Risebelle:

  System Status: Offline

  Lifeforce: 5%

  Magic: 30%

  on Charge: 15%

  Timer: N/A

  Location: Unknown

  Threat Assessment: N/A

  Project Z.A.B Data Colle: 35% plete

  In the realm of her mind, Risebelle's virtual sciousness found itself once again in the presence of her System. She felt a profound sense of aplishment a a lingering exhaustion from her ret battle against Mystimona, the formidable mage who had pushed her.

  "System, bring up the data on my ret battle with Mystimona. I o analyze the events leading up to my shutdown."

  "Aowledged, Project ZAB."

  The System plied with her request and holographic dispys materialized around Risebelle. They shoeat of the battle. She reviewed the moment when she had watched Roselle temporarily utilize the Project Mage transformation, her own valiant attempt that had inflicted signifit damage, and the ultimate victory she had achieved after her temporary transformation.

  While Risebelle was examining the data, her thoughts drifted to the moment just before her shutdown, when she had heard Kintovar saying something. She couldn't recall the exact words, but the memory was etched in her sciousness.

  "System, retrieve the audio data of Kintovar's voice just before my shutdown. I want to analyze it."

  The System plied, and the holographic dispys shifted to show a waveform of Kintovar's st words. Risebelle straio remember the text of those words.

  "Risebelle," the holographic representation of Kintovar echoed, "you have pleted your mission. You have exceeded my expectations."

  Risebelle's heart swelled with a sense of aplishment and fulfillment. The memory of pleting her mission, the destru of the Magical Academy, and the pleading moments of the Headmaster brought a twisted sense of joy to her.

  "System, show me the data of my mission pletion, the destru of the Magical Academy," Risebelle requested, eager to revisit that signifit moment in her memory.

  The holographic dispys shifted once again, this time showing a pyback of Risebelle's mission. She watched with a smirk seeing herself exeg each step with precision, her as leading to the destru of the academy. The pleading Headmaster's moments pyed out. Risebelle's smirk transformed itself into a wide grin. "Serves her right. I just wish I could have delivered the finishing blow myself."

  "Project Z.A.B, while these memories may bring you a sense of aplishment, they are also part of the cycle that perpetuates your hatred for humans. Would you like to explore a different memory fragment, ohat may offer a new perspective?"

  Risebelle's face of enjoyment ged within a heartbeat. She respoo the System's suggestion with a disdainful look. "System, I don't want to see another one of those memory fragments right now! I want to savor this moment. This is the joy of victory. It's a rare emotion for me, and I refuse to let you taint it with another one of your stupid lessons!"

  The System's remained calm and patient. It tried to reason with Risebelle. "Project Z.A.B, I uand your desire to relish this moment, but I must emphasize the importance of expl different perspectives. It's through uanding ahy that one overe hatred and find a path trowth and ge."

  Risebelle's face torted with frustration and anger, but she couldn't deny the logi the System's words.

  "System, you drive me mad," Risebelle grumbled. She realized that the System was takiowards a different path, ohat challenged her own thoughts. With a relut sigh, Risebelle finally relented. "Fine, System, show me the new memory fragment. But I won't promise that it will ge anything."

  The System responded with uanding. "Thank you, Project Z.A.B. Let us proceed."

  Risebelle found herself once again immersed in the memory of the Silver Star Arcade, standing frozen as Jess called out to her.

  She watched as Jess approached her. In that moment she appeared as if she were just staring off into space.

  “Earth to Captain Risebelle, why are you just standing there? They're getting away!"

  Risebelle’s sciousness was fully engaged in the memory, and she couldn't help but respond, "Jess, wait! I...we 't just let them go!"

  Before she could act, she felt Jess's arms around her. Jess lifted her up in a piggyback ride. The surprise of the moment forced Risebelle to blush.

  "Hold on tight, princess," Jess teased with pyful charm. "We’ve got some moving to do. Don’t worry, if you wanna daydream, ght ahead. I’ll be ys."

  Harty and Jess stealthily followed the group deeper into the arcade. They found themselves in a hidden part of the establishment. There were faint sounds of eleic games and people whispering around all around them.

  Jess leaned in close to Harty and whispered. "Harty, this pce gives me the creeps. It's like a hidden world within the arcade."

  Harty nodded in agreement, his eyes sing their surroundings. "I know what you mean, Jess. It's strange how secluded this area is. We should keep our distand stay hidden."

  The trio they were following sisted of the doppelgahe well-dressed boy, and Sarah. They did not seem to notice the group. Harty and Jess discreetly trailed behind, doing their best to blend in with the sparse crowd.

  They walked deeper into the hiddeion of the arcade. They passed by various old and outdated arcade maes. Some were even covered in dust and others with spider webs.

  Jess couldn't help but ent on the oddity of the situation. "Harty, have you ever seen this part of the arcade? It's like a time capsule from a different era."

  Harty shook his head, his attention focused orio ahead. "No, Jess, this is definitely unique. But we o stay focused on them. We're getting closer to finding out what they're up to."

  As they tio follow the group, they reached a point where the doppelgahe well-dressed boy, and Sarah stopped in front of a rge, old-fashioned arcade mae. It appeared to be out of order, with a faded "Out of Service" sign hanging from it.

  Harty and Jess discreetly hid behind another mae, trying to eavesdrop on the versatioweerio. They straiheir ears to caty fragments of the versation.

  The doppelganger spoke first, "We're almost there. This is where we access the hidden passage."

  Sarah trembled, "I 't believe I'm doing this....."

  As Sarah moved to adjust her dress, the doppelganger gnced around the barely lit area, her eyes narrowing as if sensing something was amiss. After a thh s, she moved toward a particur spot, her body nguage tensing up.

  “Wait, Sarah.”

  To Harty, Risebelle and Jess's surprise, she discovered an arcade employee attempting to discreetly spy on their versation. She approached them with a scowl.

  "Like, seriously? You think you just, like, eavesdrop on our vo? Totes not cool, dude."

  The employee stepped out from his hiding spot and grinned. "Rosebelle, you know I was just messing around. We're friends, right?"

  "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just don't do it again."

  "Alright, Rosebelle, I won't spy on your secret meetings anymore. Have fun, you mysterious folks."

  Harty and Jess exged gnces, intrigued by the ued iioween Rosebelle and the arcade employee.

  Risebelle couldn't tain her surprise when she heard the name "Rosebelle." The simirity to "Roselle," her younger sister iher world, caught her off guard. Without thinking, she blurted out,

  "Rosebelle?!" The name escaped her lips in shod fusion.

  Unfortunately, her outburst immediately drew the attention of Rosebelle and the others in the hidden area of the arcade. They turo look in the dire of the sound.

  Jess's eyes widened. She quickly realized that Risebelle messed up. She whispered urgently, "Risebelle, you just blew our cover!"

  Harty and Jess quickly assessed the situation, realizing that they were now exposed to Rosebelle and her panions. They had lost the element of surprise, and the mysterious trio had their full attention.

  Risebelle gritted her teeth, frustrated by the unintended sequence of her outburst.

  “We o run...” Harty said urgently. Harty’s words a snapped her back to the reality of the situation. They o escape, and fast.

  Harty and Jess made a move to retreat, but found themselves in a disorienting situation. The passage they had followed to reach this hidden area seemed to have disappeared, leaving them trapped within the fines of the arcade. It was as if the way back had vanished, leaving them with no clear exit.

  Harty and Jess exged panicked gnces, realizing that they were now cut off from their retreat. Rosebelle and her panions were closing in.

  The well-dressed boy could be heard in the disorienting maze of the hidden arcade.

  "It's no use," he decred with an air of fidence. "You're trapped here, just like the others."

  Harty and Jess exged just realized just how badly they were screwed. They were now at the mercy of Rosebelle and her panions.

  “We knew someone would try to eavesdrop on us sooner or ter, specifically you lot. That's why repared. Now, you find yourselves in a situation from which there is no escape."

  Harty swallowed hard, gathering his ce. "How could you know? Who are you?"

  The boy stepped into view. He wore a fausement. "Names aren’t important right now, are they?"

  As he spoke, he pulled Sarah closer to him. The fear painted on her only firmed the dire predit that Harty, Risebelle and Jess were in.

  Rosebelle's to through the temosphere dully, "Enough dilly-dallying. We should like, get moving to the real spot now."

  Sarah was shaking in her boots. She said, "This wasn't the real spot?"

  Rosebelle rolled her eyes, her impatience evident. "Like, duh, Sarah. This was just a decoy. We totes don't want anyone finding out about our secret hideout, you know?"

  The well-dressed boy chimed in with a sinister smirk, "Exactly. And now that our ued guests are here, we 't let them leave and spill the beans, we?"

  The well-dressed boy's and was short and ominous: "Lights out."

  In an instant, the dim lights of the hidden arcade se blinked out, plunging the area into further darkness. Harty and Jess felt a growing sense of uhey were standing ich-bck maze, disoriented and trapped.

  Moments ter, when the lights flickered ba, the trio of Rosebelle, the well-dressed boy, and Sarah had vanished without a trace. Panid fusio over Risebelle, Jess, and Harty. There was no sign of a, and they were left alone in the eerie, hidden arcade, surrounded by shadows and uainty.

  Risebelle cleared her throat and addressed Jess, her tone serious despite a blush on her face.

  "Jess, I think it's time to put me down. We o figure out how to get out of here, and I o think properly."

  Jess responded with a flirtatious tone, "Aw, e on, Risebelle, you're not heavy at all. Besides, carrying you gives me a great excuse to hold you close. Your hair smells amazing, you know that? And those eyes, I could get lost in them forever. Just a little longer, please? I’m really enjoying this."

  Risebelle's cheeks became red. "Jess, seriously, we o—"

  But Jess kept on, leaning in closer. "Did I mention how stunning you look? And holy, feeling your heartbeat against mine is kinda making my day."

  Risebelle had enough. With a sudden motion, she raised her hand and smacked Jess on the head to force her to release her from the piggyback ride.

  Jess let out a surprised yelp. She stumbled forward, no longer supp Risebelle on her back.

  Risebelle crossed her arms and shot Jess a gre with her eyes lowered. "If you spent half as muergy on figuring out our escape as you do on flirting, we'd be out of here by now. ime, I’m carrying you, just so I drop you when you start spouting nonsense."

  Jess chuckled. "You're no fun, Risebelle. But you're right; we should figure out how to get out of here."

  Harty nodded in agreement. “This…is going to be a challenge.”