“Dr. Winter, I believe there’s an opportunity here for both of us. I propose we make a deal.”

  Dr. Winter raised an eyebrow. She leaned ba her chair with a new lollipop in her mouth swaying slightly. “A deal? You’ve piqued my i, Kintovar. What kind of deal are you suggesting?”

  Kintovar leaned in slightly. “In exge for your assistand access to your resources, I offer you something equally valuable.”

  Dr. Winter’s gaze remained fixed on Kinto on.”

  Kintovar tinued, “I have the means to create highly advanced, lifelike artificial humans. Imagine what we could achieve together. Our bined expertise could revolutiohe world.”

  A thoughtful silence hung in the room as Dr. Winter sidered Kintovar’s proposal. Finally, she spoke, her tone cautious. “And recisely, do you want iurn?”

  Kintovar’s lips curled into a faint smile. “Access to your files on Dark whirlwind, your personal resources and a partnership in your ambitious endeavors. Iurn, you gain access to my knowledge and creations. Together, we could shape the future in ways others only dream of.”

  Dr. Winter removed the lollipop from her mouth and studied Kintovar for a moment. She thehe lollipop ba her mouth aended her hand. “You drive a hard bargain, Kintovar. Deal.”

  The two women shook hands, sealing a pact that held the promise of both unparalleled adva and hidden agendas.

  Ayana led Kintovar and her group out of Dr. Winter’s offid through the byrinthine corridors of Shadowcroft. Finally, they arrived at a set of double doors. Ayana pushed them open, revealing a boratory filled with advanced equipment, puters, and workstations.

  Kintovar sed the array of cutting-edge teology with her mouth opening wide in awe. Ayana smiled, pleased with Kintovar’s rea. “We spared no expense iing this space for you. It’s fully equipped to aodate your work and research.”

  Kintovar explored the b with her panion’s right behind her. Haras’s eyes widened while taking in the b’s array of advaeology. She darted from one workstation to another, pointing out various pieces of equipment with increasiement. “Kintovar, look at this! We could create gadgets that are ten times more effit than what we had before. This is incredible!”

  Kintovar, trying to maintain her posure, cleared her throat and put her hands behind her back. “Haras, calm down,” she said firmly.

  Haras quickly moved to Kintovar’s side and stood at attention. “Yes, Kintovar.”

  Kintovar turo Ayana, adopting a businesslike tohank you, Ayana. reciate the effort that has goo preparing this space for us.”

  Ayana nodded with satisfied smile pying on her lips. “I’m gd you find it to your liking. We believe that with your expertise, you’ll be able to make very high-tech advas here.”

  Kintave a curt nod. “Indeed. We have much work to do, and we will make the most of these resources.”

  Ayana stepped towards the door and then waved towards the group. “If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to ask. We’re excited to see what greatness we achieve with so many great stists among us”

  As soon as Ayahe room, Haras turo Kintovar and began to giggle. “Kintovar, it seems you’re quite famous here. Are you really pnning to help them with their research? This feels like a sudden move for us.”

  Kintave Haras a quick, reassuring smile before sing the room for any hidden surveilnce devices. Her eyes narrowed while spotting tiny cameras and microphones cleverly hidden in various pces—the ers of the ceiling, the underside of tables, even inside some of the equipment.

  “Of course,” Kintovar muttered to herself, moving around the room with purpose. She disabled each device she found. “Typical that they would want to keep an eye on us.”

  Haras watched with her giggle turning into a curious frown. “Are you sure Dr. Winter wanted you to destroy those? Wouldn’t she notice?”

  Kintovar paused momentarily before a smirk came to her lips. “Dr. Winter is no fool. If she’s half the stist she seems to be, she knows all about these bugs. What type of stist wouldn’t be worried about surveilnce? I’m betting she wanted me to find and deal with them. It’s a test of sorts.”

  Haras nodded. “So, what’s the pn now?”

  Kintovar finished disabling the st devid straightened up. “We py along, for now. We’ll use their resources to our advantage and learn as much as we . But we keep our own agenda in mind. Trust no one pletely.”

  Haras gave a salute to Kintovar seriously yet enthusiastically. “Got it, boss!”

  Kintovar then began grinning wily. “That being said, Look at all this teology, Haras! It’s like a dream e true for a stist. I ’t wait to get my hands on some of these devices and learn from their research!”

  Haras, equally energized, chimed in, “Absolutely, Kintovar we’re in the perfect pce to broaden our horizons and take our owions to the level!”

  With their immediate privacy secured and a clear pn in mind, Kintovar and Haras dove into their work with fervor.

  Kintovar’s eyes sparkled with excitement while beginning to work. Haras, equally energized, moved with precision and skill, following Kintovar’s lead and tributing her own expertise. They unicated in a flurry of teical jargon and shorthand in sync with the other.

  In no time at all, Kintovar and Haras had assembled four new gadgets. They id them out on a table for the group to see, their faces beaming with pride and satisfa.

  Mystimona, who had been quietly from a er, finally spoke up. “I never knew stists could work so quickly. It’s like watg a magic show.”

  Kintovar turo Mystimona with a grin. “Sce be pretty magical when you’re a genius like me.”

  Haras nodded in agreement while boung in pce.

  Kintan introdug each device with a flourish. “This first gadget is a portable energy geor,” she expined, holding up a sleek, pact device. “It vert almost any type of kiiergy iricity, perfect for p our equipment on the go.”

  , she picked up a small, spherical object. “This is a multi-fun dro scout, map terrain, and even carry small items. Its AI is top-notch, making it a valuable tool for any mission.”

  Haras showcased the third gadget, a pair of goggles with a sleek design. “These are enhanced vision goggles. They e with night vision, thermal imaging, and an augmented reality interface that allows the wearer, even if they don’t have magical energy to detect how powerful a person is. They’ll give us a tactical edge in any enviro.”

  Kintovar picked up the final gadget which was a sleek, silver case. “This, everyone, is an automated medical pack. I know what you’re thinking, ‘That’s not new!’ But this pack is different. It works automatically. Instead of having to stiteone up and patch their wounds manually, this device activates as soon as the substahin the pack makes tact with the person.”

  She opehe case, revealing a colle of small, needle-like capsules. “These capsules tain a special regeive solution that enhahe body’s natural healing processes. Currently, it only works for people with magical energy, but my goal is to expand its capabilities so it be used by my creations.”

  Roselle’s eyes widened with uanding. “I get it! If you do that, then Runebelle won’t always have to use up her energy with healing shots.”

  Runebelle, who had been quietly listening, looked up. “That would be amazing…. If this pack help, it would make a huge difference.”

  Kintovar nodded while raising one finger. “Exactly, Runebelle. I want to ehat we have all the tools we o stay safe and effective, without draining our energy reserves unnecessarily.”

  Mystimona’s eyes sparkled with admiration. “Kintovar, your iions are truly remarkable. It’s incredible to see how much thought and care you put into eae.”

  Kintrihank you, Mystimona. We’re just getting started. With the resources here, I believe we achieve eveer adva!”

  While the two stists tinued w, Mystimona leaned in to the sisters and whispered, “Did you notiething Ayana said earlier? She mentiohat this pce is overwhelming to those ‘who have been here before.’ It implies that you’ve been here before, but you don’t remember, do you?”

  The sisters exged gnces filled with . Roselle turned her head to the side while replying to Mystimona, “No... We do, Mystimona, but… it’s something we should discuss among ourselves first…I hope you uand…”

  Mystimona’s perceptive eyes caught the exge of gnces between Roselle, Risebelle, and Runebelle. He leaned in a bit closer and said, “I uand, but just know it’s crucial that you three have that versation. It seems like there are things you o share with each other. I will help you girls out.”

  With a sly smile, Mystimona called out to Kintovar, “Hey, Kintovar, I just heard from Roselle, Risebelle, and Runebelle that they o use the bathroom. They’ll be back soon.”

  Roselle began to speak up “H-Hey! No we—“

  Roselle romptly smacked on the back of her head by Risebelle. With a gesture that indicated they truly had to go, the sisters left the room. Kintovar looked on in curiousity.

  In the small bathroom, Roselle, Risebelle, and Runebelle stood in a circle. They looked down for a moment, colleg their thoughts. Finally, Roselle spoke up, breaking the silence.

  “Well,” she began. “one of us has to start talking. We ’t keep hiding things from each other, especially now.”

  Risebelle and Runebelle nodded in agreement. Roselle finally spoke. “You know, I’ve beeing these weird memories from the past. I met a past version of Risebelle, but I haven’t seen a past version of you, Runebelle, but I also met someone who looked a lot like you, Runebelle. Her name was Sadie, but she was different, taller, and had her hair styled in a unique way.”

  Runebelle’s face showed a hint of hesitation upon hearing the name Sadie, but she nodded slowly. “Sadie…was my sister. There’s something you should know... something bad happeo her…I…”

  Risebelle pced a hand on Runebelle’s shoulders. “Runebelle, you don’t have to say more if you’re not ready...”

  Roselle nodded. “Tell us only what you feel fortable with sharing.”

  Runebelle took a deep breath. “When I entered Shadowcroft in the past, they attacked me and my mother, Ruhe hing I remember is waking up in Shadowcroft. And... and there was talk of... fusion.”

  Risebelle’s eyes widened. “Wait a minute... Runebelle, your mother’s name was Rune, and your ame is Project Rune. And you mentioned fusion... This pce, Shadowcroft, is like a remnant of our past, isn’t it?”

  Roselle, who had also been p Runebelle’s words, nodded in agreement. “It makes sense. We’ve all been having these strange memories and experiehat are somehow ected. This could be a piece of the puzzle, a e to our past lives.”

  Runebelle nodded slowly, relieved that her sisters uood. “I think…we’re starting to remember what happeo us before... and maybe what led us to bee what we are now.”

  “If we were created by Kintovar,” Risebelle began, “then it means we had to have died at some point to bee like this... and if that’s the case, any of us remember that moment?”

  The three sisters looked at each other with unease. Runebelle said, “I may know a lot about my past, but my memories are still inplete. I ’t recall the exaent of death...”

  Roselle added, “I don’t know much about my past, but I am learning a lot about it...”

  Risebelle gave a deep sigh and said, “That settles it. There’s ohing we o do. We have to find someone from our past lives, someone who might have answers. It’s a long shot, and there are no guarantees, but maybe, just maybe, they exist, and we find them here at Shadowcroft.”

  Runebelle looked towards Runebelle and said, “Perhaps Ayana might know something more. She mentiohat this pce is overwhelming for those ‘who have been here before.’ She might have more information or even a lead on someone who remembers our past lives.”

  Roselle nodded in agreement. “It’s worth a shot. Ayana seemed friendly enough. Maybe we trust her with this information.”

  Risebelle put a hand on Roselle’s shoulder and gred in her eyes. “Never say that, Roselle. Don’t trust anyone here, Roselle...” she warned. But then, face softened, and she added, “Ayana might be our best lead, but we ’t let even Kintovar know about this. This isn’t because we don’t trust her, but this is something that we have to do for ourselves.”

  Risebelle asked a question aloud, “Roselle, Runebelle, before we leave, does the name ‘Rosebelle’ ring any bells?”

  “It does,” Roselle said with awe ing to her face.

  Runebelle chimed in, “Yes, it’s ected to our past memories.”

  Risebelle’s hand reached up and delicately brushed a strand of her hair with a nervous tick that revealed a rare tension within her. She gazed at her own refle in the mirror.

  ’So, ‘Rosebelle’... What does that name really mean? It’s lio our past, to memories we’ve been slowly unraveling. But it’s still a puzzle, and the pieces don’t quite fit. ’She began to picture Dark Whirlwind and Rosebelle, their faces merging with Roselle’s. Her brow furrowed in tration.

  She whispered urgently, ‘Dark Whirlwind, Rosebelle, and Roselle... they all share the same face. But the pieces don’t fit. Rosebelle’s attitude cshes with Dark Whirlwind’s. How these mismatched memories coexist?’