Risebelle stared at her doppelganger. For a moment, her moved. They were locked in a mirraze of fusion and disbelief.

  The doppelganger’s eyes narrowed, mirr Risebelle’s own thoughts: who was this impostor? Both girls’ faces twisted into ahe anger boiled over simultaneously. Each girl’s muscles tensed in perfeison.

  Without warning, the doppelganger lunged with a fist aimed straight at Risebelle’s face. Instind adrenaline surged through Risebelle. She brought her hand up just in time to catch the ining punch, but the despite catg it, she felt a jolt through her arm, sending shockwaves of pain radiating from her palm to her shoulder.

  “Who the hell are you?” Risebelle growled, grittieeth against the pain.

  The doppelganger didn’t answer. Instead, she twisted her captured fist, attempting to break free.

  With a desperate yank, the doppelganger pulled back. Summonirength, Risebelle pushed forward, shoving the doppelganger back with a powerful thrust. The doppelgaumbled, but she quickly regained her bance.

  The duo cshed fists, but the doppelganger made a misstep, leaving herself open. Risebelle seized the opportunity, nding a solid punch to her oppo’s jaw. The doppelgaaggered, clutg her face. Risebelle didn’t waste a sed, following up with a swift kick that sent the imposter crashing to the ground over the bed, knog her sheets right ontop of them.

  Risebelle stood over her fallen doppelganger while crag her knuckles and gring down intimidatingly “You picked the wrong person to mess with, you Shadow croft filth.”

  The doppelganger looked up, shifting from pain to a sinister smile. “So, you know about Shadowcroft… Then I should stop holding back.”

  Risebelle’s curiosity turo caution. Suddenly, the imposter moved with superhuman speed. The sheets flew into the air and she disappeared from uhem and reappeared right in front of Risebelle. In that split sed, Risebelle’s eyes widened. She tried to move her hands but…

  “Oh no, I ’t block it in time,” she thought to herself while at the same time, her eyes were widening. The doppelganger’s fist collided with her stomach. An unseen force of energy bursted off from the impact, propelling Risebelle backward. She smmed the wall in her room. Her vision blurred while she became crumpled to the floor.

  The st thing Risebelle saw was her doppelgaanding over her with a cold, victorious smile. The world faded to bck.

  Risebelle woke up ihe m. She reached out to touch her head. She anticipated some pain from the intense fight she’d had with her doppelgao her surprise, there was no pain.

  fused, Risebelle sat up slowly. She looked down and noticed that she was naked underh the sheets c her body. Her school uniform from yesterday y ly folded on top of the bed…This wasn’t making any se all!

  Risebelle slid out from uhe covers and pced her legs over the side of the bed. Something caught her eye on the floor down at her feet: a tiallic obje the grouh her.

  Risebelle picked up the object. Was this…a a sex toy of some sort? As soon as Risebelle held it in her hands, she felt disgusted. She dropped it with a shiver. The tiallic device was covered in small red lights that pulsed ominously after being dropped.

  “What is this?” Risebelle muttered under her breath, pig the object back up again. Suddenly, aruck her - this could be some sort of tracker! She had been attacked by her doppelganger yesterday after all…

  Just whehought this, one of the lights on the device started blinking rapidly before turning solid red. Without hesitation, Risebelle crushed the device between her fingers until it crackled and died.

  Risebelle approached the kit. Her mother was already i, p a bowl of cereal with a surprisingly pleasant demeanor. What the hell? What happeo the Strict Mother she kneould scold her for the slightest mistake in her posture? This ge in her mother’s behavior immediately raised red fgs in Risebelle’s mind.

  She took a seat at the kit table, eyeing her mother suspiciously. “What’s the deal, Mom? It’s Saturday….”

  Her mother offered a sweet smile.“I know, dear. I just thought we could have a nice breakfast together today.”

  Risebelle raised an eyebrow. “Mom, you’re ag really strange. What’s going on?”

  Her mother hesitated for a moment, as if choosing her words carefully. “Oh, nothing, dear. I just thought it would be o spend some time together. You know, mother-daughter bonding.”

  Risebelle’s suspi deepened. Her mother had never been one for mother-daughter bonding, especially not on a Saturday m.

  After breakfast, she headed to the shower. Risebelle took off her clothes and was just about to get into the shower wheiced something strange ihroom mirror. With some curiousity, she grabbed her chest. “Did my boobs get bigger?”

  She then moved on to iing her face, leaning in closer to get a better look at herself. “No… My face isn’t wider either.”

  She stared at her refle and narrowed her eyes. This wasn’t right. Something was definitely out of pce, but…what?

  Risebelle tried to focus on the soothiion of the shower. The steam filled the bathroom and while Risebelle was fog on that, her thoughts drifted.

  ‘What oh happe night...? I was knocked out by that... other me, and then I woke up this m with my mother ag pletely out of character...’

  Risebelle shampooed her hair, but stopped to stare upwards in thought momentarily. ‘I o figure out what’s going on. I ’t let this mystery e me, but I ’t ig either. That doppelganger... if it really was me, then what does it want? And why did it knock me out?’

  Risebelle’s thoughts tio whirl like the water spiraling down the drain.

  ’Could it be that ‘Rosebelle’ didn’t do their job well enough in repg me and Roselle?’Risebelle mused, her thoughts taking a logical turn. ’Maybe that’s why they created another ‘Risebelle.’ But they couldn’t execute the rept perfectly, and I was te. If my mom hadn’t been so strid questioned my tardiness, things might have gone differently...’

  Risebelle chuckled. ‘I ’t believe I’m actually thankful for her being so strict. Who would have thought that would save me from being repced?’

  Risebelle’s eyes then widened in realization. “But wait a minute... my mom was still ag weird this m. Not strict at all. It’s like she’s a pletely different person. Could it be that ‘Rosebelle’ or the doppelgangers are somehow involved in this as well? And if so, why are they so ied in me and Roselle?”

  Risebelle stood in front of her closet She had two outfits to choose from. One was a stylish and alluring ensemble that she knew would catch Jess’s attention, while the other was a more casual and fortable outfit she might wear to a chess club meeting with Harty.

  She gnced betweewo outfits, pting her options. “Should I go with something that’ll impress Jess, or should I keep it simple for the chess club?”

  She was about to reach for the stylish ensemble when she paused. “Wait a minute,” she muttered to herself. “Impress Jess? Why the hell would I even think about that? I o focus on what’s important.”

  Shaking off the strahought, Risebelle opted for the more casual and fortable outfit. She grabbed one of her bags from the floor of her room and headed out the door. “Alright, time to get to the bottom of this,” she said while pung a fist into her hand.

  Risebelle headed to the front door, ready to leave for her destination. Her mother waved cheerfully. Risebelle Squinted her eyes at the woman. “No way ihat’s my mother,” she said while stepping s outside.

  Risebelle took out her phone and dialed Harty’s number. It rung a few times before he picked up.

  “Hey, Harty,” Risebelle greeted. “Just firming, we’re meeting by the school in the chess club, right?”

  Harty spoke through the phone, “Hey, Risebelle! Everything’s set for our meeting. I talked to the person who mahe chess club at school, and they’ve agreed to let us use it. I’ve got the keys, so we’re all set.”

  “Great, Harty. Thanks fing that. I’ve also asked Jess to e. Is there anyone from Roselle’s group joining us?”

  Harty replied, “Roselle asked her friends, and it looks like some of them are avaible. We should have a good turnout. The more, the merrier.”

  Risebelle chuckled. “You’re one lucky guy, you know. Surrounded by all these girls.”

  Harty sighed oher end, sounding a bit flustered. “e on, Risebelle, don’t tease me like that.”

  Risebelle ughed. “Alright, alright, just having some fun. See you soon, Harty.”

  Risebelle’s ph right after hanging up. She saw Jess’s name on the caller ID. She answered after taking a deep sigh.

  “Hey, Jess,” Risebelle said, “what’s up?”

  Jess spoke through the phone sounding sultry. “Oh, just thinking about you and how much I missed you. You know, we could meet up somewhere before the chess club meeting. I’ve got something ‘special’ to show you.”

  Risebelle lowered her eyes. “Jess, you know this is supposed to be a serious chess club meeting, right? We’ve got some important stuff to discuss. you save the flirting for ter?”

  Jess’s response was a melodramatic sigh. “You’re such a party pooper, Risebelle. But fine, we save the fun for ter. Just meet me outside the school, he chess club. I’ll be waiting for you.”

  “Alright, I’ll see you there, Jess.”

  Risebelle arrived at the school and saw Jess waiting outside, but Jess looked quite different from her usual school self. She was dressed in a cssy but skimpy outfit that atuated her curves, and her hair flowed freely around her shoulders. With a dirty smile, Jess struck a pose to show off her outfit.

  “What do you think, Risebelle?” Jess purred. “I thought I’d try a different look today. Do you like it?”

  Risebelle looked unimpressed. “Jess, we’ve got a serious meeting ahead of us. This is not the time for a fashion show. And seriously, you need a new boyfriend, fast. Ugh… I really ’t handle much more of this.”

  Jess chuckled and shrugged. “Oh, e on, Risebelle. A little fuween you and me has never hurt anyone. But fine, let’s get down to business.”

  Risebelle and Jess ehe chess club meeting room. They were greeted by an ued sight. Harty, usually dressed quite casually, was now donning a full-oive outfit. He wore a crisp suit, plete with a stylish tie and a trench coat that fpped dramatically as he moved.

  “Harty, you look... well, handsome,” Risebelle ented in surprise.

  Jess chimed in with a sly smile, “Yeah, Harty, you’re definitely boyfriend material like this.”

  Harty blushed slightly but retained his posure. “Well, thank you. I thought I should dress the part for our serious chess club meeting today. It’s important to make a good impression.”

  “Good thinking, Harty,” Risebelle said in response.

  After a few minutes passed, the door swung open, and in walked Roselle, dressed in a vibrant and cheerful outfit that seemed to radiate the warmth of a sunflower. Her dress was adorned with a pattern ht yellow petals, and her hair yellow and glowing like the rays of a sunshine.

  Risebelle spoke with awe. “Wow, Roselle, you look like a sunflower! That dress suits you perfectly.”

  Jess, always quick with a pliment, added, “Yeah, you’re like a burst of sunshine in here. Love the outfit!”

  Roselle beamed at their words. “Thanks, you two! I thought a little sunshine would brighten up our meeting.”

  Moments ter, the door swung open again, and in walked Roselle’s friends, apanied by audent. This newer had a vibrant red headband ad her head and was dressed in a karate outfit. It was Michigo, a member of the Karate club.

  “Michigo, you look ready to take on anything in that karate outfit,” Roselle excimed.

  Jess added, “Oh, this is exg! Our meeting just got a lot more diverse with all these clubs joining in.”

  entered Hashta. She had a curvaceous and well-endowed frame. She was dressed in a shirt with a high colr, which covered the lower part of her fad desded to cover her chest. However, her shirt partially revealed her bra underh. She had matg shorts, creating an outfit that was both stylish and unventional.

  “Ugh, this heatwave is killing me. Why is it so hot in here,” Hashta questioned while fanning herself with one hand.

  Risebelle and Jess exged amused ghey were aware of Hashta’s ongoing battle with the heatwave.

  Harty surveyed the gathered group and nodded with satisfa. “Looks like we’re all here. It’s great to see everyone.”

  Unbeknownst to the group ihe room, Angie, who had ized her outfit to suit her uyle, was leaning against the wall just outside the door. While listening quietly, Angie was fully engrossed in her game. Her attention was divided between the digital world and the chess club meeting happening just a few steps away.