Roselle asked with concern coming to her face, "Risebelle, are you okay?"

Risebelle found herself in a memory, a scene from a time long gone. She saw Rosebelle, bound and restrained, while Sadie led them to her. In this distant recollection, Rosebelle was known to be strong enough to decimate her in combat, which made Sadie defeating her very surprising. Sadie's words resonated with Risebelle. "Rosebelle is the Key to Shadowcroft."

Returning to the present, Risebelle said, "I remember. In our past, Sadie told me that Rosebelle is the Key to Shadowcroft.”

Risebelle raised a hand to her chin. "If Shadowcroft still exists, Rosebelle must be out there somewhere. I don't expect to run into them here, but there is a high chance we will see her somewhere in the world. Let’s get to looking for Ayana."

Roselle, Risebelle, and Runebelle made their way through the corridors of Shadowcroft. Their attention was drawn to a man deeply engrossed in his work. His lab coat was smeared with various stains, and he had wild hair. He was hunched over a complicated-looking device with frustration.

Roselle cleared her throat politely. "Excuse me, do you know where Ayana is?"

The scientist looked up briefly. "Hold on a moment.” The man turned his attention back to the device. He made a few final adjustments, and then the device let out a high-pitched whine before exploding in a burst of sparks and smoke.

The man sighed deeply, brushing off the remnants of the explosion from his coat. He glanced back at the trio with irritation. "Ayana is on the second floor. You'll need to take the elevator up. Just… watch out for any prototype devices you see around here in the meantime. They have a tendency to... misbehave."

Another Scientist, carrying a stack of data pads, overheard their conversation and added, "If you find her, tell Ayana that our experiment is almost ready for the final analysis."

Roselle, Risebelle, and Runebelle reached the second floor of Shadowcroft, and their search for Ayana continued. However, they found themselves in a different situation than they expected. Instead of finding Ayana, they stumbled upon a group of science girls gathered at a desk, sharing a moment of laughter.

The group of science girls soon noticed their presence and exchanged knowing glances. .One of the science girls, with a friendly smile, addressed them, "Hey there! What brings you to our corner of the floor? Are you lost or looking for someone?"

Roselle, slightly taken aback by the group's lively atmosphere, explained, "We're actually looking for Ayana. Do you know where we can find her?"

"Oh, Ayana? She's in a meeting right now. But you three—" she paused and took in Roselle, Risebelle, and Runebelle with a devious smile."You all seem... different. Are you some sort of new experimental models?"

Roselle felt a bit uneasy under that look. She, let out a nervous laugh. "Uh, why are you looking at us like that?"

The science girls began to examine the trio with growing fascination. They huddled closer, with excitement "You three are incredible!" one of them exclaimed. "You look so lifelike. We've never seen prototypes like you before. How are you made? What are your functions?"

Risebelle’s eyes narrowed into slits. She crossed her arms and huffed, "We don’t have time for this. We need to find Ayana."

Roselle tried to maintain a polite demeanor despite the mounting awkwardness. "Yes, we're on a bit of a tight schedule. Can you please direct us to where Ayana is?"

One of the science girls who had red hair in pigtails spoke,” Ayana’s office is down the hall on the left. Just knock, and if she’s there, she'll probably let you in, but…”

The girl rummaged through a nearby toolbox, pulling out a drill and a small saw with enthusiasm. "Let’s screw you all up later!"

The trio's eyes widened in alarm. "What—?" Before the girl could even get a chance to speak more, the sisters found themselves sprinting away from the lab. The sound of the pigtail girl's drill buzzed behind them.

One of the other science girls smacked the girl with pigtails on the head. "What’s wrong with you? You don’t just grab tools and start dissecting people! They’re not experiments, they’re—" she trailed off while Roselle, Risebelle, and Runebelle hurried down the hall.

Roselle, Risebelle, and Runebelle continued their hurried escape down the hall, but unexpectedly collided with someone with a sandwich in their hands coming from the opposite direction. The impact sent a sandwich flying through the air, landing with a splat on the floor.

Ayana stared at the trio while straightening her now empty hand. "Oh, excuse me!" she said with a gaze shifting from the mess on the floor to the slightly flustered trio. "Are you the ones looking for me?"

Roselle quickly gathered her composure. "Yes, we were just looking for you. We—"

Ayana cut her off with a smile and clap of her hands. "Perfect timing. I was just on my way to my office. Follow me, and we can discuss whatever you need."

Ayana led Roselle, Risebelle, and Runebelle into her office, where they settled in for a discussion.

Before the trio could say a word, Ayana began speaking."Shadowcroft used to be a lending company, a place where loans and financial matters were the focus. It was a different world back then."

Risebelle raised an eyebrow. “Wait, what do you mean Shadowcroft used to be a lending company? I thought it was always a research facility.”

Ayana’s shifted her gaze to Risebelle. “I see you’re curious. Shadowcroft wasn’t always what it is now. It started as a financial institution, focused on loans and managing financial matters. But as the world changed and chaos began to spread, especially with the arrival of Dark Whirlwind, everything shifted.”

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Roselle looked intrigued. “So what happened to the company?”

Ayana nodded, “As the world evolved, so did Shadowcroft. With the rise of Dark Whirlwind and the ensuing upheaval, the legal and financial systems became less relevant. Shadowcroft became bankrupt. I originally wanted to be a lawyer. I had this vision of fighting for justice and upholding the law. But then... Dark Whirlwind emerged, and everything changed.”

She continued with a tone shifting to be soft. “But now, thanks to Dr. Juliana Kintovar, Shadowcroft shifted from a struggling financial company into a cutting-edge research facility. Kintovar promised that one day, fields like law would be viable again, but her innovations came at a cost.”

Ayana’s face turned somber. “Years ago, Kintovar was arrested by the CPU, facing charges related to her technology. It was a dark time, and it felt like a cruel twist of fate.”

She looked at the sisters with a one hand now raised up in a fist infront of her. “But now that Kintovar has escaped prison, we’re more committed than ever to ensuring that things stay on track. We’ll support her, continue her work, and fight to make sure the future she envisioned is still within reach.”

Roselle leaned forward and asked, "So, what kind of technological advancements and projects were happening here before the development stopped?"

Ayana replied."In the past, we had numerous projects focused on artificial lifeforms. You can still see some of the prototypes around the facility. With the guidance of Kintovar, we made advancements in the field of artificial magic. It's a realm of research only Kintovar and Dr. Winter have truly mastered. None of us other scientists can come close to their level of expertise."

"Dr. Winter seemed quite interested in the idea of artificial life forms," Risebelle noted while tilting her head. "But she mentioned that we were 'lost works.' What does that mean?"

Ayana nodded. "Yes, The Models of Project ZAB, Mage, and Rune are a result of Kintovar's hard work. Many years ago, Kintovar tried to start creating them based on her research, but the blueprints and plans for their creation were stolen by someone. We searched high and low, but they were nowhere to be found. Now, seeing you three here, we realize that only Juliana Kintovar could have brought you to life. I wish I could examine you more closely, but I understand how protective Kintovar can be when it comes to her creations."

Risebelle spoke with curiosity, "Alright, time to get to the heart of why we’re here….What can you tell us about 'Rosebelle'? Is there any information about her?"

Ayana's demeanor shifted slightly when she heard the name. She looked at the sisters curiously. After a deep breath and a nervous glance, she responded, "Rosebelle... that's a confidential matter, and I'm afraid I can't share any details about her at this time."

Runebelle spoke up, "If Ayana won't share the information, I can. I have some knowledge about Rosebelle, and we believe she's a key to something important."

Runebelle started to speak about Rosebelle, saying, "Rosebelle is..."

But before she could continue, a sweet, intoxicating aroma filled the room which quickly overwhelmed her senses. The scent was so alluring that it put her to sleep right there.

Risebelle, noticing Runebelle's sudden slumber shouted, "WHAT?! What did you do to her?!"

But then, the scent reached her, too, and she began to feel drowsy.

Roselle was the last to smell the scent. Her eyes began to blur as a familiar scene flashed before her. She saw herself, shouting at Ayana with urgency and desperation in a past memory. The same scene replayed in her mind—pleading, yelling, but ultimately feeling helpless.

“Ayana…” Roselle slurred while struggling to keep her eyes open. “Why…?”

Ayana’s eyes widened in surprise but then moments later lowered in sadness. “So it really is you, Roselle.”

Roselle lost consciousness with her sisters. Ayana stood over them and said, "You three are quite a handful. This conversation is over."

The three girls slowly regained consciousness in the room assigned to Kintovar. Haras rushed to them and embraced them tightly, asking, "Are you alright? What happened?"

Kintovar glanced their way and remarked, "They should be fine. Ayana told me they fainted, but their systems seem normal." She was focused on building a new combat weapon, an upgraded version of her BG-356. It was a powerful weapon, but it could be stronger. Kintovar continued working on her weapon while speaking as if she were scolding, "I heard you went to visit Ayana on the way to the 'bathroom.'" Her tone sounded somewhat upset.

Roselle, feeling guilty, stepped forward. "I'm sorry, Dr.Kintovar. We didn't mean to upset you."

Kintovar let out a sigh.“Don’t apologize. I gave you the freedom to explore, but you need to be cautious. There’s more going on here than what lies on the surface, and I believe you already understand that.”

Haras, still holding onto the sisters, looked at Kintovar with a hint of worry. “What do you mean, Kintovar?”

Kintovar finally looked up from her work, her expression serious. “Shadowcroft is a complex place with layers of secrets. It’s not just a research facility; it’s a hub of hidden agendas and power struggles. Ayana’s reaction to you discovering something is proof of that.”

Risebelle, with a furrowed brow, asked, “How did you know all this?”

Kintovar’s eyes narrowed slightly. “I’ve been cautious from the start. Dr. Winter wanted to test me, so I decided to test Dr. Winter as well. I’ve been keeping an eye on things.”

Just then, a small, silver ant began crawling across Risebelle’s clothes. She noticed it and swatted it away with a look of irritation crossing her face.

Kintovar’s gaze followed the ant’s brief journey before returning to Risebelle. “That’s not just any ant. It’s a device used to monitor sound. I’ve heard everything you said in that room.”

Risebelle’s eyes widened in realization, and she gulped. “You’ve been listening to us?”

Kintovar nodded calmly. “Yes. I needed to ensure that nothing was being overlooked. Shadowcroft has its own way of keeping tabs, and I’ve had to adapt accordingly. Don’t worry. This bug only came on you after you left the bathroom.”

Roselle, Risebelle, and Runebelle nodded in acknowledgment. Afterwards, they noticed Mystimona in the corner, sitting on the ground with his arms folded and a small, glowing purple aura surrounding him.

Suddenly, loud and piercing alarm blared throughout the entire facility, jolting everyone within earshot. The sudden cacophony sent shockwaves through the bustling lab, and people began to panic.

Someone came over on the loudspeaker: "THREAT LEVEL ASSESSMENT: GOD-LEVEL. I REPEAT, THREAT LEVEL ASSESSMENT: GOD-LEVEL. ALL PERSONNEL, FOLLOW SECURITY PROTOCOLS IMMEDIATELY."

Fear rippled through the complex, and Shadowcroft descended into chaos as people scrambled to find safety. Their collective thoughts raced to the same ominous conclusion—Dark Whirlwind.

‘Oh no, it can't be! Dark Whirlwind found us!’

‘This is impossible. We're not ready for this. Dark Whirlwind is here to take everything we've worked on!’

‘What do we do? We're not prepared for a confrontation with a god-level threat!’

‘We have to evacuate! We can't let Dark Whirlwind get her hands on our research!’

Dr. Winter swiftly activated the security camera feeds. They watched the footage with fear which took a surprising twist. There was no whirlwind around that person. Dr. Winter muttered in disbelief, "Wait... that's not Dark Whirlwind! But if it's not her, then who... or what is it?"

Ayana, still in shock, could only manage to say, "I have no idea, but it's a god-level threat, and it's here in our facility. Could it be the goddess herself? Does the goddess truly exist?"

Dr. Winter swiftly made a decision. "Send in the drones," she ordered.

The drones surrounded the mysterious figure coming into clear view. On her back was a weapon stood out — a Spear. Its appearance was awe-inspiring and terrifying in equal measure. The spear was a work of divine craftsmanship, with a long shaft made of polished ebony that seemed to absorb light itself. It was adorned with swirling patterns of gold and crimson, and the seven golden rings that bound the womans hair together mirrored off of the spear's design.

The tip of the spear gleamed with a malevolent energy and granted a sense of impending doom from the amount of power being unleashed from the weapon alone. The woman was cold and heartless while speaking out, "I am here to destroy Shadowcroft."