Saving a friend and defeating the foe

"We're here!" Kaeli declared to the group. Transported swiftly by the Jewel of the Air, they arrived just in time at the 20-storey Matatag Building - the tallest structure in Dumaguete City. Their feet landed on the rooftop, where their friend Ingrid was expected to be, with a sliver of hope that Verdantia had reached her first.

"Huh? So, Ingrid is probably here," Teresa affirmed, exhaling deeply. Sensing the unfamiliar environment and feeling like they were nearly touching the sky, Maria ran forward, curiosity pulling her. Suddenly, she stopped as she reached the edge of the rooftop. Below, the busy streets bustled with people and vehicles, all reduced to miniature form from such a great height. The sight made her feel dizzy and nauseated.

"Oh my! This is surreal," she exclaimed in awe before returning to the group.

"Alright. My jewel has detected Ingrid's location correctly," Kaeli said with confidence. The rooftop was vast, scattered with few small rooms, making it difficult to pinpoint Ingrid's exact whereabouts. The sun was nearing its peak at almost noon, and the scorching heat signaled that they couldn't afford to stay much longer.

"Ingrid! Where are you???" Teresa bellowed.

"Ingrid!" Maria called out, adding her voice.

The three girls instinctively scattered across the rooftop, determined to search every room and corner. The area was oddly arranged, with several small structures scattered throughout.

Kaeli was the first to move, rushing to the eastern side. One of the doors there was already open, and she stepped inside quickly. Glancing around, she found the room empty - Ingrid wasn't there.

Next, Maria headed toward the western section, where several closed rooms stood behind rows of benches. She peeked into each space, but again, no sign of their friend.

Finally, Teresa sprinted toward the southern area, where a small watchtower stood. She climbed the narrow staircase, heart pounding, only to find it deserted. Just as she turned around to head back down, a jolt of shock rippled through her.

Ingrid was standing right in front of her.

"Ingrid!" Teresa cried out, startled and breathless.

"Oh, Teresa, you're here?" Ingrid said, surprised to see her. She hugged Teresa tightly.

"Actually, I brought Maria and Kaeli to help you fight Verdantia. She's planning to kill you," Teresa confessed.

"W-what? Verdantia?" Ingrid looked confused.

"Yes. But it'll take me a while to explain everything," Teresa replied. "Just so you know, unusual things have already been happening. And by the way? Verdantia is an evil creature transformed from a human - and that person is none other than - "

"Teresa! Come over here!" Maria suddenly shouted from below, cutting Teresa off just as she was about to reveal something important.

Teresa, who was at the watchtower, looked down and immediately ran downstairs. She was shocked to see Ingrid standing there with Maria and Kaeli.

"Ingrid?" Teresa said, perplexed. "But?" She glanced back up at the tower. Suddenly, the other Ingrid - the one she had been speaking with moments ago - slowly came down the stairs.

Maria looked from one Ingrid to the other, confused. "Who's the real one?" she muttered. "Oh no! Ingrid!" she cried in frustration, glancing between them left and right.

"Aren't we late for coming?" Kaeli asked in despair.

"Maria, Kaeli, please step back," Teresa commanded in a serious tone. "We need to stay away from them."

"But why? Aren't you scared? Why is there another Ingrid? I am the real one!" the Ingrid beside Maria and Kaeli pleaded desperately.

"I am the real Ingrid, you fake!" Ingrid snapped, her voice filled with rage as she descended the stairs. She walked up to her double, staring her down, trying to prove herself - only making it harder for the three girls to decide who was who.

"We can't be sure who the real one is," Kaeli admitted honestly. "Even though I've known you, Ingrid, I wouldn't be able to tell right away."

"You've already interfered, Verdantia!" Teresa added indignantly. "So, this is your trick!" "Please? show yourself, Verdantia," Maria said politely, her voice trembling.

"I am Ingrid May Defensor!" both Ingrids declared in unison.

"She's the impostor!" they shouted at the same time, each one pointing at the other.

"Supposedly, we came here to fight you, Verdantia!" Teresa declared. "But for the meantime, we can't do that."

"Verdantia?" the two Ingrids echoed in confusion.

"She's Brigette, Ingrid!" Maria explained.

"Oh, I see. Then there's no doubt," The first Ingrid said confidently. "She's always loathed me."

Teresa turned to Maria and Kaeli with a firm look. "Listen, ladies. These two need to fight each other first. Let's see what happens."

Maria and Kaeli exchanged uneasy glances, then nodded.

"All right," they agreed in unison.

"As you wish?" the two Ingrids responded in unison, accepting the challenge. Sensing the battle about to begin, they instinctively stepped away from each other. Each one raised a hand, revealing a glowing stone - both radiating with flames.

It was nearly impossible to tell who the real one was. The real Ingrid was supposed to be the sole bearer of the fire jewel - Carnelian. Yet somehow, the fake one had managed to mimic its power.

"I am the true keeper of this jewel!" the second Ingrid shouted forcefully, hurling a flash of fire at her opponent.

"No, you're not!" the first Ingrid snapped back. "Let me show you how to wield fire properly." She conjured a massive ball of flame - larger than anyone expected."Haaaaahhhh!!!" she roared, unleashing her full energy.

"What the?" the other Ingrid gasped, amazed by the sheer force of the attack. She crossed her arms to shield herself, forming a defensive stance against the oncoming fireball.

At first, she stood her ground. But the fireball's power intensified, pushing her back with force she couldn't withstand. Step by step, she stumbled until the flames struck her directly. The impact threw her to the ground. "Aaaaggghhh?" she cried out in pain.

"Oh no?" Maria gasped, covering her mouth in shock. Kaeli stood frozen, her hands trembling - itching to join the fight, though she held back.

Teresa, meanwhile, stared with narrowed eyes, her brow furrowed in fierce concentration. She was determined to uncover the truth - who was the real Ingrid?

The second Ingrid, lying on the ground, struggled to lift herself after the brutal attack from the other. She had only sustained minor burns from the massive fireball, thanks to a barrier she managed to cast just in time. Still, she hadn't been able to counter it.

Ingrid let out a sinister laugh as she slowly approached her fallen counterpart, the click of her heels echoing ominously with every step.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" she cackled. "Come on - show your true colors, you fake."

The other Ingrid didn't respond. She said nothing, offering only a sharp, defiant stare. "The real Ingrid knows how to wield the Jewel of Fire - and it's pretty obvious that I'm the real one," Ingrid declared with a confident smile as she glanced at the three girls. She raised the Jewel of Fire once more, its flames blazing at full strength, eager to consume anything in its path.

The other Ingrid slowly stood up, unsteady and trembling. "The fake will reveal herself soon enough," she said, her voice strained. "It's just? hard for me to transform into Verdantia."

Kaeli, who was watching alongside Teresa and Maria, already sensed who the real Ingrid was. She took a few steps forward, ready to intervene, but Teresa raised her hand, signaling for her to stop. With a shake of her head, Teresa silently urged Kaeli to hold back.

"Let's end this fight!" the first Ingrid shouted; her voice sharp with aggression. As she approached the other Ingrid - helpless yet burning with courage - she grabbed her by the neck with one hand, squeezing tightly and slowly lifting her off the ground. The Jewel of Fire pulsed with intense light, flames flickering wildly, eager to be unleashed.

"Arrgghh?" the other Ingrid gasped, struggling for breath, both hands clutching at her attacker's wrist. "Y-you? You can't win. You're the fake," she choked out, her voice faint.

"You're dead, Ingrid!" Ingrid growled, her eyes blazing with fury. She intensified the power of the jewel, poised to eliminate her opponent. "Pray for your next journey?" she hissed, charging up a burning attack.

Meanwhile, the other Ingrid kept her eyes shut, paralyzed by fear. Terrified of what was to come, she could only brace herself.

"Haaaaahhh!" Ingrid roared, unleashing the full force of her might as flames surged around her.

"Ingrid!!!" the three girls screamed in terror, powerless to intervene.

"Ladies, say your prayers for her?" Ingrid commanded. But just as she was about to be engulfed in flames, a strong force yanked the attacker's wrist back, halting the strike. A young man stepped forward, placing himself between the two Ingrids.

"Dominic?" both Ingrids gasped, startled by his sudden appearance.

Teresa, Maria, and Kaeli exhaled in unison, a glimmer of hope returning to their eyes.

The ominous flame that was meant to end other Ingrid's life slowly vanished as Dominic intervened. "Ouch?" Ingrid cried out, wincing in pain as she struggled to free her wrist from Dominic's tight grip. Unable to endure it any longer, she released the other Ingrid's neck with her other hand.

"Aahh?" the second Ingrid gasped for air, exhaling a deep breath as she collapsed to the ground, thrown with force.

As the other real Ingrid broke free from Ingrid's grip, Dominic released her as well. He had just saved her from death - which could only mean one thing: he knew who the real one was. "Dominic?" Ingrid gasped, startled. "Why? I hope you understand the dilemma here, but I am - "

"There's no need to prove anything," Dominic cut her off. "I know who the true bearer of the Fire Jewel is. And you are... not!"

With that, he unleashed his power, burning away the false appearance of Ingrid. The illusion melted, revealing a dark, twisted creature beneath the skin - Verdantia.

"Ahhhhhh? Ahhh? Ahhh?" The first Ingrid - the one who claimed to be the real one - cried out in defeat as her disguise shattered. Her true form emerged, twisted and dark. She wasn't Ingrid at all.

She was Verdantia - the wicked creature who was once known as Brigette. Her transformation was still shrouded in mystery - how she became what she was. Yet somehow, Dominic seemed to understand it all, as though he carried an ability beyond explanation.

Verdantia took a few steps backward as she revealed her full form.

"You stupid, Dominic!" she snarled. "It was you, Ingrid, who made me like this. You are a distraction!"

Vines burst from her fingers, stretching outward with the intent to strike Ingrid. In an instant, Dominic rushed in front of her, shielding her from the attack. Teresa, Maria, and Kaeli, without hesitation, stepped in to defend them. They unleashed their powers all at once -

Kaeli's quartz jewel channeled the air, whipping up an intense whirlwind, Maria's aquamarine jewel commanded water, blasting a powerful surge of current, and Teresa's onyx jewel summoned the element of earth, drawing up thick clouds of dust and massive clumps of soil that tore through the battlefield. Their combined elemental assault struck Verdantia with overwhelming force. The vines were sliced away, and her necklace - the source of her transformation - shattered into pieces.

"Aggghhhh?" Verdantia wailed, collapsing to the ground.

There, her exhausted body trembled and slowly began to shift, changing back into its original form - Brigette.

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