At Risebelle's house, the clock showed that it was 5 pm. Risebelle's mother had always been a harsh and strict type of woman, nagging at her every chance she could get about good grades, but for these last few days, she was just acting so motherly.

  This doppelganger, in the form of Risebelle, walked to her 'mom' and with a smile told her, "You know, Mom, I am really starting to notice that you're nice this way. It's pretty neat."

  Risebelle's mom gazed at her daughter tenderly. "Well, sweetie, I've always cared about you, and I want what's best for you. Perhaps…perhaps I have been too hard on you all these years and you need a different pace."

  The doppelganger nodded. "I understand, Mom. I will get straight A’s this year, just like you want."

  Risebelle's mother smiled and patted the doppelganger on the shoulder. "Glad to hear that, sweetheart. I do know what you're capable of."

  The doppelganger and Risebelle's mother shared a moment of warmth that was quite unusual. Just then, the doorbell rang. Risebelle's mother furrowed her brows. Looking at the doppelganger, she said, "I'll go see who it is. You rest here."

  The doppelganger nodded. Risebelle's mother opened the door to find Roselle and Runebelle standing on the doorstep. She recognized Roselle but was puzzled by the presence of the other girl. "Can I help you?"

  Roselle stepped forward. "We need to talk to Risebelle. It's really important. Is she home?"

  Risebelle's mother placed her hands on her sides. "I'm her mother. You can talk to me instead. What's this about?"

  Runebelle, knowing what was happening, stepped forward, towards Roselle. "We need to speak to her in private, ma'am. It matters much. We think she might be in danger."

  Risebelle's mother shifted from suspicion to concern. She motioned for Roselle and Runebelle to enter. "Come in. Let's talk in the living room. Risebelle is resting in her room. I'll get her."

  Risebelle's mother disappeared upstairs, leaving Roselle and Runebelle alone in the living room.

  The doppelganger lay on the bed, nervously waiting for Risebelle's mother to return. When she heard her mother's footsteps approaching, she sat up and tried to maintain her calm.

  Risebelle's mother entered the room with a curious gaze. "There are two girls downstairs who want to talk to you, Risebelle. One of them has blue and pink hair, and the other has yellow hair. Do you know them?"

  The doppelganger's let out an "Oh shit," loudly by mistake. Risebelle's mother, who had been on edge due to recent events, immediately raised her suspicions.

  Risebelle’s mother looked at the doppelganger with narrowed eyes. “Alright, what’s going on here? Why did you react like that?”

  The doppelganger, heart pounding, but she responded, “OH, um, it’s nothing. Just… a bit of a shock. I wasn’t expecting visitors.”

  Risebelle’s mother remained stern. “You seem a bit nervous. Is there something you’re not telling me?”

  The doppelganger thought to themselves, ‘Okay, stay calm. This isn’t the end. I just need to keep my composure. They haven’t beaten me yet. There’s still a way to rebound from this. Everything is going to be fine. I’ll have a family, just like I always wanted. Everything will be okay.’

  The doppelganger cleared its throat and attempted a smile. “They might be friends from school. You know how it is, Mom—people come and go, right? Maybe they’re new.”

  Risebelle's mother crossed her arms, clearly unconvinced. “I know your friends, Risebelle. Angie and Jess have been around long enough for me to remember their faces. Neither of them has blue and pink hair.”

  Thinking quickly, the doppelganger nodded and stood up from the bed. “You're right, Mom. I should see who they are. Maybe it's someone new.”

  Risebelle's mother remained skeptical. "Friends from school? That's unusual. Well, come downstairs and talk to them. I'll be watching."

  The doppelganger followed Risebelle's mother downstairs. Roselle and Runebelle turned to see Risebelle's mother and the doppelganger descending the stairs.

  Roselle urgently said, "Risebelle, we need to talk privately. It's about the recent events in the Detective's Club. Your life might be in danger."

  Risebelle's mother interrupted. "What's going on? Why is Risebelle's life in danger? Who are you people?"

  Runebelle stepped forward. "Ma'am, we're part of a group that's been investigating some unusual occurrences. Your daughter might be in danger because of a situation involving her friends. We need to ensure her safety and get to the bottom of this."

  Risebelle mother shifted from skepticism to concern. "What kind of danger are we talking about? Is this some sort of prank?"

  Roselle shook her head."No, ma'am, it's not a prank. There's a doppelganger involved, someone impersonating people in the Detective's Club. We need to make sure Risebelle is safe and uncover the truth."

  Risebelle's mother looked at her daughter. The doppelganger looked unseasy. Risebelle's mother finally sighed. "Fine, you can talk in the kitchen. But I want to know what's going on."

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  In the kitchen, the doppelganger's eyes darted around. The familiarity of Risebelle's kitchen gave her a sense of confidence. Risebelle's mother stood by in suspicion.

  Risebelle's mother crossed her arms. "Alright, what's all this about a ‘doppelganger’ and ‘danger’?"

  Roselle took a deep breath, choosing her words carefully. "We believe that someone in the Detective's Club has been replaced by a doppelganger. Your daughter's life might be at risk, and we need her cooperation to figure out who is real and who is not."

  Risebelle’s mother narrowed her eyes. “I’ve listened to you for the past few minutes, and what you’ve been saying sounds crazier than trying to teach a cat how to do algebra!”

  Risebelle’s mother continued, "I mean, doppelgangers? Impersonations? I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, but if this is some elaborate prank, it’s not funny. "

  Roselle stepped forward. "I know it sound unbelievable, but we--"

  Risebelle’s mother cut her off, “No, I’m not buying this. If you two really believe there’s a doppelganger involved, you better have some solid proof. Otherwise, I’m asking you to leave!”

  The doppelganger feigned attentiveness. She kept glancing at the pair of sharp kitchen knives on the countertop.

  Roselle, maintaining a serious demeanor, turned to Runebelle. “Let’s show them the proof.”

  Runebelle nodded, retrieving a photo from her bag and holding it up for everyone to see. The photo was a clear image of Risebelle lying in a hospital bed. Her face was pale and eyes were closed. "This was taken just before we arrived here. We received word that Risebelle was admitted to the hospital, but it seems someone—or something—has taken her place."

  Risebelle’s mother’s eyes widened. She took the image into her hand. “Is this…is this really my daughter?”

  The doppelganger edged closer to the knives, pretending to fidget nervously. She silently reached for one of the blades.

  Meanwhile, Roselle gave her response. “This photo is proof that something is wrong. The doppelganger pretending to be Risebelle is likely trying to mislead us. We need to get to the bottom of this before it’s too late.”

  With a sudden, swift movement, the doppelganger brandished the knife and lunged at Roselle and Runebelle. She struck Roselle first, the blade slicing through her. Roselle gasped. His eyes widened in shock before she collapsed to the floor. Runebelle, taken by surprise, barely had time to react before the doppelganger's blade found its mark through her body.

  Risebelle’s Mother Stammered. “What... what are you doing?!”

  Panting heavily from the exertion, the doppelganger straightened up. She glanced around the kitchen. “I’m sorry you had to see this…I promise I’ll explain everything, but right now, we need to tend to them.”

  Risebelle’s mother, still in shock, took a step back. “What are you talking about? Why did you attack them in the first place?”

  The doppelganger tried to keep her tone as soothing as possible. “There’s no time to explain fully right now. Please, get the bandages from the first aid kit. They need immediate attention.”

  Seeing the urgency in the doppelganger’s eyes, Risebelle’s mother nodded shakily. “Okay, I’ll get them.”

  The doppelganger quickly moved to secure the kitchen area. She glanced at the fallen figures of Roselle and Runebelle with a momentarily evil smirk.

  Risebelle’s mother returned with the first aid kit. “Alright, I’ve got the bandages. What’s going on? Why are you helping them after attacking them?”

  The doppelganger took the kit,. “I promise you, everything will be explained soon. Just trust me for now. We need to stabilize them before we can talk.”

  The doppelganger and Risebelle’s mother worked together to patch up Roselle and Runebelle. Risebelle’s mother’s hands trembled while applying bandages and cleaning their wounds. Her eyes darted between the doppelganger and the unconscious figures on the floor.

  When they finally finished, Risebelle’s mother wiped her brow and looked at the doppelganger with anger. “Alright, I’ve done what I can for them. Now, I need answers. Who are you, really? Why did you attack them?”

  The doppelganger took a deep breath. She looked at Risebelle’s mother with a pained face. “I know this must be confusing. The truth is, these girls are dangerous. They’ve been involved in serious crimes before—murders, in fact. They’ve escaped justice and have been pretending to be someone they’re not.”

  Risebelle’s mother’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Murderers? But they seemed so... so normal. Why would they come here?”

  The doppelganger nodded. “They’ve been creating false identities to avoid detection. When I saw them making up stories about me and fabricating evidence, I panicked. I had to act quickly to protect myself and, by extension, you and your family.”

  Risebelle’s mother spoke with concern. “But why would they target us? Why not just move on if they’re so dangerous?”

  “They’re looking for ways to destabilize their enemies,” the doppelganger said. “And their plans sometimes involve creating chaos in the lives of people connected to their targets. I didn’t want to let them get away with it.”

  Risebelle’s mother’s concerned look dissapeared. She looked the doppelganger in the eye with a small smile. “So, does that mean you’re really my daughter, then?”

  The doppelganger nodded vigorously. “Yes, it’s me. These girls have been disrupting my studies and causing all sorts of trouble. I had to act to protect myself and make sure they don’t interfere with my progress.”

  Risebelle’s mother’s face hardened into pure rage. “Why didn’t you say that right away?! You should’ve made that clear from the start! I won’t tolerate anyone messing with my daughter’s education! She’s going to get straight A’s, no matter what!”

  The doppelganger laughed nervously. “I understand. I just wanted to handle it quickly.”

  Risebelle’s mother moved over to grab the phone. “I’m calling the authorities to make sure these girls don’t cause any more problems. In the meantime, what should we do with them?”

  The doppelganger hesitated for a moment, then asked, “What do you suggest we do with them?”

  Without missing a beat, Risebelle’s mother said, “You know what we can do? Tie them up in the attic so they can’t escape. We need to make sure they don’t cause any more trouble until the authorities arrive.”

  The doppelganger nodded. “Alright, I’ll handle it.”

  The doppelganger moved the unconscious Roselle and Runebelle to the attic, securing them with rope found around her house. The doppelganger made sure the knots were tight, ensuring that the supposed troublemakers wouldn't escape easily.

  Sometime later, Roselle began to stir, slowly regaining consciousness. The restraints on them revealed their predicament – tightly bound and left alone in the confined space.

  Roselle strained against her restraints and surveyed their surroundings. The door to the attic was locked, and the distant smell of Risebelle's mother preparing dinner downstairs reached their nose.

  Runebelle started to awaken a few minutes later. While groggy, she whispered to Roselle, "What happened? Where are we?"

  Roselle winced. “I—I just remember a sharp pain. After that, everything went black. I’m sorry for letting my guard down. I should have been more careful.”

  Runebelle, now fully awake and assessing their situation, offered a faint smile. "It's not entirely your fault. I should have seen this coming. This doppelganger must have been planning this all along to try and catch us off guard.”

  Roselle sighed with frustration coming to her face. “I guess so. We need to figure out a way out of here. If we don’t, we’ll be in serious trouble.”