The group followed Juliana and Runebelle. The duo led them to the beach, where Juliana’s lab was behind. Juliana and declared, "I know my technology. The day I discovered there was a traitor within our ranks, I also uncovered their identity. That's how prepared I am for this day."

  In a swift motion, Juliana tossed a small cube onto the sand. The cube emitted a soft glow as intricate holographic projections materialized in the air. The images coalesced to reveal the hidden base of Shadowcroft, previously obscured by powerful cloaking devices.

  When the holographic representation stabilized, the group could see the imposing structure of Shadowcroft's base, nestled clandestinely behind the lab.

  Runebelle, Roselle, Risebelle, Jess, and the other two stared onwards with brief awe. Then, they nodded their heads and proceeded into the base. They found themselves in a hallway with a blue light. The ambient hum of machinery filled the air. After travelling for awhile down a straight path, they reached a vast chamber lined with tanks. Inside the tanks lay unconscious individuals, their faces frozen in peaceful slumber.

  Runebelle remarked, “These people are victims that are unaware of what Shadowcroft is planning with them."

  Risebelle clenched her fists,. "We need to stop this. No one else should suffer because of Shadowcroft." Runebelle nodded in agreement.

  The group continued to advance through the vast chamber. They came across row upon row of tanks that each contained one individual. Juliana’s face turned grave. “The number of individuals in this room could be about seven thousand,” she said. “And this is only the first room.”

  Roselle’s eyes widened in horror while looking around. “There are so many…How could they do this?”

  Risebelle’s face hardened with fury. Her fists were clenched tightly at her sides. “This is beyond disgusting. How dare they use people like this? Urgh! I’ll destroy Shadowcroft!”

  Jess noticed Risebelle’s growing agitation and stepped closer, gently placing her hands on Risebelle’s shoulders. “Hey, take a deep breath,” she said softly. “We’re going to deal with this, but you need to stay calm.”

  Rosebelle observed the group's reactions with curiosity. Her own upbringing as a Doppelganger had steeped her in a different perspective, one shaped by Shadowcroft's twisted ideology. Seeing the raw reactions of those around her sparked a flicker of understanding within her.

  The group reached the entrance of the next room, where a pair of Shadowcroft grunts engaged in a conversation:

  “You know, I've been honing my skills in Akido lately. It's all about using an opponent's energy against them. Pretty effective against those people who started awakening unique abilities."

  "Really? That's impressive. I've always wanted to learn something new. Maybe you can teach me some new moves later on."

  Risebelle smirked and whispered. "They're too busy discussing their fighting skills to notice us. Let's keep going."

  Juliana motioned for everyone to follow her lead. She guided them through the shadows and avoided the attention of the chattering grunts.

  The group reached a junction with three pathways. Runebelle examined the surroundings with a furrowed brow, “It seems Shadowcroft used the money they amassed from their shady lending business to expand and fund their sinister experiments."

  Juliana assessed the situation. "We need to choose the right path. If we take the wrong one, we might run into heavy resistance."

  Roselle looked to Runebelle for guidance. "Which way, Runebelle? We're counting on you."

  Runebelle pondered for a moment before pointing to the middle path. "Let's go this way. It seems less guarded."

  The group followed Runebelle down the middle path. The further down they went, the more the lights in the Corridors began to dim.

  The corridor stretched ahead, revealing a group of Shadowcroft guards. Their backs were turned and they were in heavy conversation, but they were stationed in a way where they could see anything that tried to pass.

  Runebelle turned to Rosebelle. "This is your chance to prove your dedication to the team, Rosebelle. Can you take them out silently and swiftly?"

  A mischievous grin spread across Rosebelle's face. With a confident nod, she stealthily approached the guards. In a swift series of well-timed strikes, she incapacitated them without a sound before they could begin to make noise. She left them slumped on the floor.Runebelle nodded in approval.

  The group continued forward, taking advantage of the cleared path, and pressing deeper into the heart of Shadowcroft's base.

  The group found themselves at another crossroads only moments later. Risebelle sighed deeply. "Not again….seriously?"

  Roselle chuckled nervously. "Well, we've got a 33.3% chance of getting it right, right?"

  Runebelle looked around, contemplating the right way forward. Before a decision could be made, a figure emerged from the door down the left path, causing Roselle to gasp loudly.

  Out of the shadows stepped Chloe, one of Roselle's seven friends who had once surrounded her menacingly at school; however, something was different about Chloe. She dressed in a more provocative outfit than what Roselle was used to seeing from her.

  "Chloe?" Roselle blurted out. Without waiting for an answer, she hurried off in Chloe's direction, driven by the need to understand the sudden change.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  "Roselle, wait!" Runebelle shouted after her, but Roselle was already on the move.

  Risebelle scoffed, "Let her go. If she dies, it's on her, not us. She didn't stick to the plan."

  Jess pouted and rubbed the top of Risebelle’s head. "Risebelle, you can be so cold."

  Risebelle lowered her eyes slightly.

  Runebelle sighed. "Roselle went down the left path. We may have to split up. I don't like the idea of her going alone."

  Risebelle crossed her arms and shook her head. “Splitting up is always a bad idea. We might cover more ground, but it also increases the risk of getting caught or worse. We need to stick together if we want to maximize our chances of succeeding.”

  Jess frowned. “But Roselle went after Chloe, and it’s not like we can just leave her hanging.”

  Runebelle nodded. “Risebelle’s right. We’re stronger as a unit. However, we can’t just ignore Roselle’s situation either….”

  Jess raised up one hand "I'll go! I can flirt with her and bring her back. No problem! Hehehehe!" She went to run off, but Risebelle pulled Jess back. She her eyes lowered in disapproval. "No flirting, Jess. This is a serious situation."

  Jess pouted, "Aw, Risebelle, no need to be jealous. I'll come right back to you."

  Risebelle responded, "Jess, I can't take much more of this. This is not the time for your antics."

  Jess grinned mischievously, "I'll go with you then, Risey!" She hugged onto Risebelle.

  Risebelle muttered, "I’m stuck with you again. It’s just something that seems to happen all the time."

  The duo made their way north with Jess dragging Risebelle along. Runebelle called out, “Wait, don’t go off that way!”

  Rosebelle, who had been observing the commotion, now spoke “Like, seriously? This little party is totes falling apart! I’m gonna head east and make my own party.” She flicked her hair with a bratty air. “Like, this is so ridiculous. I’m like, so done with this mess!”Rosebelle turned and started heading east.

  Runebelle called out after her, “Wait, we really can’t let her go. We need everyone to stay together.”

  Juliana sighed. “I trust my daughter won’t betray us, knowing the consequences if she does. But this is quite a predicament. It could spell danger if she goes off on her own.”

  Runebelle turned to Juliana. “We need to follow her. It’s not safe to leave her alone, especially with everything going on. She might be a wildcard, but we can’t afford to let her be a liability.”

  Juliana sighed. “We could be facing even more danger if we don’t handle this carefully.”

  Juliana took a deep breath and scanned the junction before them. “We need to think for a moment. Which path is the most dangerous one?”

  Runebelle closed her eyes, recalling the visions she had seen of Sarah and Michigo’s memories from the future. Those glimpses had given her insights into various potential threats, but the most ominous was….

  Runebelle's eyes snapped open. “The path Roselle went down—the left one—is the most dangerous. Chloe is a serious threat, and it’s likely that Roselle will encounter significant danger there.”

  Juliana nodded grimly. “Then it’s settled. We need to catch up to Roselle before it’s too late.

  Runebelle and Juliana pressed forward. They caught sight of Chloe entering an elevator and Roselle running towards it. Roselle called out, “CHLOOE!!!”but the metallic doors sealed Chloe within.

  Roselle spotted a staircase nearby. Without hesitation, she sprinted up the stairs.

  Runebelle and Juliana ascended the staircase after Roselle, emerging onto the next floor of Shadowcroft's labyrinthine base. The corridor stretched out before them with numerous closed doors. The absence of Roselle in their immediate view raised concerns.

  Runebelle looked around. "She couldn't have gone far. We need to find her quickly."

  Runebelle and Juliana ventured through the maze of rooms. While making their way through, the area started to become increasingly familiar. It triggered haunting flashbacks from Runebelle's past.

  Runebelle paused. She began to see the vision of a room where she had once been trapped. The cold walls seemed to close in on her. Runebelle shook her head, clearing the unsettling memories that threatened to paralyze her. “No time to get stuck in the past…Let’s keep moving.”

  Runebelle and Juliana searched through the rooms, their concern for Roselle grew. The absence of any trace of her in the enclosed chambers heightened their anxiety. Frustration etched Runebelle's face as she questioned aloud, "Where could she have gone?"

  Juliana observed the hallway's end, where a door marked 'Staff Only' beckoned their attention. She suggested, "What about that one?"

  Runebelle's eyes followed Juliana's gaze to the door, and a sense of urgency propelled them forward. The duo went through the door and ascended up the few steps that was behind it which lead to the exclusive area.

  The 'Staff Only' room unveiled a high-tech chamber, complete with a bridge extending towards a complex technological device. A distant groaning, reminiscent of Roselle's voice, echoed from somewhere above the room.

  Runebelle and Juliana scanned the room. The absence of an obvious pathway to the upper level left them puzzled.

  Juliana turned to Runebelle with a hand under her chin. “This seems like Shadowcroft's style . This must be a puzzle to keep intruders at bay."

  Runebelle nodded in agreement. The bridge, the device, and the groaning sounds all hinted as such.

  Juliana advanced across the bridge. Runebelle began to sweat upon seeing Juliana’s bold move. "This could be a trap. We can't be sure."

  Juliana reached for a device at the end of the bridge. "If it were a trap, they'd have more defenses in this room. Shadowcroft thinks their tech is foolproof, but they didn't anticipate someone like me."

  Juliana studied the device with a touch of excitement. "This little gadget is just playing tricks on our perception. The bridge you see is actually a set of stairs. Child's play for someone of my expertise."

  As Juliana began to manipulate the device, a familiar melody started to play—a catchy tune that seemed oddly out of place in the high-stakes environment. It was… the unmistakable notes, of Tetris music.

  Juliana grumbled under her breath. “Seriously? A Tetris game for security? What kind of nonsense is this?” She shook her head. “Whoever came up with this must have a strange sense of humor. This is supposed to be a high-security facility, and they’re using a puzzle game to keep intruders out?”

  Runebelle raised an eyebrow. “Well, it’s certainly unconventional. But if it’s part of their security, we need to deal with it.”

  Juliana focused on the device. “Let’s see how much more of this ridiculousness they’ve got in store for us. If I’m right, solving this should reveal a path to the upper level.”

  Each correct move on the device caused parts of the bridge to align and shift. Suddenly, a block that looked like it was from the game landed with a distinct “thud” on the bridge.

  Runebelle’s eyes widened in surprise. “Wait a minute, the game and the bridge are connected?”

  Juliana nodded, “Seems he game’s logic controls the physical bridge.”

  Juliana’s fingers flew over the controls. Each move she made was precise, causing the virtual blocks to align perfectly. With a series of expert adjustments, she effortlessly solved the puzzle, and the Tetris game on the device came to a satisfying close.

  The bridge shifted and revealed a hidden stairway leading upwards. The path became clear, but Juliana’s triumph was short-lived. She frowned while looking at how the bridge was covered. “We’ve solved the puzzle, but now we’ve got a new issue. The blocks are creating a barrier that could block our exit.”

  Risebelle’s face hardened. “We need to figure out how to clear this blockage. We can’t get trapped in here. There has to be a way to either dismantle or bypass this.”

  Juliana glanced at the blocks and then back at Runebelle. “There’s no time to worry about going back right now. Our priority has to be finding Roselle. We can’t afford to waste any more time here.”

  Runebelle nodded, though looked with concern. “Alright. We’ll focus on locating Roselle and deal with the blockade when we’re back.”

  Juliana led the way, guiding Runebelle up the newly revealed stairway.