Project Mage

The trio entered the hidden section of the arcade.

Risebelle seemed to shiver while looking around at the familiar yet haunting surroundings. "This place... it's where I saw Rosebelle for the first time. And it's where we got trapped, too. How do you know about this part of the arcade, Sadie?"

Sadie's melancholic gaze remained fixed on the surroundings. "I've been here before, investigating similar incidents. It seems that this place holds some secrets related to the doppelgangers. But don't worry, I'm here to help you both make sense of it all."

Risebelle glanced at Sadie with a wary eye. "You know, this all feels a bit too convenient. How can we be sure this isn’t some sort of trap?"

Roselle, sensing Risebelle’s tension, instinctively reached out and grasped her arm. Risebelle shot Roselle a questioning look. "What are you doing?"

Roselle looked up. "You said it might be a trap…I…um…."

Risebelle sighed, shaking her head slightly. "Roselle, you don’t have to cling to me like that. Are you always this afraid of stuff?"

Roselle let go of her but kept close. "N-No, it… It’s just that… I don’t want anything bad to happen."

Sadie observed the interaction with a knowing look. "I can see why you’re hesitant Risebelle. Trust is hard to come by in situations like these. I assure you, my intention is to help you. If you’d just allow me to explain everything, I hope you’ll begin to see why it’s important for us to work together."

Sadie took a deep breath before starting. "Listen carefully, because what I'm about to tell you is crucial. There's a sinister organization called Shadowcroft, and they operate under the guise of a lending company. In reality, they're nothing more than soul harvesters. Once you fall into their trap and sign a contract, they own you, and they can change the terms at their will, making escape nearly impossible."

She paused before continuing, "Recently, Shadowcroft has shifted their focus. They're not just interested in lending anymore; they've taken up a more sinister agenda. They've started abducting and replacing people, and I've been tracking their activities. My investigation led me to you, Roselle and Risebelle, and that's why I'm here today."

"Wait, are you saying that they're after Roselle and me?" Risebelle asked. "But why? What do we have to do with all of this?"

Sadie looked down to the ground. "I don't know why they want you, but if Shadowcroft gets their hands on you, you'll vanish without a trace. We have to find out their motives and put an end to their sinister operation."

Roselle and Risebelle exchanged a glance of concern. Sadie Continued. "And about Rosebelle... Rosebelle is intended to be the replacement, the merging of both Roselle and Risebelle into one person. It might seem impossible, but Shadowcroft has an uncanny ability to manipulate events and orchestrate circumstances that make the impossible seem plausible."

"I can't believe they’re planning to merge us into one person," Risebelle muttered with one hand now raised to her chin. "But now, it all makes sense, the way they were trying to blur the lines between us. It was all a setup."

Sadie nodded before turning her attention to Roselle."I've been watching you for a while, Roselle, which is how I know about your friends. At least three of them are connected to Shadowcroft. They've infiltrated your life, and they're reporting everything back to the organization. You can't trust them."

"I don't know your friends, Roselle, but we can't let anyone put you at risk," Risebelle asserted. "We will have to protect you, and we need to stop this organization. But how can we be sure about the people you mentioned?"

Sadie responded. "In the game Epic Quest: Realm of Shadows, the story follows a similar pattern. Players find themselves in a world filled with doppelgangers and mysterious disappearances, much like what's happening now in real life. The characters in the game are being manipulated and replaced by these doppelgangers, and the same thing seems to be occurring in our world."

Roselle’s mind raced while trying to put pieces of this puzzle together within it. “So, you're saying our lives are mirroring the events of the game? And those doppelgangers... Are they connected to Shadowcroft?"

Sadie nodded. "Yes, exactly. It's as if Shadowcroft is following a script, and it's our job to change the ending of the story. In the game, the players need to uncover the truth behind the doppelgangers and put an end to their sinister plans.

"So, our lives are like a game, and Shadowcroft is following the script," Risebelle mused. "But we're not just characters; we're real people. We won't be manipulated like pawns in their story."

Risebelle raised a fist triumphantly." Yes! This is just the information we need to crack this case wide open, Sadie. Now, I need to go and tell Harty everything we've learned."

Risebelle moved to dash out of the hidden section of the arcade but Roselle reached out and grabbedher arm. "Risebelle, wait! We need to think this through. It's dangerous out there, and we don't know who we can trust."

Risebelle sighed. "We can trust Harty, at least. He’s always been reliable."

Roselle nodded reluctantly. "Alright, I agree with that. But you shouldn’t go without me. We…we need to stick together, you know?"

Risebelle shook her head. A smirk came to her lips. "How did you ever survive a day in your life, Roselle? You’re way too damn cautious."

Sadie interjected. "Actually, Risebelle, it’s better if you go. There’s something private I need to discuss with Roselle anyway."

Risebelle raised an eyebrow. "What do you need to talk about that you can't say in front of both of us?"

Sadie smiled faintly. "Trust me, it’s important but personal. And after everything I’ve shared, you know I wouldn’t do anything harmful."

Risebelle hesitated for a moment, then nodded. She quickly exchanged phone numbers with Roselle. "Call me if anything goes wrong," she instructed.

Roselle clutched her phone, nodding. "I will. Be careful, Risebelle."

With a final glance at Sadie and Roselle, Risebelle dashed out of the hidden section of the arcade.

Risebelle rushed into the school. She made her way to the room where the chess club, which was set up like the detective's club, was located. Inside, she found Harty standing before the board, pinning up new evidence and clues.

Breathing heavily from her run, Risebelle exclaimed, "Harty, you won't believe what I've just learned! We're in grave danger, and we need to act quickly."

Harty turned to face Risebelle with concern. "Risebelle, calm down. What's going on? What did you find out?"

Risebelle quickly recounted everything she had learned from Sadie. The connection to Shadowcroft, the doppelgangers, and the danger that both she and Roselle were in. She watched as Harty's eyes widen on each revelation from her. When she finished, he nodded. A serious look settled on his face. "This confirms what my tipper has been sending me. They mentioned something about looking into doppelganger theory, but I didn't want to believe it."

Risebelle, her curiosity piqued, leaned in to him. "Who else are you working with, Harty?"

A faint blush crept up Harty's cheeks. "It's just a regular person, nothing special."

Risebelle put her hands on her hips, giving him a skeptical look. Harty waved hands in front of his face." R-Risebelle, please, don't worry about them."

Risebelle sighed and looked off to the side. "Yeah, but regardless, we will have to tell the others."

Harty nodded, regaining his composure. "You're right. But tomorrow is Saturday, so there's no school. No detectives club."

"Not unless we make it happen," Risebelle countered. "Text everyone you know in the club. I'll do the same."

Harty nodded. "Alright, let’s get everyone together. We can't afford to waste any time."

Risebelle was on her way back home, and she decided to text Jess about the urgent meeting tomorrow. She pulled out her phone and started typing. Risebelle smiled momentarily in a pause while looking at Jess’ name. Her fingers danced across the screen while sending a message to Jess:

Risebelle: Hey Jess, we have an urgent meeting tomorrow. It's important. Can you make it?

Almost immediately, Jess's response popped up on her screen.

Jess: [winky face] Oh, I see, I'm that important, huh? What's in it for me? How about a Kiss?

Risebelle rolled her eyes, even if Jess couldn't see it through the text.

Risebelle: [mad emoji] Jess, come on! If we keep messaging like this, people will think we're dating!

Jess: [smirking emoji] well, is that such a bad thing?

Risebelle shook her head. The nerve of this girl.

Risebelle: Jess, this isn't the time for jokes! We need you at the meeting tomorrow. It's about Shadowcroft.

Jess: [thinking emoji] Hmm, I'll think about it. Maybe you can convince me in person.

Risebelle huffed in frustration.

“Jess always likes to play hard to get…”

Risebelle: Fine, be that way. Just be there tomorrow. And just so you know, it’s a matter of life and death.

Jess: [winking emoji] Life and death, huh? Oooo! You really know how to get this girl’s attention. I'll see you tomorrow, my cute little detective. [Kissy emoji]

Risebelle: Im….never mind.

Risebelle put her phone away, shaking her head with a sigh. "Jess is such a handful.Every day it's something with her," she muttered to herself.

Risebelle arrived at her house, slightly anxious. After checking a watch on her hand, she came to realize that she was running about 20 minutes late. Her mother had always been strict about punctuality, and Risebelle expected tonight to not be different. She took a deep breath and entered the house.

When she stepped inside, her mother greeted her as if she'd been home all along, "Risebelle, are you done talking to that stranger outside? Come and sit down, dinner is ready."

Risebelle froze. She glanced at the clock on the wall, confirming that she had just walked in. With a bewildered look on her face, Risebelle stammered, "Mom, I... I just got home. I wasn't here before. What are you talking about?"

Her mother raised an eyebrow. “Don’t play games, young lady. I saw you come in 20 minutes ago, but a boy showed up and wanted to talk to you outside. Now, who were you talking to outside? Was it that boy from your school?"

Risebelle's heart raced. She had no explanation for this strange situation. "Mom, I promise, I wasn't here. I was out with a friend from the Detective Club, not a boy… (Atleast I can’t tell her that...). Something really weird is going on."

Her mother regarded her with skepticism. "Well, talking to boys like that better not become a habit, young lady. Now, come and eat your dinner."

After a somewhat unsettling dinner, Risebelle decided to head to her room. She needed some time to process the strange encounter with her mother and the odd feeling that someone else had been in the house pretending to be her.

Risebelle made her way upstairs, and when she reached the top of the stairs, she muttered to herself, "What is going on here? Did Mom see a doppelganger of me? How could that be possible?"

She reached her bedroom door, she hesitated for a moment before pushing it open. Inside, everything seemed normal at first glance, but the unsettling feeling lingered. She shut the door behind her and leaned against it.

"First Sadie’s revelations about Shadowcroft, and now this," she thought. She needed to talk to Roselle and Harty about this immediately.

Risebelle pulled out her phone, but before she could tap their numbers, she dropped it. There was movement from her bed under the sheets that Risebelle was just noticing now. Getting up from her bed was unmistakably her, right down to the blue hair and the familiar school uniform.

The duplicate Risebelle turned to look at her with shock and confusion that Risebelle herself felt. Risebelle stammered, "WH-who are you? What's going on?"

The other Risebelle didn't immediately respond. Instead, she seemed just as startled by the encounter.