The group followed Juliana and Sadie. 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.

  Sadie, 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.

  Sadie 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." Sadie 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, her voice steady despite the gravity of the situation. “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. Sadie 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 Sadie for guidance. "Which way, Sadie? We're counting on you."

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

  The group followed Sadie 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.

  Sadie 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.Sadie 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?"

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  "Sadie, which way should we go," asked Risebelle.

  Sadie raised a finger to her lips. "Let me think."

  Roselle, sensing Sadie's concentration, decided to engage in conversation with Rosebelle. "Hey, Rosebelle, I know things have been rough between us, but maybe we can—"

  "Don't talk to me!" Rosebelle snapped. "I don't need your, like, attempts at friendship. Just stay out of my way, okay?!"

  Roselle took a moment to consider her response. She softened her tone, speaking carefully. “I get it, Rosebelle. You don’t know what it’s like to live like a normal person. You’ve been raised to be a doppelganger for Shadowcroft for so long, but you should know that you are already your own person, and don’t have to try to be someone else. After this mission, I want to show you the difference. Being a Doppelganger means missing out on so much—on your own identity, on a chance to be more than what they made you.”

  Rosebelle’s eyes widened slightly. Her defiant stance wavered, and for a moment, she was silent.

  Then, in a sudden shift, Rosebelle defiant nature resurfaced. She crossed her arms and sneered, “Oh, so now you’re like, trying to act all wise and caring and stuff? That win against me in the ring was totes a fluke. You’re like, way too nice and innocent to fight that hard. I don’t get why Shadowcroft ever wanted me to replace you. You’re just… you’re just a weak little girl!”

  Roselle’s gaze remained steady.“You’ve been saying that ever since we met that day. Maybe, in some way, you actually want to be yourself. Somewhere deep inside you, you want your own role and not the role Shadowcroft forced upon you.”

  Rosebelle was left at a loss for words. Roselle’s words seemed to strike a chord within her. She looked away. “Just…leave me alone, kay?”

  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 the group, she hurried off in Chloe's direction.

  "Roselle, wait!" Sadie 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.

  Meanwhile, Roselle sprinted through the corridors of Shadowcroft's base. A glimpse of Chloe's figure disappeared around a corner, causing Roselle to quicken her pace. "Chloe!"

  When Roselle turned the corner, she saw Chloe entering an elevator at the end of the hallway. Roselle sprinted towards the closing elevator doors. "Wait, Chloe!"

  However, the doors sealed shut, leaving Roselle in a momentary state of frustration. The only option to try and catch her was the staircase.

  Ascending the stairs, Roselle emerged on a higher floor. She was greeted by interconnected hallways and doors. Roselle wandered through the labyrinthine corridors. She occasionally called out Chloe's name, but nobody answered her cries. She stumbled into rooms filled with tanks containing unconscious individuals.

  She also found rooms where people were not in tanks but had lost the ability to speak. Their silent gestures communicated the depths of their suffering.

  She approached one person in a room, making eye contact and mouthing the words, "Have you seen Chloe?"

  The person shook their head with sorrowful eyes. Roselle continued her search, moving from room to room. “This is awful,” Roselle muttered, “Most of these people can’t speak, and I still can’t find Chloe.”

  In the next room she entered, Roselle was met with an elderly woman sitting in a corner. The woman’s gray hair was tied up in a bun. She wore a faded pink shirt and pants. Her eyes squinted in an effort to make out Roselle’s figure.

  Roselle approached cautiously. “I doubt you can still talk, but--”

  The woman’s gaze sharpened slightly. She interjected. “What? What did you say, dear?”

  Roselle blinked in astonishment. “You can speak? I wasn’t expecting—”

  The old woman interrupted with a soft, bittersweet smile. “Are you my granddaughter? You sound just like her.”

  Roselle was taken aback. “Your granddaughter? N-No, I’m just... searching for someone. But you can talk. That’s a relief.”

  The woman chuckled softly. “Of course I can talk. I’m not dead yet. I still have 65 more years in me, which is double my current age.”

  Roselle raised an eyebrow, puzzled. “But what are you doing here?”

  The woman’s face clouded with confusion. “I don’t know. All I remember is some company came and said my granddaughter owed them money. And now here I am.”

  Roselle frowned. “My name is Roselle. I’m looking for someone named Chloe.”

  The woman squinted, struggling to make out Roselle’s features. “Momo? That’s actually you, isn’t it?”

  Roselle sighed. “No, I’m not—”

  The old woman continued. “When are we getting out of here? I’ve been craving some of the Eastern Speeder’s Chicken dinner with fries. I know I shouldn’t be eating those things, but once in a while won’t kill me.”

  Roselle was caught off guard, but she managed a gentle smile, despite her own growing anxiety. “I hope you get to enjoy that meal soon, but I need to find Chloe first.”

  The elderly woman’s eyes lit up with recognition. “Chloe, huh? I remember a ‘Chloe.’ She’s the one who gave me that god-awful stew. They didn’t put any meat in it! When I complained, they said to take it to the staff room, but to knock on the door first.”

  Roselle’s eyes widened. “The staff room... Do you remember where it is?”

  The woman nodded slowly. “I think it’s down a few corridors and to the left. It’s marked on the door as ‘Staff Only.’ But be careful Momo. They didn’t seem very friendly.”

  Roselle smiled. “Thank you. I’ll check it out. Just stay safe and hold on a little longer.”

  Roselle approached the end of the hallway down a few corridors and discovered the door marked "Staff Only. “She didn’t knock. Instead, she tried to open the door, and found it was surprisingly not locked.

  Inside the room, she found herself in a high-tech chamber, illuminated by the glow of various screens and intricate machinery. A bridge extended towards the center of the room, leading to a complex technological device.

  As Roselle stepped onto the bridge, but realized that there was no clear path beyond the central device. “I need to take a look around.”

  In her search for clues, Roselle became aware of a faint sound from above. Her attention shifted upward.

  Roselle soon came to notice a machine on the opposite side of the bridge. A series of dark pits scattered across the bridge.

  Roselle took a deep breath and began to carefully navigate the bridge. Due to the bridge shaking with every move she made, Roselle had to maintain her focus.

  Upon reaching the other side, Roselle examined the machine, trying to decipher its purpose. Various buttons, levers, and a holographic interface adorned its surface.

  While contemplating, Roselle noticed a holographic display that indicated the firewall status. It glowed with an ominous red hue. She thought, ‘Maybe if I can somehow disable this firewall…but I’m not a tech expert! Ugh… what do I do now?’

  Despite lacking technical expertise, Roselle’s eyes narrowed and she thought, ‘I have to take a chance…’