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

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

  Sadie unleashed a power kick to Riselle’s stomach, sending Riselle tumbling backward. The doppelganger’s faow 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 ’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, mao fumble through her bag with trembling hands. As Riselle closed in, Roselle mustered her remaining strength and shouted, “Watch out, Sadie!” She hurled a of bug spray at Riselle, aiming for her head.

  The hit Riselle squarely, causio flind momentarily lose her focus. The distra was enough for Sadie to seize the opportunity. She pulled back her hand and, with a powerful swing, drove it into Riselle’s midse.

  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 ihroat. “This... ’t be...” she gasped.

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

  “You did great,” Roselle mao 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 menag look. The se 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 o—”

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

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

  Roselle’s eyes widened in horror. “No! Sadie!” Roselle rao 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 fusion. 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 kowards 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 sole like a on. Her outfit bore small, game-reted patches and pins. Her skirt had been slightly altered for fort during her gaming sessions.

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

  Aook a deep breath. “Mrs. Neon, I don’t know what’s happened, but this isn’t the way to ha. You’re being maniputed. You o put down the knife.”

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

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

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

  Angie frowned. “I’m not lying. Your daughter is actually in the hospital. The real Risebelle is safe aing 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!”

  Aepped 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 maniputing you to get what they want.

  Risebelle’s mother shook her head. Tears came in her eyes. “No, no, I ’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 atack, though Risebelle’s mother hadn’t yet struck.

  Risebelle’s mnced over her shoulder with desperation. “Shut up!” she s Roselle before hurling the kh a fierce throw. The bde grazed Roselle’s arm, causio wince.

  A 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 sole. The s 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, unscious.

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

  Angie looked at Roselle with a faint, apologetic smile. “I’m ly normal either. As long as I’m holding this game, it gains strength in my hands. I el that power into it, making it more than just a device.”

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

  Angie nodded. “Yes, it’s not just faming. It has its own unique abilities that e into py when I’m in a tight spot.”

  The room had calmed down signifitly. Angie had successfully disarmed the teuation, and Risebelle’s mother was now tied to a chair. Angie had taken the opportunity to expin the bizarre events that had unfolded.

  Roselle teo Sadie’s wound. She ed 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 iqued 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, oher hand, was in a state of shock after Angie had expined 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 anization. We believe she nning to harm your daughter.”

  Risebelle’s mother spoke. “I... I had no idea. I thought I roteg Risebelle. I didn’t know...”

  Angie pced 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 o stop this anization from causing any more harm.”

  Sadie, with her wound now bandaged, spoke . “We have a ow to expose Shadowcroft and put ao their sinister pns. 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 eg ugh. “Impressive, you think you’ve captured me…but this little victory of yours will be short-lived. You tie me up, but you ’t stop what’s going to happen to ead 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 defiao 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 . You won’t be able to impersonate anyone ever again when we’re doh you.”

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

  “Before we erase your existence, we’re going to extrae 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 ag indepely to prove yourselves. Now, tell us where they are.”

  Riselle casted a resentful gaze at Sadie but remained silent. Sadie turo Ah 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 st resort.”

  Roselle looked fused. “Thing? What ‘thing’ are you talking about?”

  Sadie turo Roselle and gave a serious look. “We retly made some es with a big-shot stist 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 pce. 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 w with a Kintovar. Is this ected to that vision?”

  Sadie nodded solemnly. “Yes, Roselle. It seems that my vision was accurate. Juliana Kintovar is the key to our pn, and it appears we’re about to put it into motion. We’ll need her help to take down Shadowcroft and put ao the doppelgangers.”

  Angie raised up the device while Sadie expined. “Juliana Kintovar, the brilliant stist we mentioned, has developed a groundbreaking device. It’s desigo deal with the doppelganger problem ond for all. This device, when attached to a doppelganger’s arm, lo pd then perform a process that erases their entire identity.”

  She tinued, “It doesn’t just remove their appearance, but their very esse’s a plex process that disentahe doppelganger’s e to their host, effectively making them a bnk ste with no memories, no characteristics, and no identity. They’ll bee 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 expined, “We have to get close to the doppelgangers, and that’s where our pn es into py. Ohe device is attached, it’s irreversible. The doppelganger’s identity will be erased, and they’ll be ralized, uo impersonate anyone or cause any harm. But we have to be careful, Roselle, as we ’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 gred down on upon her. “Riselle, you’ve caused too much pain and chaos. We ’t risk you esg and tinuing your crimes against humanity. If you want to save yourself right now, you’ll start talking.”