Alex advanced on Jess with a malevolent smile. “You’ve been such a good girl, Jess. Always telling me everything, always obedient. Even when we preteo break up, you did exactly as I wanted. My pn erfect... until you betrayed me.”

  Jess felt her heart race. She tried to speak, to expin, but Alex silenced her with a raised finger.

  “o expin,” he tinued, his tone dripping with superiority. “I’ve known about your little visits to the detective’s club after school all along, Jess.”

  “Alex, you don’t have to do this,” Jess said while putting on a smile out of desperation. “We could go back to how things were. I promise I’ll stop snooping around. We could be together again, and you could have all the money you want from me. I-I won’t being stingy, I promise.”

  Alex’s ugh was sharp and mog. “Together again? Oh, Jess, you’re even more han I thought.” He looked her up and down with disdain. “You think I’d want you back after all this? No, I’ve already moved on.”

  Alex’s grip tightened on the knife. “I’ve never needed your mohat was just a way to keep you in check, to make sure you stayed under my trol. But you failed. You got too curious, too involved. And now, it’s time to tie up loose ends.”

  Risebelle made a sudden dest dowairs of her own home, which caught the attention of her surprised mother.

  “Where are you going in such a rush, Risebelle?” her mother called out. Risebelle barely paused in her dash towards the front door. “I’m going out again, Mom. I’ll be back ter!”

  With that, she dashed out of the house in a fsh,

  “Please let me make it in time..!”

  Risebelle ran through the streets. The urgency of the situation pressed on her and she thought to herself,‘I got a private message from Chessmaster12 that was a warning that Jess is in dahe one who locked me in the arcade, the well-dressed boy... he’s apparently involved in this, but how? How could he possibly be ected to all of this?’

  She pushed herself to run faster, ‘Could he be Jess’s boyfriend? It’s the only expnation that makes sense. But why would he be part of something so sinister? And why Jess? She ’t be involved in this mess, she? I o get to her and find out what’s going on!’

  Meanwhile, at Jess’ house, Alex began to circle around Jess. His eyes never left her. “The little club of yours was a surprise. I didn’t think someone would be after us, but that’s exactly why Shadowcroft is alrepared. They’re no threat, and thanks to you, we now kly who tet . You’ve helped us out quite a bit.”

  He stopped in front of her, raising the knife. Jess’s heart beated faster and faster. She had to say something, anything to buy herself more time.

  “I only betrayed you because Shadowcroft went after Risebelle!” Jess blurted out.

  The Alex like a jolt, his eyes widening in shock. He lowered the knife slightly.

  “Risebelle?” he echoed in disbelief. “So, that’s it. That’s why you thought you could dump me. It’s all because of this girl.”

  Jess seized the moment. “Yes, Alex, it is. She’s the reason I couldn’t stay with you. Shadowcroft went after her, and I couldn’t let them just, repce her. You don’t uand—Risebelle is important to me.”

  Alex’s eyes narrowed. “Important enough to betray me? To dump me? To try and leave me on my own?”

  “She’s i, Alex,” Jess pleaded. “She has nothing to do with any of this. Please, let her go.”

  Alex stared at her for a long moment, his grip on the kightening and then loosening. The room seemed to hold its breath, waiting for his response.

  “What do you see in her, Jess? Why did you have to ruihing for Risebelle?” Alex said in frustration. “I thought you were loyal to me. I thought we had something special. But you just had to go and mess it up, didn’t you?”

  Jess gulped.

  “It’s over, Jess,” Alex decred with a sione. “I ’t stand to look at you anymore. You’ll be punished for what you’ve done, but don’t worry. Thanks to Shadowcroft’s doppelganger system, you’ll be reborn. It’s time for you to pay for your betrayal!”

  Just when Alex was about t the knife down on Jess, Michigo burst into the room with a flurry of precise and well-practiced strikes. She used her karate skills against Alex’s hen. With a series of powerful kicks and punches, Miao fend off the hen momentarily.

  “It’s Michigo from the Karate Club,” Alex remarked with a hint of irritation. “She may be good, but she’s only a gree. She ’t stop us.”

  “Jess, don’t worry!” Michigo shouted. “I’m ing to help you out!”

  Jess’s gaze darted from Michigo to Alex, who was still brandishing the kh a menag gre. “Look out, Michigo!” Jess shouted.

  Despite Michigo’s skill, Alex’s hen quickly adapted. Their stances shifted to form a tight defensive formation, perfectly blog Michigo’s attacks. Her swift kicks and punches were met with a series of coordinated terattacks.

  Jess tried to think of a way to help Michigo. She noticed a small, heavy vase on her puter desk. Jess grabbed it and hurled it at one of the hen who was closing in on Michigo. The vase struck the hen with a satisfying thud, causing him to stagger bad momentarily lose his bance.

  “Thanks for the assist!” Michigo called out, her eyes briefly meeting Jess’s. “I’ll hahese guys. Get yourself to safety!”

  Alex’ immediately grabbed Jess by the throat. “You’re not going anywhere, Jess. I knew someone would e for you, and I also knew you wouldn’t be foolish enough to try to escape.”

  But before Jess could move, Alex was on her in an instant, grabbing her by the throat with a brutal grip. “You’re not going anywhere, Jess. I knew someone would e for you, and I also knew you wouldn’t be foolish enough to try to escape.”

  Jess’s eyes widened in panic. She struggled to breathe and tried to cw her way out of the firm grip Alex.

  “Stop fighting, Michigo!” Alex anded. “If you don’t, I’ll make sure Jess suffers for every sed you resist.”

  Michigo’s face twisted with frustration. She hesitated, her eyes dartiween Jess and the hen closing in ohe pause was all they needed. Several hen moved swiftly to pin Michigo to the ground.

  “Damn it!” Miuttered through gritted teeth. She struggled against their hold but uo break free.

  Jess’s heart sank. Her own struggles were futile against Alex’s grip. Defeat and despair clouded her vision.In her disorieate, Jess’s mind fshed baents of pead happiness with Risebelle. Their ughter, funny moments, sad moments, moments where Risebelle was teasing Jess, the bond they shared. She had often imagined Risebelle swooping in to save the day, a bea of hope in her darkest times.

  ‘Risebelle is the closest person to me. She’s always been there, even when I didn’t realize it. She’s cute and funny, and there’s something incredibly attractive about her strength, even when she’s all serious.’

  Jess whispered to herself, ‘Risebelle’s strength and spirit have always inspired me, but now it’s up to me to find my own ce. I ’t keep attag myself to this guy… I o let go of the past and focus on the present.’

  Jess felt a flicker of strength surge through her. Alex’s grip loosened just enough for her to act. Her vision, though still blurred, focused on using the remaining energy to execute a swift back- kick maripping Alex and causing him to fall to the ground.

  Jess coughed violently three times to clear her burning throat. Then, with trembling hands, she grabbed the khat had fallen from Alex’s grip during the struggle. “You’re not in trol anymore.”

  Alex nervously ughed and held up his hands. “e on, Jess it was all just a bit of fun. I wasn’t going to actually hurt you. It’s all a part of the game.”

  Jess’s grip tightened on the knife “Fun?” she scoffed, “You think puttihrough this is just a game?”

  Alex’s gaze faltered momentarily. When he looked back up, he tried to appear charmie the desperation in his eyes. “Jess, look, I still have feelings for you. We fet all of this. You join us, be part of something bigger. It doesn’t have to end like this.”

  Jess stared at him, “So, what, is your new girlfriend not satisfying you in bed? Is that why you’re here, trying to pull me bato your mess?”

  Alex’s face twitched. “I—I didn’t mean it like that. We could all be—”

  Jess cut him off with a cold tohis is how you are, Alex. Ohe power and trol are stripped away, you’re just a begging man, trying to salvage what’s left.”

  Alex shifted from annoyao frustration. “You don’t uand, Jess. I—”

  But Jess was already stepping forward. “No, Alex. I uand perfectly. Goodbye Alex.”

  But as she raised the knife, her hand wavered. She hesitated, her breath quiing. The reality of what she was about to do hit her like a wave. She had aken a life before, and the weight of that decision was almost unbearable. “Damn it,” she muttered, frustration and fear mingling in her voice.

  Alex’s eyes widened as he saw the moment of hesitation. For a brief, uling sed, his calm facade cracked, revealing the fear that had briefly gripped him. But as Jess faltered, his posure returned, and a smirk spread across his face. “’t do it, you? Poor Jess, uo tribute to her team when it really matters.”

  Before Jess could react, Alex lunged forward, swiping the knife from her trembling hands. The sudden movement made Jess stumble back. Michigo, witnessing the turn of events, turned her eyes away with frustration on her face.

  Alex casually ied the knife before tossing it aside. “You know what? I decided that I won’t kill you, Jess. No, not anymore. I have a better pn.”

  He turo his grunts with a anding tone. “Get the rope. We’re going to make sure Jess stays out of the way.”

  Two hen quickly retrieved the rope. “You see, Jess, you’ve been quite the asset. I think it’s time we made sure you’re out of the picture permaly, but in a way that serves my purposes. And while you’re tied up, I’m going to have a little chat with your friends.”

  Alex expertly tied Jess to her chair with the rope and then looked at the puter s.

  “It’s amazing how muformation be found online, Jess,” he mused. “All your secrets, your versations... it’s like a treasure trove of knowledge. Now, let’s see what your friends have been up to.”

  He scrolled through her messages, his eyes narrowing as he read the iions with her friends.

  “Well, well, what do we have here?” he mused with a chilling smile. “You’ve been in tact with some ‘iing’ individuals, haven’t you, Jess? It seems your little friend group has been busy.”

  Just then, a notification popped up on Jess’s s. It rivate chat request from EclipseDreamer14. Alex’s eyes lit up with curiosity. He clicked on it, and the chat window opened.

  EclipseDreamer14: “Hey, I noticed you’ve beey quiet. Everything okay?”

  Alex took a deep breath, letting a malicious smile spread across his face. He began typing for Jess.

  MysticChaos21: “Oh, everything’s just peachy. Just thought I’d take a little break and enjoy some... ued pany.”

  EclipseDreamer14: “What do you mean? What’s going on?”

  Alex tio type with a malevolent gleam in his eyes.

  MysticChaos21: “Seems like Jess has been caught in a bit of a mess. But don’t worry, EclipseDreamer14. You’ll get to see your precious Jess soon enough. I’m sure you’re all on high alert now, aren’t you?”

  The messages seemed to echo with a sense of dread, and Alex’s eyes were glued to the s. He leaned ba his chair, his gaze now shifting back to Jess. “You know, Jess, I don’t know who this EclipseDreamer14 is, but wouldn’t it be a ce if they were Risebelle?”

  Jess’s eyes widened in shock, but she couldn’t respond.

  “Jess!” Risebelle called out desperately upon arriving at Jess’ home. She sed the room in search of her friend. Panic surged through her when she realized Jess was nowhere in sight.

  She quickly made her way to the game room, a pce Jess had jokingly dubbed her ‘evil ir.’

  The room was dimly lit by the glow of Jess’s puter s, which dispyed a chaotic array of messages. Risebelle’s eyes were drawn to the ter of the room where Jess was bound to a chair, tied up with ropes. Alex’s heood around her.

  Risebelle’s anger fred while taking in the se. Without a moment’s hesitation, she stormed forward.

  “Move out of my, or you will regret it…I’m only saying this once”

  One of the hearted to speak. “And why should we—”

  But Risebelle wasn’t here to iate. With a swift, fluid motion, she shed out with a burst of raw power. The first one crumpled to the ground, knocked out cold before he even knew what hit him.

  “I warned your asses,” Risebelle growled. Her body seemed to radiate with an intense, almost viable aura of anger while moving through the room.

  The remaining hen quickly adjusted their starying to brace themselves for her onsught, but Risebelle’s raw strength made short work of them. Each strike sent hen flying with single, devastating blows.

  Whe hen fell, Risebelle stood with a momentarily gre at the defeated. She rushed over and carefully began to untie her friend.

  “Jess, are you okay?” Risebelle asked urgently.

  Jess eyed Risebelle. “Wait, I o know. Are you EclipseDreamer14?”

  Risebelle hesitated for a moment before responding with a heavy sigh. “Yes, Jess, I’m EclipseDreamer14. But we don’t have time for this now. We o get you out of--”

  Time seemed to slow in that moment. At the same time that Risebelle was about to say the words, her seurned her towards a dark area of the room where she saw a fist ing from. With a burst of adrenaline, she pivoted, raising her forearm to blo oning blow from an attacker.

  Risebelle’s gaze met Alex who had been waiting to try and catch her off-guard by hiding in the room. “So, it’s you, Ryan.”