Risebelle stared at her doppelganger. For a moment, neither moved. They were locked in a mirrored gaze of confusion and disbelief.

The doppelganger's eyes narrowed, mirroring Risebelle's own thoughts: who was this impostor? Both girls' faces twisted into anger. The anger boiled over simultaneously. Each girl's muscles tensed in perfect unison.

Without warning, the doppelganger lunged with a fist aimed straight at Risebelle's face. Instinct and adrenaline surged through Risebelle. She brought her hand up just in time to catch the incoming punch, but the despite catching it, she felt a jolt through her arm, sending shockwaves of pain radiating from her palm to her shoulder.

"Who the hell are you?" Risebelle growled, gritting her teeth against the pain.

The doppelganger didn't answer. Instead, she twisted her captured fist, attempting to break free.

With a desperate yank, the doppelganger pulled back. Summoning her strength, Risebelle pushed forward, shoving the doppelganger back with a powerful thrust. The doppelganger stumbled, but she quickly regained her balance.

The duo clashed fists, but the doppelganger made a misstep, leaving herself open. Risebelle seized the opportunity, landing a solid punch to her opponent's jaw. The doppelganger staggered, clutching her face. Risebelle didn't waste a second, following up with a swift kick that sent the imposter crashing to the ground over the bed, knocking her sheets right ontop of them.

Risebelle stood over her fallen doppelganger while cracking her knuckles and glaring down intimidatingly "You picked the wrong person to mess with, you Shadow croft filth."

The doppelganger looked up, shifting from pain to a sinister smile. "So, you know about Shadowcroft… Then I should stop holding back."

Risebelle's curiosity turned to caution. Suddenly, the imposter moved with superhuman speed. The sheets flew into the air and she disappeared from under them and reappeared right in front of Risebelle. In that split second, Risebelle's eyes widened. She tried to move her hands but…

"Oh no, I can't block it in time," she thought to herself while at the same time, her eyes were widening. The doppelganger's fist collided with her stomach. An unseen force of energy bursted off from the impact, propelling Risebelle backward. She slammed the wall in her room. Her vision blurred while she became crumpled to the floor.

The last thing Risebelle saw was her doppelganger standing over her with a cold, victorious smile. The world faded to black.

Risebelle woke up in bed the next morning. She reached out to touch her head. She anticipated some pain from the intense fight she'd had with her doppelganger. To her surprise, there was no pain.

Confused, Risebelle sat up slowly. She looked down and noticed that she was naked underneath the sheets covering her body. Her school uniform from yesterday lay neatly folded on top of the bed…This wasn't making any sense at all!

Risebelle slid out from under the covers and placed her legs over the side of the bed. Something caught her eye on the floor down at her feet: a tiny metallic object on the ground beneath her.

Risebelle picked up the object. Was this…a a sex toy of some sort? As soon as Risebelle held it in her hands, she felt disgusted. She dropped it with a shiver. The tiny metallic device was covered in small red lights that pulsed ominously after being dropped.

"What is this?" Risebelle muttered under her breath, picking the object back up again. Suddenly, an idea struck her - this could be some sort of tracker! She had been attacked by her doppelganger yesterday after all…

Just when she thought this, one of the lights on the device started blinking rapidly before turning solid red. Without hesitation, Risebelle crushed the device between her fingers until it crackled and died.

Risebelle approached the kitchen. Her mother was already in the kitchen, pouring a bowl of cereal with a surprisingly pleasant demeanor. What the hell? What happened to the Strict Mother she knew who would scold her for the slightest mistake in her posture? This change in her mother's behavior immediately raised red flags in Risebelle's mind.

She took a seat at the kitchen table, eyeing her mother suspiciously. "What's the deal, Mom? It's Saturday…."

Her mother offered a sweet smile."I know, dear. I just thought we could have a nice breakfast together today."

Risebelle raised an eyebrow. "Mom, you're acting really strange. What's going on?"

Her mother hesitated for a moment, as if choosing her words carefully. "Oh, nothing, dear. I just thought it would be nice to spend some time together. You know, mother-daughter bonding."

Risebelle's suspicion deepened. Her mother had never been one for mother-daughter bonding, especially not on a Saturday morning.

After breakfast, she headed to the shower. Risebelle took off her clothes and was just about to get into the shower when she noticed something strange in the bathroom mirror. With some curiousity, she grabbed her chest. "Did my boobs get bigger?"

She then moved on to inspecting her face, leaning in closer to get a better look at herself. "No… My face isn't wider either.”

She stared at her reflection and narrowed her eyes. This wasn't right. Something was definitely out of place, but…what?

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Risebelle tried to focus on the soothing sensation of the shower. The steam filled the bathroom and while Risebelle was focusing on that, her thoughts drifted.

‘What on earth happened last night...? I was knocked out by that... other me, and then I woke up this morning with my mother acting completely out of character...’

Risebelle shampooed her hair, but stopped to stare upwards in thought momentarily. ‘I need to figure out what's going on. I can't let this mystery consume me, but I can't ignore it either. That doppelganger... if it really was me, then what does it want? And why did it knock me out?’

Risebelle's thoughts continued to whirl like the water spiraling down the drain.

‘Could it be that 'Rosebelle' didn't do their job well enough in replacing me and Roselle?’Risebelle mused, her thoughts taking a logical turn. ‘Maybe that's why they created another 'Risebelle.' But they couldn't execute the replacement perfectly, and I was late. If my mom hadn't been so strict and questioned my tardiness, things might have gone differently...’

Risebelle chuckled. ‘I can't believe I'm actually thankful for her being so strict. Who would have thought that would save me from being replaced?’

Risebelle’s eyes then widened in realization. "But wait a minute... my mom was still acting weird this morning. Not strict at all. It's like she's a completely different person. Could it be that 'Rosebelle' or the doppelgangers are somehow involved in this as well? And if so, why are they so interested in me and Roselle?"

Risebelle stood in front of her closet She had two outfits to choose from. One was a stylish and alluring ensemble that she knew would catch Jess's attention, while the other was a more casual and comfortable outfit she might wear to a chess club meeting with Harty.

She glanced between the two outfits, contemplating her options. "Should I go with something that'll impress Jess, or should I keep it simple for the chess club?"

She was about to reach for the stylish ensemble when she paused. "Wait a minute," she muttered to herself. "Impress Jess? Why the hell would I even think about that? I need to focus on what's important."

Shaking off the strange thought, Risebelle opted for the more casual and comfortable outfit. She grabbed one of her bags from the floor of her room and headed out the door. "Alright, time to get to the bottom of this,” she said while punching a fist into her hand.

Risebelle headed to the front door, ready to leave for her next destination. Her mother waved cheerfully. Risebelle Squinted her eyes at the woman. “No way in HELL that's my mother," she said while stepping s outside.

Risebelle took out her phone and dialed Harty's number. It rung a few times before he picked up.

"Hey, Harty," Risebelle greeted. "Just confirming, we're meeting by the school in the chess club, right?"

Harty spoke through the phone, "Hey, Risebelle! Everything's set for our meeting. I talked to the person who manages the chess club at school, and they've agreed to let us use it. I've got the keys, so we're all set."

"Great, Harty. Thanks for arranging that. I've also asked Jess to come. Is there anyone from Roselle's group joining us?"

Harty replied, "Roselle asked her friends, and it looks like some of them are available. We should have a good turnout. The more, the merrier.”

Risebelle chuckled. "You're one lucky guy, you know. Surrounded by all these girls."

Harty sighed on the other end, sounding a bit flustered. "Come on, Risebelle, don't tease me like that."

Risebelle laughed. "Alright, alright, just having some fun. See you soon, Harty."

Risebelle's phone rang right after hanging up. She saw Jess's name on the caller ID. She answered after taking a deep sigh.

"Hey, Jess," Risebelle said, "what's up?"

Jess spoke through the phone sounding sultry. "Oh, just thinking about you and how much I missed you. You know, we could meet up somewhere before the chess club meeting. I've got something ‘special’ to show you."

Risebelle lowered her eyes. "Jess, you know this is supposed to be a serious chess club meeting, right? We've got some important stuff to discuss. Can you save the flirting for later?"

Jess's response was a melodramatic sigh. "You're such a party pooper, Risebelle. But fine, we can save the fun for later. Just meet me outside the school, near the chess club. I'll be waiting for you."

"Alright, I'll see you there, Jess."

Risebelle arrived at the school and saw Jess waiting outside, but Jess looked quite different from her usual school self. She was dressed in a classy but skimpy outfit that accentuated her curves, and her hair flowed freely around her shoulders. With a dirty smile, Jess struck a pose to show off her outfit.

"What do you think, Risebelle?" Jess purred. "I thought I'd try a different look today. Do you like it?"

Risebelle looked unimpressed. "Jess, we've got a serious meeting ahead of us. This is not the time for a fashion show. And seriously, you need a new boyfriend, fast. Ugh… I really can't handle much more of this."

Jess chuckled and shrugged. "Oh, come on, Risebelle. A little fun between you and me has never hurt anyone. But fine, let's get down to business."

Risebelle and Jess entered the chess club meeting room. They were greeted by an unexpected sight. Harty, usually dressed quite casually, was now donning a full-on detective outfit. He wore a crisp suit, complete with a stylish tie and a trench coat that flapped dramatically as he moved.

"Harty, you look... well, handsome," Risebelle commented in surprise.

Jess chimed in with a sly smile, "Yeah, Harty, you're definitely boyfriend material like this."

Harty blushed slightly but retained his composure. "Well, thank you. I thought I should dress the part for our serious chess club meeting today. It's important to make a good impression."

"Good thinking, Harty," Risebelle said in response.

After a few minutes passed, the door swung open, and in walked Roselle, dressed in a vibrant and cheerful outfit that seemed to radiate the warmth of a sunflower. Her dress was adorned with a pattern of bright yellow petals, and her hair yellow and glowing like the rays of a sunshine.

Risebelle spoke with awe. "Wow, Roselle, you look like a sunflower! That dress suits you perfectly."

Jess, always quick with a compliment, added, "Yeah, you're like a burst of sunshine in here. Love the outfit!"

Roselle beamed at their words. "Thanks, you two! I thought a little sunshine would brighten up our meeting."

Moments later, the door swung open again, and in walked Roselle's friends, accompanied by another student. This newcomer had a vibrant red headband adorning her head and was dressed in a karate outfit. It was Michigo, a member of the Karate club.

"Michigo, you look ready to take on anything in that karate outfit," Roselle exclaimed.

Jess added, "Oh, this is exciting! Our meeting just got a lot more diverse with all these clubs joining in."

Next entered Hashta. She had a curvaceous and well-endowed frame. She was dressed in a shirt with a high collar, which covered the lower part of her face and descended to cover her chest. However, her shirt partially revealed her bra underneath. She had matching shorts, creating an outfit that was both stylish and unconventional.

"Ugh, this heatwave is killing me. Why is it so hot in here,” Hashta questioned while fanning herself with one hand.

Risebelle and Jess exchanged amused glances. They were aware of Hashta’s ongoing battle with the heatwave.

Harty surveyed the gathered group and nodded with satisfaction. "Looks like we're all here. It's great to see everyone."

Unbeknownst to the group inside the room, Angie, who had customized her outfit to suit her unique style, was leaning against the wall just outside the door. While listening quietly, Angie was fully engrossed in her game. Her attention was divided between the digital world and the chess club meeting happening just a few steps away.