place. She stammered, "Wait, you said Kintovar... I remember when we first met, you used your visionary powers on me, and you said you saw me working with a Kintovar. Is this connected to that vision?"

  Sadie nodded solemnly. "Yes, Roselle. It seems that my vision was accurate. Juliana Kintovar is the key to our plan, and it appears we're about to put it into motion. We'll need her help to take down Shadowcroft and put an end to the doppelgangers."

  Angie raised up the device while Sadie explained. "Juliana Kintovar, the brilliant scientist we mentioned, has developed a groundbreaking device. It's designed to deal with the doppelganger problem once and for all. This device, when attached to a doppelganger's arm, can lock in place and then perform a process that erases their entire identity."

  She continued, "It doesn't just remove their appearance, but their very essence. It's a complex process that disentangles the doppelganger's connection to their host, effectively making them a blank slate with no memories, no characteristics, and no identity. They'll become like a newborn, unaware of who they were or what they were doing."

  "But how do we use it, and is it reversible, “Roselle asked.

  Sadie explained, "We have to get close to the doppelgangers, and that's where our plan comes into play. Once the device is attached, it's irreversible. The doppelganger's identity will be erased, and they'll be neutralized, unable to impersonate anyone or cause any harm. But we have to be careful, Roselle, as we can't let it fall into the wrong hands."

  Sadie caught the device which was thrown by Angie. Riselle’s became very fearful seeing the cuff-like device. She pleaded, "No, please, don't use that on me! I'll tell you everything you want to know. Just don't erase my identity!"

  Sadie glared down on upon her. "Riselle, you've caused too much pain and chaos. We can't risk you escaping and continuing your crimes against humanity. If you want to save yourself right now, you’ll start talking."

  Project Mage