Risebelle spotted her look-alike and the boy from earlier inside the Silver Star Arcade. They looked remarkably dressed up for the location, but what caught her attention was that the outfit her double was wearing. Did this doppelganger have an express ticket to Risebelle’s bottom closet drawer?

  Her look-alike had an elegant dress and accessories which bore a striking resemblance to Risebelle's own style. The boy beside her was dressed sharply in a tuxedo.

  Harty approached with a curious frown. “What’s going on?”

  Risebelle barely spared him a glance. She lifted a hand and subtly pointed. “Over there. That’s… her.”

  Harty followed her gaze, adjusting his glasses. His brows shot up in surprise. “Huh. She realld does look like you...”

  Jess crossed her arms. “Okay, but real question—why the hell is she wearing your clothes?”

  Risebelle scowled. “That’s what I’d like to know. Because unless I started sleepwalking into thrift stores and donating my wardrobe, something about this is real fishy.”

  The trio found a discreet spot to observe the duo. They were engrossed in a conversation and occasionally glanced around the arcade.

  Jess leaned in and whispered, “So… what are we thinking? Secret lovers' meetup? Shady business deal? Maybe they’re just really overdressed for some DDR.”

  Harty adjusted his glasses. “They’re waiting for someone.”

  Risebelle nodded. “Yeah. They’re checking the entrance, but not actually playing anything. That’s not casual loitering—that’s expecting someone.”

  Jess scoffed. “Great. So now we gotta wait for the people waiting for someone? Feels like the worst fetch quest ever.”

  Harty sighed. “Unfortunately, if we want answers, that’s exactly what we have to do.”

  A girl suddenly showed up. Her yellow hair was neatly pulled back into a bun. She wore a pink dress and had a familiar face.

  Harty’s eyes widened. “No way! It’s her?!”

  Jess snapped her fingers. “Oh yeah. It’s that funny girl. Uh… what was her name again?”

  Risebelle stared at the girl, trying to dig through her memory. The face was familiar, but the name was completely gone.

  Jess shrugged. “Eh, doesn’t matter. What’s she doing here?”

  The doppelganger greeted the girl with a very fake smile. "Sarah, you made it. We were like, starting to worry you totes wouldn't show up."

  Sarah’s spoke with her eyes downcast. "I...I couldn't stay away… not after everything we…-- not after everything that's happened."

  The well-dressed boy chimed in. "Sarah, you know what we came here to do, so let’s go to the back and do it already. “

  Sarah nodded, but then shook her head. Her eyes began welling up with tears. "I know, I know okay! I just… I can’t…do this…I can’t…you can’t make me…!"

  Risebelle leaned in closer. Jess and Harty did the same.

  Risebelle’s doppelganger let out a loud sigh and flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Ugh, Sarah, stop acting like a total baby. You have to do it.”

  Sarah clenched her fists. “But only because of what you did!” She lifted her teary gaze with a rage of flames in her eyes. “Because of you, my best friend got suspended from school! And I’m still recovering! Do you really think I want to do this?!”

  Sarah wiped her eyes,. “I never signed up for this. You dragged me into it! You’re both…evil people!”

  The well-dressed boy’s face darkened instantly. He took a step closer, looming over her. “Oh? You wanna know what happens if you don’t do this?” His speech became low and venomous. His lips curled into a grin, but there was nothing friendly about it.

  Sarah flinched. “Wha—”

  “You wanna know, huh?” His tone turned manic and his eyes widened. “Do ya?”

  His hand dipped into his pocket, and he tilted his body just enough for Sarah—and the hidden trio—to catch a glint of something metallic. Risebelle narrowed her eyes.

  Jess stiffened. “Did he just—?”

  The boy continued. “You’ll obey us, otherwise we have to make that lie reality. I'm sure you don't want to actually go through that, or do you? My hot rod’s been waiting this entire time to enter you. All you have to do is get down on your knees like a good girl." the boy smirked.

  The moment that the well-dressed boy made his disturbing comment, the girl beside him scrounged up her face, "You're such a total perv, damnit!" She delivered a light knock on his shoulder but she wore an evil smirk afterwards.

  Risebelle, Jess and Harty exchanged alarmed glances.

  Sarah's face contorted with fear. "No! Why don’t you understand? You got her involved, and then after getting her involved you got her and all of her friends involved? Why did you….You have to find another way, a way that doesn't involve my closest friend. Please..."

  The doppelganger's face grew increasingly menacing with anger.

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “Ugh, like, seriously, Sarah? We've come so far and you're, like, totes bailing on us? Do you, like, not get it? One word from us and your life is, like, ruined. Just one word, Sarah. ONE!"

  Sarah’s was overwhelmed by fear. She reluctantly nodded in agreement. “Fine…you win…”

  "Super, Sarah. Let's not waste any more time. Follow us."

  The group, consisting of the doppelganger, the well-dressed boy and Sarah began to move deeper into the arcade.

  The three hidden observers sat in stunned silence for a moment.

  Jess was the first to speak with a shocked look on her face. “That…that was messed up. That was beyond messed up.”

  Harty exhaled sharply and ran a hand down his face. “This isn’t just some shady deal. That guy—he’s dangerous.”

  Risebelle’s fingers dug into her arms when she folded them. “I knew something was off the second I saw my look-alike, but this?” She let out a sharp, bitter chuckle. “Blackmail, threats, whatever the hell that was. That bastard is scum.”

  Jess nodded rapidly. “Sarah—she’s terrified. They’ve got her completely trapped.”

  Harty leaned in slightly. “We need a plan. We can’t just sit here and let this happen.”

  Risebelle didn’t take her eyes off the trio ahead of them. “Damn right, we can’t. “Let’s go after them.”

  As Risebelle stared forward, a sudden and bright light shone in her eyes. She felt herself being gently pulled away.

  Risebelle gritted her teeth. The edges of the arcade beginning to blur and distort like a painting smeared by careless hands. The bright light only grew stronger.

  “No—hell no!” She dug her heels in and fought against the pull. Her hands reached forward. The blurred outlines of Jess and Harty wavered.

  "I'm not done yet!" she snarled. "I need to see this through!"

  But the force pulling her away was relentless. The arcade dissolved into streaks of light, slipping through her fingers like grains of sand.

  "System—!" She spat the word out like venom. "Don't you dare eject me! Let me stay!"

  Risebelle’s vision returned to the memory. She heard Jess calling out to her. "Risebelle, why are you just standing there? They’re getting away!”

  Before Risebelle could fully process the situation, she felt arms wrap around her waist.

  “Ugh—what the hell—?”

  Jess grinned up at her and strained to hoist Risebelle off her feet. “Looks like my knight has become the princess, so that means I have to take on the role of the knight!” She huffed. “Don’t worry, I’ll do it! Leave everything to me!”

  Risebelle’s face burned. “Wh-what the hell are you doing?!”

  Jess let out a grunt. She took off and carried Risebelle in an unsteady sprint. “Hang on, they won’t get away from the Knight Detective and Princess duo!”

  Risebelle could do nothing but sputter in mortified rage.

  As Jess carried Risebelle forward in her ridiculous "Knight Detective and Princess" charge, the world around them began to flicker. The neon lights of the arcade warped, the sounds of clacking buttons and electronic jingles stretched into an eerie hum.

  Then—everything faded.

  Risebelle felt herself drop, but there was no impact. No ground. No sound. Just an empty, endless void.

  She floated in the darkness with her mental body slowly stabilizing. The arcade, Jess, Harty, the doppelg?nger—gone. She was back in the space she had come to know all too well.

  The void of her mind.

  She thought about the doppelganger and the well-dressed boy's actions and remembered the vital feeling of anger and distrust she held towards the humans. This one single thing she placed her focus on had reinforced her beliefs that humans were willing to go to great lengths to achieve their goals, even if it meant harming others.

  And yet…

  Her mind drifted.

  Jess, Angie, Harty.

  Two of them were complete idiots, but they were her idiots.

  She scowled while shaking her head. Since when did she start thinking like that?

  This was just a glitch in the system. They meant nothing to her. Right? ...Then why did the thought of never seeing their dumb faces again feel so—wrong?"

  The more she thought about it, the more a strange warmth settled in her chest.

  She hated this.

  She didn’t hate them.

  And that realization unsettled her.

  Just then, Risebelle's system spoke within the realm of her mind. 'Project Z.A.B, it appears you have experienced a significant emotional and cognitive shift during your recent memory retrieval. Your deep-seated hatred for all humans seems to be undergoing a transformation. Can you clarify your current feelings and thoughts regarding humans?'

  Risebelle’s arms tightened around herself. “I still hate humans. Considering all the shit they put me through, why wouldn’t I? I want nothing more to do with those scums. I want them all to burn in hell where they belong.”

  She expected the usual satisfaction that came with saying that but this time, something felt… off.

  Her lips parted again before she could stop herself.

  “But…”

  Her fingers twitched, and her mind flickered back to Jess’ ridiculous confidence, Harty’s desperate attempts to be useful, Angie’s gamer spirit.

  “I can’t deny that… there are some—some—with imperfections, but they show a different side of humans.” Her brows furrowed. “Not all of them are like those bastards. Some of them…” She grimaced. “Some of them don’t suck completely.”

  She didn’t like admitting that. But she couldn’t lie to herself.

  Risebelle exhaled sharply. "Alright…now… what’s the next memory? Where is it? I wanna know about it."

  The void remained still, but the system’s voice responded in its usual calm tone. "Project Z.A.B, while your recent experiences have certainly stirred emotions and brought about a shift in your perspective, accessing more memories at this moment is not possible. Memories are typically retrieved when your physical body enters a state of rest, specifically during sleep. This is when your neural networks are most conducive to processing and organizing your recollections."

  Risebelle scoffed and folded her arms. "So you’re telling me I gotta wait until I fall asleep again? That’s some bullshit." She glared into the endless darkness. "I don’t want to wait. I want answers now."

  But the system remained silent after that. Risebelle waited a few seconds before her face hardened. "So you aren’t gonna give me that, huh? Figures." She narrowed her eyes. "Then answer this: I’ve noticed that whenever I see a memory and lose consciousness, I seem to make a full recovery, even if I’m not within the tank. It’s like the memories have some sort of healing effect on me. Can you explain why this happens?"

  The system responded in its usual tone. "The phenomenon you're describing is a result of the interconnected nature of your neural networks and the memory retrieval process. When you access a memory, it engages various regions of your virtual neural network, including those responsible for self-repair and maintenance. This process is designed to facilitate integration between your past experiences and your current cognitive framework. In doing so, it stimulates an automatic restorative effect within your systems, allowing for improved recovery, both physically and mentally."

  Risebelle frowned slightly. "So, what? Watching my own past is like some kind of… auto-heal function?"

  "In simplified terms, yes. Your memories are not just recollections—they are encoded into the fabric of your being. The more you retrieve and integrate them, the more synchronized your mind and body become. This, in turn, enhances your overall stability and resilience."

  Risebelle clicked her tongue. "Hmph. Weird, but I guess it makes sense..."

  Once the last remnants of her mind faded away, Risebelle found herself lying within the tank in which she entered before that memory drew her in. She carefully pushed herself up and allowed the liquid around her body to drain out of the tank. She then exited it.

  Turning her attention to her sisters, Risebelle's blue eyes locked onto the tanks that housed Roselle and Runebelle and watched faint rise and fall of Roselle and Runebelle’s chests while they remained submerged in the emerald liquid.

  Her fingers twitched at her sides. She exhaled sharply through her nose. "They'll be up soon, and when they are... it’s about time I told them about this."

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