Riselle who had double the fear began to speak rapidly. Tears welled up in her eyes. She shouted, “Fine, fine, I’ll tell you! Rosebelle and Michigo are at Club Crimson on 66th Street. They’re keeping your friend Sarah there too Roselle. Please, don’t use that thing on me! I want to keep my memories! Please!”

  Sadie nodded. “Thank you for cooperating, Riselle. We’ll make sure to find them. But you have a lot to answer for….Take her away, Angie. You know the pce,” Sadie said.

  Angie nodded and prepared to take Riselle away, but before they could leave, Risebelle’s Mother stepped forward.

  She took a deep breath. “Riselle, or whatever your real name is, I see now that you’ve been used and maniputed. But you went along with it. You hurt people who were trying to help. My daughter could have been killed because of you.”

  Riselle blinked back tears. “I... I... didn’t have a choice… What am I supposed to do?! I... don’t have ay if I’m not Risebelle! I...--”

  Risebelle’s mother interrupted, her anger exploding like a storm finally breaking free. “You do have ay, Riselle! You’ve been lying to yourself for too long. That anization has twisted you into believing you’re nothing more than a shadow of someone else. But you are Riselle. You’re not some puppet they use and discard!”

  Riselle stared at her, the tears in her eyes now flowing freely. Her entire life had been ed in the deceit and manipution of Shadowcroft, but hearing Risebelle’s mother speak with such vi shook her to her core. “I… I don’t know who I am without them. I’ve always been the new Risebelle to them, and I’ve already failed once. I... they are going to erase me ohey find out I failed again...”

  Sadie stepped forward with a firm tone. “No, they won’t. I’m thinking five steps ahead of Shadowcroft. That’s why I will stop Rosebelle.”

  Riselle hung her head down, her spirit seemingly broken. Sadie tinued, her tone softer now. “I have other pns for you. You have the ce to be more than a shadow, more than a tool. But first, you o trust us, and yourself.”

  Riselle looked up hopeful. “Other pns?”

  Sadie nodded with a faint smile. “Yes, pns that don’t involve Shadowcroft’s games. It’s time to write your own story.”

  With that, Angie gently took Riselle by the arm. “e on, Riselle. Let’s get you out of here.”

  Angie left the house with Riselle. Risebelle’s mother watched them go with sadness in her eyes. She then turo Sadie and Roselle.

  “I’m truly sorry for my earlier behavior,” Risebelle’s mother said.“I was so blinded by my own fears and worries for my daughter that I didn’t even give the two of you a ce to expin yourselves. I should have trusted you both.”

  Roselle shook her head with a warm smile. “It’s okay. I pletely uand. My mom would have dohe same thing if I were in danger.”

  Roselle giggled. “Besides, we all know moms are superheroes in disguise!”

  The tension in the room eased a little, and Risebelle’s mother managed a small smile. She shifted a gaze between Roselle and Sadie.

  “Is there any way I make it up to you?” Risebelle’s mother asked.

  Sadie houghtfully. “You help us take down Shadowcroft. We could use all the help we get.”

  Risebelle’s mhed and then responded. “It already sounds like, as long as this pas, Risebelle’s studies will be interrupted, and her life will be at risk. So, I’m in.”

  Sadie extended her hand, and Risebelle’s mother shook it firmly. “Wele to the team. We’re going to need all the allies we get.”

  Roselle looked at Sadie with a serious gaze. “We o get over to Club Crimson now,” she said urgently.

  Sadie nodded, sharing Roselle’s urgency. “You’re right. We have no time to lose.”

  Risebelle’s mnced around the room, taking iermath of their frontation. “I have to up here,” she said, gesturing to the scattered papers and upturned furniture. “But I wish you both luck. Bring them back safely.”

  Sadie pulled out her phone and quickly exged numbers with Risebelle’s mother. “We’ll keep you updated.”

  “Thank you,” Risebelle’s mother said.

  Roselle and Sadie met up with Angie and made their way to Club Crimson. Roselle checked her watd informed the others, “its 5:37 pm. We’re going to make it in time. We have to find Michigo and my friend, Sarah.”

  Ohey reached the club, the neon lights and pulsating music created a vibrant atmosphere. Angie, Sadie, and Roselle pushed through the crowd that was standing infront of the entrao the door. They approached the entrance.

  The bouncer observed Roselle and remarked, “You look just like that geous woman who entered with some tied-up pany a while ago. Some people are really into that exotic stuff.

  Roselle leaned forward. “Do you know the names of the people who were tied up?”

  The bouncer scratched his , looking thoughtful for a moment. “Names, nah. But I do know the woman whht them in. Goes by ‘Rosebelle.’ She’s got a VIP card. Real grappling champion in the fighters’ area, top model, naturally beautiful—a real triple threat,” he chuckled.

  Roselle exged a look with Sadie and Ahis firmed suspis.

  The bouncer shrugged. “Anyway, if you don’t have a VIP card, you’re only allowed in the regur areas. But good luck finding your friends. It’s a jungle in there,” he said, stepping aside to let them through.

  Roselle nodded.

  “We’ll figure something out,” Sadie said, gng at Angie. “We o get to the VIP area somehow.”

  Angie gave them a dark smile, pulling out three VIP cards from her pocket. “These might help,” she said casually.

  Roselle shrieked, taken aback by Angie’s gaze. “H-How did you get those?”

  Sadie shook her head. “It’s probably best not to ask that,” she advised, shivering slightly at Angie’s grin. “But are you sure you’re not more freaky than Jess?”

  Angie simply smiled wider. “Let’s just say I have my ways.”

  The group made their way through the club, navigating through the crowd, until they reached the VIP area. They got in with their cards and while looking through rooms, they soon found one where they found Michigo and Sarah. Both were bound to a chair looking distraught.

  Roselle’s heart skipped a beat when she spotted Michigo and Sarah. Her best friend Sarah, whom she hadn’t seen sihe first day iectives club, and Michigo, the karate club girl who had stuck with Roselle through thid thin.

  Roselle’s face lit up with joy and relief. “Sarah! Michigo!” she excimed while running towards her.

  Sarah and Michigo shook their heads vigorously. Muffled sounds escaped from behind the tape that covered their lips. Sadie’s eyes narrowed. She observed their behavior and cluded that something wasn’t right. “Wait, Roselle!” she shouted, trying to reach out to Roselle’s arm in time. “It’s a trap!”

  When Roselle stepped closer to Sarah and Michigo, the lights in the VIP area suddenly flickered out, plunging the room into darkness. An uneasy silenveloped them for a moment.

  When the lights came ba, the se had dramatically ged. Sadie and Angie y unscious on the floor. Shadowcroft grunts, dark uniforms, now surrouhe entire room. Their menag prese off any hope of escape.

  Roselle’s eyes widened in panic. Sweat beaded on her forehead while she frantically sed the room. The grunts’ intimidating figures closed in.

  Suddenly, a person cut through the tension, saying, “Don’t, like, kill them or anything. Not yet.”

  Roselle’s eyes widened. She turo see a girl who bore a resembo her, dressed in a provocative yet stylish outfit. It was as if she were Roselle’s dark and rebellious twin.

  Roselle couldn’t hide her shock. She finally mao stammer out, “Are you... Rosebelle?”

  The doppelganger rolled her eyes and replied. “Like, duh. I’m, like, Rosebelle, totes. Finally, we get to meet, huh? Gotta say, you’re, like, not what I expected.”

  Roselle felt shocked. ‘This’ was the person she was supposed to be repced by?

  Rosebelle tio scrutinize Roselle with a sly grin. “You look, like, so pure and i, all, like, out of p this wild party se. I mean, you even handle a wild party, sis? That’s, like, totes not your thing.”

  Rosebelle added with a mog tone, “But, like, don’t worry, Roselle. You’re, like, totally safe. Cause now, Rosebelle’s here to take over. A’s be real, I’m, like, the cooler you.”

  Roselle’s shock deepened. “Why don’t you just be yourself?”

  Rosebelle arched an eyebrow. “Be myself? Who is that supposed to be?” She smirked, her gaze sweeping over Roselle with an air of superiority. “ht. I’m ‘supposed’ to be Roselle. But, like, that happy-go-lucky innoce you’ve got? It doesly fit in my world.”

  She twirled in her outfit and took on a mog tone. “I’ve made this role my own, and like, it works perfectly for me. You see, Roselle, not everyone pull off that pure, i vibe. It’s just SO not my style. So, yeah, I’m ‘Rosebelle’—the one who’s a bit more in tuh this wild, party se.”

  Roselle’s eyes narrowed. “Alright, Rosebelle…. If you want to be me so badly, then I challenge you. No tricks, no games, n other people. Just you and me, in a fight.”

  Rosebelle seemed to sider it for a moment, then she smirked and said, “A party for one be fun. I like, totes accept your challenge, but there’s one dition: this will be a fight to the death.”

  Rosebelle wasted no time. She shouted at the Shadowcroft grunts, “I need my cheerleaders like, right now!”

  The grunts hesitated for a moment; however, Rosebelle’s to no room for questions. They quickly left to fetch her “cheerleaders.”

  The VIP area began to transform into an arena-like space. The surroundings shifted, and the crowd faded into the background, leaving only Roselle, Rosebelle, Michigo, Sarah, and the Shadowcroft grunts iransformed area.

  Michigo and Sarah had the tape pulled off their mouths. They were finally able to speak. Michigo, in a bold and defiant move, tried to bite one of the grunts, but the agile grunt dodged her attad warned her, “You don’t want another round of this.” He raised his fist, ready to strike.

  All eyes were on Roselle and Rosebelle who prepared for their deadly showdown.

  Roselle quickly moved to Michigo’s side, untying the restraints that bound her.

  “Roselle, you shouldn’t be doing this,” Michigo said. “You haven’t been in many fights, and I know you’re not as strong as I am. You shouldn’t be risking your life for me.”

  Roselle, still focused on untying the restraints responded, “It’s okay, Michigo. I may not be as strong as you, but that doesn’t mean I won’t fight to the end. Remember the game Epic Quest? When we were trying to beat Alex. You surprised him and almost turhe whole thing around.”

  Michigo chuckled with a sad smile ing to her face. “But I lost that game, Roselle.”

  Roselle finished untying Michigo and looked her in the eyes. “The point isn’t that you lost, Michigo. It’s that you fought until the bitter end. This ending might be bitter, and this may be the st time we talk to each other, but I’m happy you were my friend.”

  Michigo’s eyes widened as Roselle’s words hit her like a punch to the gut. Her chest tightened.

  “Roselle…I… I didn’t realize you felt that way.”

  Roselle’s hands trembled slightly after she finished untying Michigo. She turo face her friend sadly. “I might as well go all out and tell you how I really feel, Michigo...”

  Michigo hugged Roselle tightly. “Roselle, promise me… promise me you’ll make it out of this alive.”

  Roselle returhe hug. “I ’t promise that, Michigo. But I promise I’ll fight with everything I’ve got. That’s the only promise I make.”

  During Roselle and Michigo’s shared moment, Sarah’s muffling speech was heard. Her eyes were locked on Roselle.

  Sarah, struggling against the tape that bound her, mao let out a soft, annoyed whine. “Mmm… Roselle, you’re making me all jealous over here!”

  Roselle’s head sowards Sarah. She quickly moved to Sarah’s side and began to untie her restraints.

  With eaent, Roselle noticed Sarah’s pout growing more pronounced.“Sarah, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to leave you out.”

  Right after Roselle freed Sarah, the tape fell away, and Sarah immediately pulled her into a tight embrace. She kissed Roselle’s cheek. “I missed you so much, Roselle. You have no idea how gd I am to see you again!”

  Roselle returhe hug with a soft smile. “I missed you too, Sarah. It’s been too long.”

  Sarah looked down with shame. “Those guys… they made me do some things, Roselle. Things that made me feel so dirty. I didn’t want to, but I had to in order to survive.”

  Roselle’s eyes softened with uanding. She pced a hand on Sarah’s shoulder. “I know, Sarah. You don’t have to expin it. I already uand.”

  Sarah looked up with awe. “You do?”

  Roselle nodded firmly. “You don’t o say anything more. What those guys did to you is unfivable, and they’re going to pay for it. This is the turning point. It starts with Rosebelle. We’re going to put ao everything Shadowcroft has done!”

  Sarah brought her hands up to her chest. “You really think we ?”

  Roselle wore a fident look. “We have to. We’ve fought too hard, lost too much. This is our ake things right.”

  The arena-like setting had garnered a crowd, and the spotlight shifted to the entrance, where someone new had arrived. It was Alex, but he looked different. Dressed in a cheerleading uniform and standing alongside Rosebelle’s cheerleading team. The cheerleaders cheered loudly, and a crowd of people had gathered is surrounding the arena.

  Rosebelle, standing fidently on her side of the arena addressed Roselle with a sly grin. “Like, this is going to be totes amazeballs, Roselle. But seriously, you should know that you’re, like, totally out of your league. I’m the queen of this se, and you’re just, like, a newbie trying to crash my party.”