At Risebelle’s house, the doppelganger proved to be quite an expert at beihe clock showed that it was 5 pm. Risebelle’s mother had always been a harsh and strict type of woman, nagging at her every ce she could get about good grades, but for these st few days, she was just ag so motherly.

  This doppelganger, in the form of Risebelle, walked to her mom and with a smile told her, “You know, Mom, I am really starting to notice that you’re his way. It’s pretty .”

  Risebelle’s mom gazed at her daughter tenderly. “Well, sweetie, I’ve always cared about you, and I want what’s best for you. Perhaps…perhaps I have been too hard on you all these years and you need a different pace.”

  The doppelganger nodded. “I uand, Mom. I will get straight A’s this year, just like you want.”

  Risebelle’s mother smiled and patted the doppelganger on the shoulder. “Gd to hear that, sweetheart. I do know what you’re capable of.”

  The doppelganger and Risebelle’s mother shared a moment of warmth that was quite unusual. Just then, the doorbell rang. Risebelle’s mother furrowed her brows. Looking at the doppelganger, she said, “I’ll go see who it is. You rest here.”

  The doppelganger nodded. Risebelle’s mother opehe door to find Roselle and Sadie standing on the doorstep. She reized Roselle but uzzled by the presence of the irl. “ I help you?”

  Roselle stepped forward. “We o talk to Risebelle. It’s really important. Is she home?”

  Risebelle’s mother pced her hands on her sides. “I’m her mother. You talk to me instead. What’s this about?”

  Sadie, knowing what was happening, stepped forward, towards Roselle. “We o speak to her in private, ma’am. It matters much. We think she might be in danger.”

  Risebelle’s mother shifted from suspi to . She motioned for Roselle and Sadie to enter. “e i’s talk in the living room. Risebelle is resting in her room. I’ll get her.”

  Risebelle’s mother disappeared upstairs, leaving Roselle and Sadie alone in the living room.

  The doppelganger y on the bed, nervously waiting for Risebelle’s mother to return. When she heard her mother’s footsteps approag, she sat up and tried to maintain her calm.

  Risebelle’s mother ehe room with a curious gaze. “There are two girls downstairs who want to talk to you, Risebelle. One of them has blue and pink hair, and the other has yellow hair. Do you know them?”

  The doppelganger’s let out an “Oh shit,” loudly by mistake. Risebelle’s mother, who had been on edge due to ret events, immediately raised her suspis.

  Risebelle’s mother looked at the doppelganger with narrowed eyes. “Alright, what’s going on here? Why did you react like that?”

  The doppelganger, heart pounding, but she responded, “OH, um, it’s nothing. Just… a bit of a shock. I wasn’t expeg visitors.”

  Risebelle’s mother remaiern. “You seem a bit nervous. Is there something you’re not telling me?”

  The doppelgahought to themselves, ‘Okay, stay calm. This isn’t the end. I just o keep my posure. They haven’t beate. There’s still a way to rebound from this. Everything is going to be fine. I’ll have a family, just like I always wanted. Everything will be okay.’

  The doppelgaook a deep breath, trying to pose herself despite the rising panic. When Risebelle’s mother looked at her with suspi, she decided to speak while trembling. “M-Mom, I o tell you something… It’s really serious. These two girls downstairs, Roselle and the other ohey’re not who they seem. They’ve been threatening me for months.”

  Risebelle’s mother’s eyes widened with . “Threatening you? What do you mean?”

  The doppelganger tinued with her story with tears streaming down her cheeks. They’ve been bckmailing me, saying that if I don’t cooperate, they’d hurt or, even worse, kill me. They made my life a livihese st few days, and I didn’t know how to tell you. I was scared you’d be upset with me, and I was just trying to foy studies, but they kept on pressuring.”

  Risebelle’s mother immediately moved to her side and enveloped her in a f embrace. “Oh, sweetie, shh… it’s okay… It’s Okay….”

  The doppelganger g to Risebelle’s mother. Risebelle’s mother pulled back slightly with eyes narrowing. “So, when they said they wao talk to you…”

  She trailed off. A fire was lit in her eyes. It felt like the temperature in the room rose. Steam seemingly rose from the walls. The doppelganger, despite her act, felt a chill at the sight of Risebelle’s mother’s intense anger.

  “Those girls think they threaten my daughter a away with it?! I’ll make sure they regret ever setting foot in this house. Nothing will interrupt your studies, my dear. I promise you that!”

  Risebelle’s mother stormed out of the room. The doppelganger remained behind. Her face slowly shifted from one of fear to a twisted, deranged smile. “She fell for it—hook, line, and sinker. With this guise, I have everything I ever wanted—a family, a pce to belong, and no one suspects a thing. They trust me, they nurture me, and soon, they’ll do anything I say.”

  Risebelle’s mother desded the stairs with such force that it seemed as if the entire house was shaking. Each step caused picture frames to rattle and loose objects to vibrate across surfaces. Sadie and Roselle, standing in the living room, exged uneasy gnces.

  When Risebelle’s mother finally reached the bottom of the stairs, she was surrounded by a swirling aura of steam that rose from her body like the heat from a boilile. The room felt hotter the moment she came down.

  Sadie’s eyes widened. She whispered to herself, ‘Is that... steam power? I didn’t know she had any abilities…’

  “You two! You’ve got some nerve showing up here, threatening my daughter!” Risebelle’s Mother pointed a fi them.

  Roselle and Sadie exged startled gnces. Sadie said calmly, “Ma’am, we don’t want to threaten anyone. We’re here to help.”

  Risebelle’s mother responded. “You won’t get away with this. You won’t hurt my Risebelle.”

  Sadie raised her hands in the air. “Please, just hear us out. We expihing.”

  But Risebelle’s mother wasn’t in a listening mood. Ign the pleas from Roselle and Sadie, she rushed into the kit and grabbed a rge kit knife. Her hands trembled with anger while clutg the on.

  Sadie called out, “Please, put the knife down! We mean no harm.”

  Roselle added, “We just want to talk, to sort things out. We’re not here to hurt anyone!”

  Risebelle’s mother recited, “Lord, in this moment of darkness and fusion, I beseech your divine guidance. Five me, for I am about to it an act I hought I would. I pray for the strength to protect my beloved Risebelle, for she is the light of my life. I fear for her safety and well-being, and I am willing to do anything to shield her from harm.

  I pce my trust in your divine mercy.

  Amen.”

  Risebelle’s Mother lunged forward, knife in hand, aiming for the two intruders. In that moment, Roselle’s mind suddenly surged with a familiar, almost instinctual fht. Her vision clouded over, and in an instant, she ulled into the depths of a potential future. In this vision, she saw Sadie stepping in front of her, sacrifig herself to protect her friend, the bde slig into her side. The image was vivid and haunting, but it also gave Roselle the crity tently shout, “Sadie, ght!”

  Sadie moved just in time to avoid the knife alongside Roselle. Risebelle’s mother stumbled forward, off-bance from the missed strike.

  Sadie called out, “We have no choice but to defend ourselves! Roselle, stay close!”

  Sadie took her stance, pnting her feet firmly on the ground.

  Roselle quickly reached int. Her fingers ed around the familiar, trusty wooden stick. She moved to stand beside Sadie.

  Risebelle’s mother unleashed more steam, increasing the temperature in the room. The swirling clouds of steam was being difficult to breathe in. The iy of her anger fueled the steam which also made it harder for Sadie and Roselle to see.

  Sadie kept her gaze fixed on Risebelle’s mother, trying to assess her move. “I see what your power is doing, but I don’t think you’re aware of the harm it’s causing.”

  Roselle called out to Sadie, “Watch out!”

  Before Sadie could fully process Roselle’s warning, Risebelle’s mother lunged fain. Sadie barely mao catch the ining kopping it mere inches from her side. Her muscles strained against Risebelle’s mother’s strength.

  While Sadie was locked in a power struggle, Roselle swiftly reached int. Her hand closed around a small ister of pepper spray she obtained from her mother for just the occasion. She carefully aimed it through the steam and squeezed the trigger.

  A burst of pepper spray hit Risebelle’s mother squarely in the face. She recoiled, dropping the knife. Her hands flew to her eyes and she cried out in pain.

  Seizing the opportunity, Sadie unched a swift, calcuted kick to Risebelle’s mother’s midse. The force of the blow sent her crashing to the floor, knog her unscious. The steam dissipated, and the room cooled down immediately.

  Sadie bent down, cheg to ensure Risebelle’s mother was merely unscious and not dead. She turo Roselle, maintaining a gloomy look. “hinking with the pepper spray. Are you okay?”

  Roselle nodded. “I’m fine...” She looked down at Risebelle’s Mother sadly.

  Sadie shook her head and said, “We didn’t have a choice, Roselle. Now, we o find the doppelganger and put ao her schemes.”

  Roselle nodded. “You’re right. Let’s move quickly. She should be upstairs.”

  Suddenly, the doppelganger desded the stairs with a gre.

  Roselle growled. “You’ve caused enough trouble, pretending to be Risebelle and maniputing her mother… It all ends now!”

  The doppelganger spoke in a calm yet threatening tone, “You’ve proven to be a nuisance, and I ’t allow you to interfere any longer. Risebelle’s life is mine now.”

  Sadie warned, “Don’t make any sudden moves. We know yame, and it’s over.”

  The doppelganger smirked. “You may have caught me off guard by ing here, but you’ve missed one crucial detail. I am far strohawo of you. Whatever tricks you have won’t work on me!”

  The doppelganger unched herself at Roselle and Sadie with arming speed. Roselle quickly raised her pepper spray, aiming for the doppelganger’s face more, but the doppelganger anticipated the move. With a swift kick, she khe ister out of Roselle’s hand, sending it cttering across the floor.

  Uerred, Roselle tightened her grip on her wooden stick. She swung the sti a wide arc, aiming to keep the doppelga bay. However, the doppelganger, With a sirike, the chopped down oick, snapping it in half.

  Roselle’s eyes widened in shock. The doppelganger gave a mog smile.“You really thought a stick would stop me? Get real.”

  The doppelgahen pivoted, aiming a powerful kick at Roselle. Time seemed to slow as Roselle braced herself for impact, but before the blow could nd, Sadie leapt into a. She positioned herself in front of Roselle, taking the full force of the kick herself.

  Sadie went flying backward, crashing into Roselle. The impaocked the wind out of both girls. They tumbled to the floor in a heap. Roselle gasped for air. Sadie groaned, struggling to push herself up.

  Roselle shook her head to clear her thoughts and scrambled to her feet. Sadie helped her to stand. The doppelganger watched them with cold amusement.

  Sadie grimaced but managed a defiant smile. “Nice kick for a phoney.”

  The doppelganger sneered. “I am Risebelle. I’m not just some doppelganger—I’m the real one! I’m not useless!”

  Sadie narrowed her eyes, taking in the doppelganger’s words. In her mind, she he phrase “not useless” as a potential clue for ter.

  Suddenly, the doppelganger emitted a burst of blue energy. Her aura fred like a wildfire. The room pulsed with power, and Roselle felt the familiar twinge of fht. Her vision clouded with a glimpse of what was to e. She saw herself and Sadie being overwhelmed in a matter of seds, uo withstand the doppelganger’s onsught.

  Roselle’s heart sank when the Vision faded. “Oh no,” she muttered. “I don’t see a way to ter this…”

  The doppelganger moved with blinding speed. Desperation drove Roselle to trade blows with her oppo, but before she could nd a hit, a sharp pain shot through her side. The doppelganger screamed, “I won’t be useless!”

  Roselle was knocked backward. Her body smmed into the wall with a botling thud. She slid to the floor, struggling to catch her breath. “Roselle!” Sadie shouted.

  With Roselle temporarily down, Sadie stepped forward. She moved to ehe doppelganger, brag herself for the flurry of hits. Sadie absorbed the blows thrown at her, adjusting to the force with each impact.

  Thee doppelganger’s strategy shifted when they saw Sadie tanking her hits. She began to move with calcuted strikes rather than furious ones, feinting to one side before delivering a swift kick to Sadie’s legs. Sadie stumbled, barely regaining her bance.

  “You may have adapted to my strength, but I’m still faster.

  Roselle straio open one eye. She heard the doppelganger’s chilling words who now stood over her with an echo. “This is perfect, Roselle. Yoing to be the key to my success. I’m Riselle, and by using you, we are going to prove to Shadowcroft that I am far from useless.”

  With tremendous effort, Roselle mao fully open her eyes and focus on the chilling figure before her, Riselle. Despite her battered state, Roselle’s will remained.

  “Together? You must be out of your mind,” Roselle retorted. “I’ll never help you with your twisted pns.”

  Riselle maintained her sinister posure and replied, “Oh, but you’ve already helped me, Roselle. By luring you here and incapacitating you, I’ve ehat Rosebelle will be repce you. Then, all that will be left is to take care of Risebelle. “

  Riselle let out a cold ugh. “YOU LOSE, DETECTIVES!”