Seeing the relu her Roselle’s face, her Mother, Mrs. Magenta spoke softly. “I know it’s hard, sweetheart. I see you don’t want to do this, but sometimes, we have to make sacrifices for the people we care about.”

  Roselle’s face hit the floor. “I just... I ’t believe this is happening. How did everythi so plicated?”

  Mrs. Magenta took a deep breath. “Roselle, you’ve always been a kied person, and I’ve always enced you to help others… We have to protect Michigo, and if cutting ties with Jess and the Detective’s Club is the only way, then that’s what we must do.”

  Roselle looked at her mother with wide eyes. “But what about Jess? I ’t just throw her out. She’s...she’s homeless, Mom. Where will she go?”

  Mrs. Magenta’s face softened. “I know, darling. I don’t want to put her in a difficult situatioher, but we must prioritize Michigo’s safety. Maybe we find another solution for Jess, perhaps reach out to other friends or resources that might help her. But we ’t risk anything happening to one of your closest friends.”

  Roselle’s eyes began to water. “I just feel awful. Jess has been through so much, and now we’re just...abandoning her.”

  Mrs. Magenta sighed. “I know how it feels, Roselle. It’s never easy to make decisions like this, especially when it involves someone you care about.”

  Roselle shook her head firmly. “I’m not going to abandon Jess. I ’t just leave her with o go.”

  Mrs. Magenta looked at her daughter with . “Then what will you do, Roselle? We have to be careful.”

  Roselle took a deep breath, a spark of an idea f in her mind. “I think I have an idea. I might know someone who help us. Maybe Hashta or one of our other friends provide a pce for Jess to stay. I’ll---“

  Suddenly, Roselle’s phone buzzed with an ining call from Hashta. She g the s and grinned, “Speak of the devil. Roselle giggled while answering the call. “Hey, Hashta! I was just about to call you.”

  “Roselle! Roselle! Roselle! Roselle! Roselle!” Hashta sounded franti each repetition of her name.

  Roselle’s amusement faded, repced by . “Hashta, what’s going on? Is everything okay?”

  “Fet about the two of us meeting up today,” Hashta blurted out. “You have to get home.”

  Roselle was taken aback. “Uh, Hashta, I’m already home. What’s happening?”

  “The online, now!”

  Roselle’s heart rate quied. “What’s going on? Why do I o get online?”

  Hashta hesitated for a moment before saying, “Just hurry a online now!”

  With that, Hashta hung up, leaving Roselle with a sense of unease. Roselle g her mother with worry ing across her face. “Something’s up, Mom. Hashta sounded really panicked. I o see what’s going on.”

  Mrs. Magenta nodded. “Go ahead, dear. Just be careful.”

  Roselle rushed to her room, quickly booting up her puter, and logging into the chatroom with her userarlightSeeker27” and looked around for any new messages or updates. She saw familiar usernames and the ongoing versation:

  EclipseDreamer14

  CipherMystery08

  Chessmaster12

  EnigmaGamer19

  PixelChaos03

  KarateSpirit23

  KarateSpirit23: “Hello, everyone. I have an annouo make...”

  Roselle, under her userarlightSeeker27,” watched the chatroom members respond with curiosity.

  PixelChaos03: “You? Have an annou? Why do I feel like you’re being serious?”

  KarateSpirit23: “I am serious. Today, we have a member among us who is no loing to be a part of this group. StarlightSeeker27, also known as Roselle, has decided to leave.”

  There was a moment of silen the chatroom. Roselle felt her heart rag , but she calmed herself with a deep breath.

  EclipseDreamer14: “Wait, what? Roselle is leaving?”

  Chessmaster12: “Why, Roselle? What happened?”

  KarateSpirit23: “Roselle is leaving because I’ve talked to her, and she agreed to it. She knows why. I am also Michigo for those of you that don’t know.”

  EnigmaGamer19: “This is surprising. We’ll miss you, Roselle.”

  PixelChaos03: “Yeah, no. Roselle, what’s going on? You’re one of the inal members.”

  KarateSpirit23: “Roselle has her reasons. I just wao inform all of you about her decision.”

  Roselle hesitated. She wao type out the truth but she khat she d’t reveal that now. She erased everything she po post in her message a something simple.

  StarlightSeeker27: “I’ve had a great time with all of you. Thank you for the memories.”

  A private chat request popped up on Roselle’s s. It was from PixelChaos03, and she quickly accepted it. The chat opened with just the two of them.

  PixelChaos03: “No, no, no, no, no! Don’t just agree to this, Roselle! Ugh! This is not what I thought was gonna happen when I told you to get on!”

  StarlightSeeker27: “Hashta? Is that you?”

  PixelChaos03 (Hashta): “Yes, it’s me. But keep it a secret. Don’t tell anyone.”

  StarlightSeeker27: “I won’t, Hashta. What’s going on? This is all so fusing.”

  PixelChaos03 (Hashta): “I think Michigo is in trouble. This isn’t like her at all. She outted you and herself. I don’t think Michigo would just go ratting out our names if it’s our secret identies. Even a brick like her is smarter than that.”

  StarlightSeeker27: “Hashta, you’re right. Michigo would never do something like this unless she was in trouble. I need your help. I know what’s happening, but I ’t reveal it in the main chat. Please keep what I am about to tell you a secret from the others.”

  PixelChaos03 (Hashta): “Of course, Roselle. I’m with you all the way. So what’s up?”

  StarlightSeeker27: “Hashta, earlier today, I received a call from an unknown person who cimed to have Michigo. They’re using her chatroom name, ‘KarateSpirit23,’ to unicate with us. They wao cut ties with the Detective’s Club and kick Jess out of my house to see Michigo again. But I don’t believe this is Michigo behind that at. It’s all very strange.”

  PixelChaos03 (Hashta): “Wait, Jess is staying at your pce? Why didn’t you tell me? I feel like I missed a whole chapter here.”

  StarlightSeeker27: “It just happe night, Hashta. Things are moving really fast. Jess needed a pce to stay, and I couldn’t just leave her out in the cold.”

  PixelChaos03 (Hashta): “Okay, that makes sense. But listen, Roselle, there’s something else. When I was heading bae this m from my... um, little six-up, I saw Angie. Or, I think it was Angie. She was talking to someone who looked exactly like you.”

  Roselle felt her pulse qui at this revetion.

  StarlightSeeker27: “It ’t be... If that’s true, it’s possibly Rosebelle. You know how dangerous she is. This plicates everything.”

  PixelChaos03 (Hashta): “I knew somethi off! Maybe that’s why Michigo is in trouble, and this impostor is trying to manipute us.

  Hashta quickly sent another message.

  PixelChaos03 (Hashta): “That means Angie is a traitor. I wish I knew who Angie was in this chatroom. I’d rip her a new one!”

  StarlightSeeker27: “Ripping her a new one won’t help, Hashta. But if Angie is a traitor, and Michigo is in dahen anything involving Angie could be a trap.”

  Roselle paused as a hought came to her mind.

  StarlightSeeker27: “Wait a minute. Angie always said we weren’t friends, even though we worked together. She’s always held those two favors over Michigo and me and still does. Angie might have been pnning this from the minute she saved us that one day we went to the gaming club.”

  PixelChaos03 (Hashta): “That sneaky bi#@! I knew something with her. So, what do we do now?”

  StarlightSeeker27: “We o be careful about Angie. If she’s been pnning something, she might be trying to set us up. We ’t trust her, and we definitely ’t let her know we’re onto her. First, we should verify who Angie is in the chatroom.”

  PixelChaos03 (Hashta): “Agreed. We o figure out who she is, but we should be subtle about it. I’ll see if I dig up anything on my end.”

  Roselle suddenly received a private chat request from CipherMystery08. The name alone piqued her curiosity as this member had remained mostly silent in the group and hadn’t shared mu the main chat. CipherMystery08 held the rank of Moderator, which made their message even more intriguing. She accepted the request, and the private chat opened with just the two of them.

  CipherMystery08: “Roselle, I’ve been watg closely.”

  StarlightSeeker27: “Who are you, and what do you mean by that?”

  CipherMystery08: “I go by CipherMystery08 in this chatroom obviously, and my role is to observe and ehe bance. I’ve noticed the turmoil in yroup.”

  StarlightSeeker27: “What bance are you talking about?”

  CipherMystery08: “The bance of information, trust, and secrecy within yroup. As a Moderator, I strive to maintain that bance. And tely, it seems like secrets are unraveling.”

  StarlightSeeker27: “Secrets? What do you know about the situation with Michigo and this person who tacted me?”

  CipherMystery08: “I know enough to be ed, but I need your co-operation to gairuth aore the bance.”

  StarlightSeeker27: “I want to help, but I don’t know where to start. What should we do?”

  CipherMystery08: “In the Epic Quest: Realm of Shadows, the Doppelgaheory suggests that when a doppelganger appears, it must be fronted. And I believe that time has e for you, Roselle, to front yours.”

  Roselle was intrigued and bewildered by the revetion of a doppelgaheory.

  StarlightSeeker27: “How, when, and where do I front this doppelganger? What do you know about it?”

  CipherMystery08: “I know everything about your doppelganger, Roselle, but this is not a versation for the chat. We must meet in person, away from the eyes that also lie in the shadows. There’s a pce we go, a pce where secrets be revealed and mysteries be solved. There is an abandoned building that’s a few blocks past the Silver Star Arcade downtow me there at 4 PM today. I’ll be waiting. It’s important you make it here on time. The life of your friend Michigo is on the line here, and you o reach her before she ends Michigo’s life at 6 PM.”

  StarlightSeeker27: “How do I know I trust you? You could be behind all this, too.”

  CipherMystery08: “Trust is a delicate thread, easily broken and hard to repair. I uand your doubts, but I promise you, meeting me is your best ce to uhe truth. I assure you, I have no iions of harming you or Michigo.”

  Roselle hesitated, but something in CipherMystery08’s words made them feel a sliver of hope.

  StarlightSeeker27: “I have a lot of questions. How I be sure this isn’t a trap?”

  CipherMystery08: “The best pce to find out the truth is at the meeting pce. If I say too much here, the truth will be lost forever. You must see things for yourself to uand.”

  StarlightSeeker27: “All right, I’ll meet you at the old, abandoned building. But if you try anything funny, I won’t hesitate to defend myself.”

  CipherMystery08: “Uood. I’ll be waiting. Remember, timing is crucial. Trust your instincts, and more importantly, don’t be te.”

  With those final words, CipherMystery08 ehe chat.

  Roselle was sitting in deep in thought, p the mysterious figure’s words when, out of nowhere, she felt a warm breath on her ned heard someone speak right beside her.

  Jess excimed, “That was quite an intense versation, Roselle! I wonder who this CipherMystery08 is”.

  Roselle froze for a moment. She hadn’t heard Jess approach, and she certainly hadn’t expected to find herself in such close proximity to her. She slowly turned her head to see Jess’s faches from her own. She had a mischievous smile on her lips.

  Roselle’s face turned bright red when realizing her current position. She was sitting in Jess’s p, and Jess’s hands were gently ed around her. Roselle was caught pletely off guard.

  Uo tain her shock, Roselle let out a scream that could have woken the neighbors.