Roselle gazed across the arena at her doppelganger. “Rosebelle, let’s do this with honor and respect. The winner will be the real Roselle, but no one has to die for it.”

  Rosebelle raised one hand to her side. “Like, seriously, Roselle? This is like, totally not a bame night at your pce. It’s a fight to the death, and the winner gets to, like, totally be the real deal. Like, that’s just how it works, you know?”

  The battle between Roselle and Rosebelle enced. Rosebelle, taller and seemingly faster, made the first move, darting forward with a quick, precise strike. Roselle, however, dispyed surprising agility, managing to evade the attack just in time.

  Roselle quickly reized that she had to use her slightly shorter stature to her advantage. She stayed low and nimble, dug under Rosebelle’s sweeping kicks and agile leaps. Her movements were fluid and calcuted, aiming to wear down her doppelganger.

  Rosebelle, reizing her advantage i and strength, decided to employ a punch-down strategy. She aimed to use her superior force t Roselle to the ground and then poun her, attempting to overpower her.

  With calcuted blows and swift movements, Rosebelle mao nd a solid hit on Roselle, knog her to the ground. Roselle struggled to evade her doppelganger’s relentless assault, but it seemed like Rosebelle had the upper hand.

  The crowd roared with excitement, clearly enjoying the iy of the battle, and Rosebelle’s cheerleading squad cheered her on with enthusiasm.

  Roselle, though battered and bruised, refused to give up.

  Saddie and Angie, slowly regaining sciousness, found themselves in ay se of the arena. They were groggy but mao sit up, looking around in fusion. It was clear that something signifit had transpired while they were unscious.

  Michigo and Sarah, who had been untied earlier by Roselle, approached Saddie and Angie. Michigo. “Guys, you o know what’s happening. Roselle challenged her doppelganger and Rosebelle made this to a fight to the death! We…We o find a way to stop this!”

  Saddie firmly responded, “No, Michigo. This fight has to happen. Roselle has to defeat her doppelganger here and now. It’s the only way for us to win this battle, to put ao the impersonations and the dahey pose. This is Roselle’s fight, and no one else do it for her.”

  Ahough still rec, nodded in agreement. “Saddie’s right. We have to trust in Roselle’s strength. She’s got this.”

  Michigo and Sarah exged worried gnces but uood.

  As Sarah looked to the side and noticed the cheerleading outfits left oands, an idea began to form in her mind. She turo the group and suggested, “Guys, we should ge into those cheerleading outfits.”

  Michigo’s face immediately sched up. “No way, Sarah! I’m not wearing one of those skimpy outfits. It’s not my style.”

  Angie sighed deeply. “I’m not Roselle’s friend or anything. Why should I wear one of those?”

  Sarah took a deep breath and, with ahusiastic gleam in her eye, began speaking at a higher pitch. “Okay, team, listen up! Roselle needs our suppht now more than ever. We’ve seen how intehis fight is. We won’t be wearing these cheerleading outfits just to look cute. We o get out there and be her cheerleaders—literally and figuratively. We o remihat we’re with her, that we believe in her!”

  Michigo and Angie exged skeptical gnces. Michigo frowned slightly but then scratched the back of her head and said, “Fine, Sarah. You make a point. If this helps, then I guess I’m in.”

  Aill looking uhusiastiodded relutly. “Alright, I suppose we give it a shot.”

  Sarah beamed and quickly started distributing the cheerleading outfits to Michigo, Angie and Sadie. Sarah, now fully embrag her cheerleader role, rallied the group together.

  “Let’s do this, team! We o get out there, make some noise, and show Roselle that we’re rooting for her! It’s time t the energy and help her push through this fight. Go Roselle!”

  Michigo, despite her initial reluce, found herself caught up in Sarah’s enthusiasm. “Alright, let’s make this t. For Roselle!”

  Angie, now in the cheerleading outfit, gave a small, begrudging smile. “Guess I’m in this too.”

  Saddie quickly ged into the cheerleading outfit, but her usual gloomy look remained unged. Sarah looked at her and sighed, “Saddie, cheerleaders are supposed to smile and cheer. you at least try to put on a happy face for Roselle’s sake?”

  Saddie attempted a small, forced smile. “Happy now?”

  Sarah grinned and nodded. “That’s the spirit! Let’s go out there and support Roselle!”

  The battle between Roselle and Rosebelle had been intense. Rosebelle dominated with her height and agility. Roselle had been knocked down several times. Rosebelle lu her again, Roselle rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack. She quickly scrambled to her feet.

  The crowd, including Shadowcroft’s grunts, and the cheerleaders watched in anticipation. Rosebelle’s supporters cheered for their doppelganger, while Sarah, Michigo, and Saddie, in their cheerleading outfits, cpped and ted for Roselle, trying to boost her morale.

  Rosebelle, with a wicked grin, taunted, “Like, you ’t keep this up, Roselle. I’m, like, totally going to win.”

  Rosebelle she took a step bad chuckled. “You know, like, I’m actually surprised you haven’t started running away yet. Props to you for stig around and taking those hits like a champ.”

  Roselle, panting heavily and exhaustiole on her shoulders, gnced around at the crowd and the cheering squad. The lights, the he iy—it all seemed overwhelming. She thought to herself, ‘What was I thinking? Why did I agree to this?’

  She saw the faces of her friends, Michigo, Sarah, and even Saddie’s forced smile. Their presence gave her a momentary sense of fort, but the physical aional toll of the fight was already beginning to wear her down.

  Rosebelle noticed Roselle’s hesitation and pced her hands on her sides. “Aw, look at you, Roselle. Getting all weak-kneed. If you really wahis, you’d be fighting harder. But I guess you’re not cut out for it after all.”

  Roselle began to falter, her body sinking slowly to the ground, the roar of the crowd and the cmor of the arena seemed to fade into the background. Her vision blurred, and for a moment, she was lost in her own thoughts. Rosebelle’s taunts echoed in her ears, amplifying her sense of defeat.

  But through the haze of her exhaustion and doubt, a familiar voice cut through the noise. Michigo’s voice, clear and unwavering, pierced through the fog. “Roselle, don’t run! Give her hell! A right hook for me!”

  Roselle’s eyes refocused, and she turned her gaze toward Michigo. There she was, a cheerleading outfit. The sight of Michigo in su unusual outfit was ued, but the girl’s fiery spirit was unmistakable.

  With a sudden surge of energy fueled by Michigo’s encement, Roselle’s resolve hardened. She pushed through the pain and fatigue, finding the strength to rise back up.

  Roselle gnced around at her friends. Sarah, shouted, “Don’t hold back, Roselle! You do it!” She was a bea of support. Even Angie, despite their rocky retionship, held up a two with a hint of a supportive smirk. Then, Roselle’s eyes settled on Sadie. She could see through Sadie’s forced smile. Sadie’s effort to be supportive, despite her own struggles, made Roselle’s heart swell with gratitude.

  In that moment, Roselle envisioned her friends standing behind her. Eae tributed their own strength to lift her up. The mental image of them collectively supp her ignited a bright yellow aura around her.

  The croed in amazement as Roselle’s aura fred brightly. Roselle’s faced her doppelganger with unwavering vi. “You say run, Rosebelle? I would never dream of running from you. Even if I were outmatched, I’d never run, because what I’m fighting for is the most important thing to me.”

  She took a deep breath and then tinued, “You’re right, Rosebelle. I’m not cut out for this—at least, not on my own. But that’s why I’m not alone. I have my friends. They believe in me, and if they believe ihen I believe in myself. And you know what? I’m going to beat you here and now.”

  Rosebelle’s smirk faltered for a moment. She saw Roselle’s newfound strength.

  Roselle unched herself into a rapid series of punches and kicks. Rosebelle was taken by surprise, but she retaliated with a rapid series of kicks and punches. Roselle’s movements were fluid enough to deflect Rosebelle’s attacks and nd a few strikes of her own.

  In the midst of their intense exge of blows, Roselle’s vision suddenly shifted, showing her a glimpse of the immediate future. She saw Rosebelle closing in to grapple her and gain the upper hand.

  Roselle reacted swiftly, dodging to the side just as Rosebelle attempted to grab her. Roselle’s hand reached out and gripped Rosebelle’s arm, allowio twist and maneuver her doppelgao a dominant position.

  Rosellee pinned Rosebelle to the ground. The croed, witnessing the sudden shift itle’s momentum.

  Roselle’s eyes locked onto Rosebelle’s. “This doesn’t have to end ih, Rosebelle! We find a way to both exist as different people.”

  With a pained face, Rosebelle struggled against Roselle’s hold. She mao break free with a surge of strength and scrambled back to her feet.

  In a fit of frustration, Rosebelle shouted. “Like, seriously, Roselle? You think we , like, coexist as different people? Are you, like, totally delusional? You’re such a goody-two-shoes, and I’m, like, the life of the party. There’s no way we share the same space without, like, me totes owning it.”

  Roselle, despite the insults, remained resolute. She extended a hand toward Rosebelle. “I’m not giving up on you, Rosebelle. Inside of you, I see a different person other than me. You are someone who likes the life you are living right now... you don’t have to be me, or try to be something you are not. And the truth is...”

  Rosebelle’s face torted from frustration to deadly seriousness. She warned Roselle with a cold, steely tone, “Remove your hand unless you want to lose it.”

  Roselle began to pull her hand back; however, Rosebelle swiftly lunged forward and delivered a powerful blow to Roselle’s stomach. The force of the hit sent Roselle flying backward, crashing into a wall with a resounding impact.

  The crowd fell into a stunned silence, witnessing the sudden turn of events. Roselle, weakened and battered, struggled to stay scious, her vision blurred.

  Roselle y against the wall, gasping for breath, her vision blurry and her body wracked with pain from the powerful blow. She was scious but severely weakened, uo move or defend herself.

  Saddie, Angie, Sarah, and Michigo, who had been watg the battle with bated breath, reacted with shod . Saddie’s gloomy face turned even darker. She ched her fists. Angie’s face registered worry and frustration. Sarah’s eyes welled up with tears. Michigo looked on with an unging look of seriousness.

  Rosebelle approached the weakened and gasping Roselle. She lifted Roselle by the neck. “Miss Goody two shoes’ wish is totally denied,” Rosebelle sneered. Her fingers pressed into Roselle’s throat, causio gasp for air. “You don’t, get it, Roselle. You don’t know what it’s like, having no purpose in life other than being the Doppelganger of a girl named Roselle, a girl I never even knew until I met Sarah.”

  Roselle reached out toward Rosebelle and mao utter a few words while straining to speak. “Rosebelle, you don’t…have to be me. You have the right to be your own person, to choose your own path….”

  Rosebelle’s grip tightened further around Roselle’s neck. “Just shut up and die, kay?”

  Roselle’s vision blurred and her life force slowly ebbed away, Roselle thought to herself, ‘Why, Rosebelle? Why do you want to be me so badly? What has Shadowcroft doo you, to all of you?’

  Roselle grew weaker with each passing moment. She could feel the life slipping away from her.

  ‘Is this where... I die..?’