The final school bell rang. Risebelle made her way to the chess club meeting as she usually did. The chess club ce where she could briefly fet about everything and focus orategic game she loved. Today, she found herself seated across from Harty, a fellow chess enthusiast known for his sharp skills.

  The match began like the csh of two titans. Risebelle and Harty were evenly matched in the opening moves, their pieces dang across the chessboard. The chess club members gathered around. They were drawn to the excitement of a rare showdowween two skilled pyers.

  As soon as the match started, Harty began to notice that something was amiss. Risebelle’s usually sharp focus and strategic thinking seemed dulled, and her moves cked their usual precision.

  Despite these observations, Harty decided to tihe match. He knew Risebelle well and uood that she wouldn’t appreciate special treatment; however, his worries had grown.

  “Risebelle,” Harty said with his tole but questioning, “You’re not yourself today. I tell something’s b you. Are you sure you want to tinue?”

  Risebelle gnced up at Harty, though she looked exhausted. “I’m fine, Harty. Let’s finish the match.”

  As the game progressed, it became clear that Risebelle was struggling. Her usual strategies seemed to fall apart, and she couldn’t find an opening to capitalize on. Harty mao protect his pieces effectively and mount a strong offense.

  Harty shook his head as he put Risebelle in check. “Risebelle, you made this too easy for me. This isn’t like you. You’re better than this. Something’s weighing you down.”

  Risebelle had a look of frustration in her eyes, but Risebelle tio py in hope to turide of the mat her favor.

  Risebelle pced up a final, desperate effort. Her moves were driven by her desire to win aation she built up so far. She mao protect her stronger pieces effitly, keeping them on the board.

  However, Harty mao see some uears glistening in Risebelle’s blue eyes as her remaining pawns fell one by ohe iy of the match had pushed her to the brink, and it was clear that she was giving it her all despite her exhaustion.

  Harty studied the board closely, noting the pieces remaining. He sighed aly said,

  “Risebelle, you’ve doo protect your stronger pieces, but without your pawns, it’s going to be a challenging endgame for you. I admire that you won’t give up, though.”

  Risebelle nodded, “I won’t give up, Harty. I’ll fight to the end!”

  As Risebelle and Harty tiheir intense chess match, Risebelle’s game face returned, and the uears in her eyes disappeared. She made a remarkable eback, making some impressive moves that kept Harty on his toes.

  However, in her eagero turn the game around, Risebelle also made a couple of mistakes. These errors, while not fatal, allowed Harty to mahe game into a positiohe match reached a point where her side could win.

  Harty let out a chuckle, impressed by Risebelle’s ebad the iy of the match. “How about that… you really gave it your all, Risebelle. A stalemate it is, then.”

  Risebelle nodded with exhaustion and satisfa in her eyes. “I’ll take a draw over a loss any day. Thanks for the match, Harty.”

  The chess club members who had been watg Risebelle and Harty’s match couldn’t tain their excitement and admiration for Risebelle’s performahey erupted into a chorus of cheers and praise:

  “Risebelle, the eback queen! She had us all fooled for a moment there, but she tur around like a true chess goddess.”

  “I thought Risebelle was done for, but she showed us that even ioughest situations, a great pyer make a eback. Respect!”

  “Risebelle’s game face is legendary! She had me worried with those tears, but then she rose like a phoenix!”

  “Risebelle’s skills are unmatched! Even when she was about to lose, she never gave up and turhings around. That’s the spirit of a true chess enthusiast!”

  “That match was intense! Risebelle’s turnaround ic. I o up my game to pete with these chess titans!”

  Risebelle couldn’t help but smile at the pliments and the camaraderie among the chess club members. Despite the exhaustion from the day’s events, she felt a sense of belonging and pride in her passion for chess.

  Harty wasted no time after the chess club meeting ended. He swiftly transformed the room into a makeshift detective headquarters, just as he had done tless times before. He cleared his throat and turned his attention to Risebelle aiting for the other members of the detective club to arrive.

  “Risebelle, let’s begin early today. I know the others haven’t arrived yet, but iv’e got something, it’s not much, but i’ve been doing some digging into Rosebelle and the whole doppelganger situation. I mao capture these photos of Rosebelle,” he said, dispying the images on a board. “You see that she’s been up to something. Just look at that fad the posture of her body. It all adds up and if I’m right, it’s ected to what’s been happening with Roselle.”

  Risebelle poi the s and smirked. “Harty, you’ve got quite the colle of that girl’s pictures. Are you sure you’re not a fan?”

  Harty blushed slightly. “e on, Risebelle, this is serious business!”

  Risebelle grinned mischievously, leaning forward to snag one of the photos off the board. “Oh, naughty Harty! Where did you get a photo of Rosebelle au naturel?”

  Harty’s eyes widened in panic. “Wait, what? No, Risebelle, that’s not—”

  Risebelle waved the photo around pyfully. “To think you would bring your lewd colle to a detective’s meeting!”

  Harty snatched the photo back with his face bright red. “Risebelle, seriously! These are business photos, nothing sdalous!”

  Risebelle burst into ughter, uo tain herself. “Gotcha! I knew you’d fall for it.”

  Harty sighed in relief, shaking his head. “Well, atleast it looks like you’re in a better mood now than you were when we were pying chess.

  Risebelle chuckled softly while blushing slightly and leaned in closer to examihe photos. “Sorry, Harty, let’s actually get back to business.”

  Harty poi some of the images where Rosebelle appeared to be iing with a group of people in a secluded area. “It seems like she’s meeting with some individuals who arely the frie bunch. I couldn’t get close enough to hear their versation, but it’s clear that she’s involved in somethiive.”

  Risebelle studied the photos ily. “And you think this has something to do with the doppelganger and what happeo Roselle?”

  Harty nodded. “It’s a hunch, but it’s the best lead we have right now.As for Rosebelle herself,” Harty tinued while raising one hand up to his , “I couldn’t find anybody in school who actually knew who she was, which doesn’t make any sense sidering we know that she attends school here. She threatened us at the arcade, so we know that she’s involved in something shady. We just o find out more about her and what she’s up to.”

  Harty leaned in closer and spoke in a hushed tone, “So uh…Risebelle, I did something bold today. I worked up the o face the principal of the school. Let me tell you, her gaze is powerful. I got her to check the student records, and you know what I found?”

  Risebelle raised an eyebrow, “What did you find, Harty?”

  Harty took a deep breath before revealing his discovery. “Rosebelle. She does iudent records. There’s no record of a student named Rosebelle in this school.”

  Risebelle’s eyes widened with surprise. “What? Are you sure, Harty?”

  Harty nodded firmly. “Positive. I double-checked with the principal, and she firmed it. There’s no trace of Rosebelle as a student here. It’s as if she just appeared out of nowhere.”

  Risebelle’s mind raced with possibilities. The fact that Rosebelle didn’t have a student record was certainly suspicious. It added another yer of mystery to the already enigmatic situation.

  Harty tinued, “This could mean that Rosebelle is hiding something big, something that she doesn’t want ao know. And if she’s ected to the doppelganger and what happeo Roselle, then we o find out what she’s up to.”

  Risebelle nodded in agreement. “You’re right, Harty. We ’t ighis. We o get to the bottom of it, and fast.”

  Just as they were deep in discussion, Jess ehe room. Jess had her usual fir, blowing pyful kisses to Harty and Risebelle as she sauntered in.

  “Hey there, my favorite detectives!” she purred while giving them both a smile.

  Risebelle lowered her eyes at Jess’s entrance. “Jess, you please take your seat and aal for once? We’re in the middle of something important.”

  Jess pouted immediately but took her seat, crossing her legs with a long sigh. “Fine, fine, I’ll be on my best behavior, ‘Detective Risebelle’.”

  Harty chuckled. As Harty was in the midst of chug at the exge between Risebelle and Jess, his phone suddenly rang, interrupting the moment. He quickly reached for his phone and answered the call.

  “Hello?”

  It was Roselle. She sounded sad and distant as she spoke. “Harty, I’m sorry, but I ’t make it to the detective club thing today. Something um... something came up, and I ’t expin right now. I’ll fill you in ter.”

  Harty’s brows furrowed with . He sighed and nodded, saying, “Alright, Roselle. Just take care of yourself, okay? We’ll catch up ter.”

  After ending the call, Harty turo the rest of the club members, “That was Roselle, and she won’t be able to make it today. Something seems off, and she sounded really sad on the phone. I’m not sure what’s going on, but we might o iigate this separately from our current lead.”

  Risebelle exged worried gnces with Jess, both of them ed about this person’s well-being.

  Harty spoke, “Don’t worry, I’ll look into Roselle’s situation separately. You two focus on what we discussed today. If anything es up or if you find out anything new, let me know immediately.”

  Risebelle nodded, uanding the importance of their roles in the ongoing iigation. She replied, “Alright, Harty, we’ll do our best to gather information on Rosebelle and the doppelganger. Keep us updated on Roselle, too.”

  With their roles defihe detective club members prepared to tiheir iigation.

  Risebelle entered her home at 7 pm, greeted by the sight of her mother waiting for her. The stern gaze on her face softened slightly as she saw Risebelle arrive on time.

  “Risebelle,” her man, “I’m gd to see your home on time today. I hope this bees a regur occurre’s important that you maintain a sense of responsibility.”

  “I uand, Mom. I’ll do my best to be more responsible.”

  “Good. Now, I expect you to focus on your studies this evening. Yrades are important, and I won’t tolerate any distras.”

  Risebelle sighed internally but nodded obediently. “Yes, Mom, I’ll study.”

  Her mother seemed satisfied with her response. Risebelle went upstairs to her room.

  Risebelle stood in her room, torweeack of textbooks on her desk and the glowing s of her puter. Her mother’s words about fog oudies was fresh but Angie’s mention of the “Sleuth of Shadows” and the online forum was trying to pull her towards the puter.

  ’I should foy studies, ’she thought, but even as she reached for a textbook, her gaze kept drifting back to the puter s.

  ’There’s a ce that there could be some type of e between Rosebelle and the ‘Sleuth of Shadows’ person… What if I find ahat could help and uhe truth? Isn’t that worth risking a bit of study time? Urgh… I don’t know…what should I do?’