Risebelle and Jess stood in Risebelle’s room, dressed in their school uniforms, ready to head out. On the surface, they looked like ordinary students preparing for another day of csses, but they were lying to the school and skipping csses.

  The voi the back of her head said’ Oh god! Risebelle, are you sure about this? You’ve never skipped school a day in your life, and you strive to be a straight-A student a here you are being a deli. Do you REALLY want to risk getting an F on your perma record if you are caught?’

  Risebelle adjusted her tie with preaking sure it sat perfectly against her crisp white shirt.

  Jess, oher hand, struggled with the cept of looking like a model student. She fixed her navy bzer, feeling like it was strig her free spirit.

  While them to the mirror to check their appearaheir eyes met in the refle. There was a silent exge of uanding and support for them.

  Risebelle took a deep breath and turo Jess. “We may be dressed for school, but our minds are set on a different course today.”

  Jess fshed a mischievous grin. “We’re ditg the for a bit of adventure. I wouldn’t miss a ce to have some fun with you for the world.”

  With o look in the mirror, they left the room.

  Risebelle and Jess were about to head out the door when Risebelle’s mother stepped in their path. To their surprise, she opened her arms and pulled Risebelle into a warm, tight hug.

  Risebelle’s eyes widened. She hesitated for a moment before returning the embrace. Risebelle thought to herself, ’What the hell? Pigs are gonna be frikin flying in the sky!”

  After pulling away, Risebelle asked, “Mom, why are you hugging me now? This is so unlike you. You didn’t even visit me while I was in my 3 day a and now you’re ag like this. Why?”

  Her mother looked dowern face softening. “Risebelle, I know I haven’t always been the best at showing it, but I’ve always wahe best for you. I pushed you hard because I believed in your potential. But seeing you hurt, realizing that I wasn’t there for you when you needed me... It made me rethink my approach.”

  Risebelle frowrying to uand. “So, do you really care about me, or is this just a rea to when I was in the hospital?”

  Her mhed deeply. “I do care about you. I know my way of showing it hasn’t been perfect over the years, I mean I haven’t hugged you in years, but…I’m learning, trying to be more supportive, especially after seeing how much you’ve gohrough.”

  Risebelle studied her mother’s face, searg for siy. “It’s a start, I guess. But don’t expect me to just fet everything.”

  Risebelle and Jess walked towards their meeting pce, but Risebelle couldn’t shake the strange enter with her mother. “That was even weirder than the usual mess we deal with,” Risebelle remarked, raising an eyebrow.

  Jess smirked, her tone pyful. “Yeah, it’s like we’ve stepped into a new reality or something. Maybe she’s got a softer side after all.”

  Risebelle chuckled, shaking her head. “Let’s not get too caught up in it. I don’t need her to snap bato her old ways just when I’m starting to make sense of things.”

  Jess grinned and nudged Risebelle. “Totally agree. We’ve got enough chaos with Shadowcroft and this ‘Sleuth of Shadows’ business. No need for any more surprises.”

  As Risebelle and Jess made their way to the outskirts of town, the fog that had shrouded the m was now even thicker. The world around them was reduced to ghostly silhouettes, and sounds seemed to be muffled by the heavy mist.

  In the midst of this ethereal fog, they caught a glimpse of someoanding in front of an old, weathered building. Her distinct blue and pink puffball hairstyle made her look different thahers. Her unusually tall stature of six feet, and her multicolored shirt certainly stood out. The girl also wore a deep sadness on her face. It was a familiar face to Risebelle, someohey had met before in their iigations, but for Jess, this was a new enter.

  Roselle, who had arrived ahead of them, looked nervously at the girl who stood beside her. She was jittery.

  Risebelle turo Jess after approag Sadie. “Jess, this is Sadie. She’s the one who messaged me, and she’s also known as CipherMystery08 and the Sleuth of Shadows. She’s helped us with our iigations.”

  Jess gave a friendly nod to Sadie but was wary. The heavy fog caused everyone except Sadie to look with a sense of unease.

  Sadie began to lead Risebelle, Roselle, and Jess into the old, weathered building hidden withihick, mysterious fog.“I’m gd you all made it safely,” Sadie began somberly. “You’re about to see something that might be quite uling, and I hope none of you will panic when you see it.”

  With those words of caution, Sadie tinued guiding them through the dimly lit corridors of the building, where the shadows seemed to stretd twist, adding ara yer of eerie uainty to the already fog-den atmosphere.

  While moving further into the building, Sadie decided to speak up. “I am the Sleuth of Shadows, the one who wrote about the Doppelganger case on the Forum of Epic Quest: Realm of Shadows. What you didn’t know is that I am also a victim of Shadowcroft. They took something from me, something I ever get baatter what I do.The only thing that will satisfy me is the total destru of Shadowcroft, and I’m doing whatever it takes to make sure that this happens.”

  Finally, they entered a rge room with a tral area that was only illuminated by flickering firelight. The room had an odd assortment of chairs, tables, and other items. In one of the chairs, they saerson bound and gagged. Her school shirt and skirt was torn in pces. She had visible cuts and bruises.

  It was Rosebelle. Sadie turo the trio with a grave look. “I present to you the Key to Shadowcroft.”

  Risebelle’s mind swirled in a whirlpool of shod disbelief. Here was the powerful Rosebelle bound and injured in front of her. Rosebelle was someone who Risebelle barely mao hold up against in a fight, and the fact that she had beeed by someoher than her was beyond prehension.

  “What the hell... What’s going on here?” Risebelle asked. Her fusion gave way to frustration. “And who are you really, Sadie? That ’t be your real name. You have some kind of power, don’t you?! How the hell did you mao take down Rosebelle?!”

  Sadie met Risebelle’s gaze with a pained fac. She responded. “I’ve hidden my name food reason. I am the result of Shadowcroft’s fusion, the merging of two supernatural powers. My ability is insight. If I toueone, I gain knowledge about them, their past, their abilities, their secrets...”

  Sadie paused momentarily before saying, “My real name is...”

  The intense memory ended abruptly, leaving Risebelle disoriented for a moment. A maion of her internal system appeared.

  “Memory fragment cluded,” the System’s echoed within Risebelle’s mind. “Your internal systems remain damaged. However, Project Zab Data colle has increased from 45% to 60%.”

  The Gentle System took a physical form for a more personal iion and greeted Risebelle with a smile.

  “Project Zab, your efforts have been exceptional. You have now reached over 50% data colle, eliminating the risk of a Magical rupture when utilizing Project Zab transformation. Your diligen uanding your past has brought you to this point.”

  The System tinued, “However, it’s essential the source of your strength, which is your wellspring of anger and hatred. This power is not without its risks, as evidenced by your previous transformation against Dark Whirlwind, which left you in your current dition.”

  The system made gestures with its hands. “Project Zab is a very powerful transformation, but it demands mastery. You now have the ability to transform into this state; however, it es with a price.”

  “Yeah, I know the price already,” Risebelle said with frustration. “The 24 hours of shut-down time. I don’t need a lecture on it. It doesn’t matter how powerful Project Zab is if I’m not repaired by Kintovar. And right now, I ’t even tell if she’s started w on me.”

  “Your s are valid, Project Zab. Kintovar’s assistance is crucial for your full recovery. The progress of repairs is not currently within my direct monit capabilities, but I assure you that she is aware of your dition.”

  Risebelle hen stared up for a minute before she spoke, “The hole in my body left by Dark Whirlwind... It’s beyond our ability to repair, isn’t it...?”

  She hesitated for a moment, gatherihoughts, before tinuing. “During that memory fragment, I came to accept something, System. Not all humans are evil. There’s more to them than I initially thought.”

  The Gentle System aowledged her words with a gentle uanding. “Project Zab, it’s crucial for you to tinue your journey of uanding and growth. You’ve made progress, but there is more to learn. You still have 40% data colle to go before making a final decision about your Heart of Vengeance.”

  Risebelle nodded. “I’ll tio strive for that uanding, System, and work toward a world where not all humans are seen as my enemies. But first, we have to deal with the situation at hand.”

  Risebelle looked at the Gentle System with a troubled gaze. “You know, System, I ’t shake the feeling that Shadowcroft, that pany from the memory fragment, might actually exists in the real world. If what I saw in that memory was my past, then it’s possible that they’re active in the present as well. Dark Whirlwind having the face of Roselle ’t just be a ce. It ’t be… it just ’t… It’s all too much of a damn ce.”

  The Gentle System paused, processing the question. “I will attempt to s for any memories reted to your arrival at the City, which might provide some insight into Shadowcroft’s current—“

  Risebelle shook her head, cutting the System off. “Don’t bother. We’re offline, and it’s not worth the effort. I just ’t ighe resembween Dark Whirlwind and Roselle. It’s too much of a ce for Shadowcroft to have existed in the past without having some presen the present.”

  The System aowledged her observation with a nod. “Your insight is valuable. The e between Shadowcroft and the entities you’ve entered could provide important clues. Perhaps the pany does exist i day.”

  As the System spoke, Risebelle suddenly felt a strange sensation c through her. A shift in her internal structure began, and she felt something starting to fill the hole that had bee by Dark Whirlwind. The entire inside of her mind shook, and a deep, uling vibration spread through her.

  Risebelle’s eyes widened in arm. “What’s happening? Why is everything shaking?”

  The Gentle System remained calm. “It appears to be an attempt by Dr. Kintovar to overwrite a po within your system and introduce a new element to your personality.”

  Risebelle’s frustration grew. “That’s annoying. I didn’t ask for aional ges. Kintovar ’t just do that without my sent.”

  The System’s tone softened. “It might be the only way to repair your internal systems and stabilize your dition. While it may seem intrusive, it is inteo address the critical issues affeg your funality.”

  Risebelle gritted her teeth,. “Great. Just what I needed—more plications.”

  As the shiftiion tihe Gentle System through with a subtle ge in tohe sadness emotion has beeered to your databank. From now on, you will be able to feel and reize sadness more frequently than you are aced to.”

  Risebelle’s eyes widened in disbelief. “No way! I don’t want to feel sadness more often. This wasn’t part of the deal. I want you to stop this!”

  Despite her protests, the ge was already taking effect. Risebelle’s emotions began te untrolbly. Her eyes welled up with tears and she fell to her knees.

  Risebelle tried to wipe away the tears and shouted, “Stop it! Please, System! I ’t hahis. I don’t want to feel like this. Remove it! Remove it now!”

  The Gentle System’s response was ge firm. “This is how you truly feel right now, Risebelle. The sadness you are experieng is a refle of your current state and is necessary for your emotional band recovery.”

  Risebelle’s shoulders shook and fought against the wave of emotions ing into her. “I didn’t ask for this. It’s too much. I ’t foy objectives if I’m going to be like this, damn it! Remove it! Please! ”

  The System’s soothing presence remained. “I uand that this is difficult, but aowledging and processing these emotions is part of your healing process. You must face these feelings to move forward tain your strength.”

  As the System spoke, memories flooded Risebelle’s mind. She recalled the destru of the city iermath of the battle with Dark Whirlwind, and the state Roselle and Runebelle were left in. The image of her sisters in pools of their own blood was too much for her to take.

  Risebelle’s tears flowed freely. Through her sobs, she murmured to herself, “This must be how Roselle feels when she cries Damn it…I feel so…weak…. It’s... unbearable.”