The Unraveling Mystery: Vampires and Genetics

As the trio made their way back to their next class, their minds were racing with the weight of their recent conversation. Saori, ever the observant one, couldn't help but notice the look of concern on Yuna and Mika's faces. "What's wrong?" she asked, her voice laced with worry.

Mika shrugged, her eyes darting back and forth nervously. "It's just...everything," she said, her voice trailing off. "The attacks, the news reports, it's all so overwhelming."

Yuna nodded in agreement, her own thoughts mirroring those of her sister. "And the fact that we might be next," she added quietly.

Saori placed a comforting hand on Yuna's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "We'll figure it out," she said, her voice filled with determination. "We'll protect ourselves, and we'll make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else."

The group fell into a contemplative silence, each lost in their own thoughts. But after a few moments, Mika spoke up, her voice quavering slightly. "Saori, how are vampires made?" she asked, her eyes flickering between her two friends.

Saori's eyes widened in surprise, but she quickly regained her composure. "Well, it used to be thought that it was just a simple matter of being bitten by a vampire," she explained, her voice confident. "But recent research has suggested that there might be a genetic predisposition involved."

Yuna and Mika both leaned in, their interest piqued. "What do you mean?" Yuna asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.

Saori took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. "Well, there seems to be a specific gene that's present in those who are susceptible to becoming vampires," she said, her voice growing more animated with each passing word. "And it's a very rare gene, found in only a small percentage of the population."

Mika furrowed her brow in confusion. "Where does it come from?" she asked.

"That's the thing," Saori replied, her voice tinged with excitement. "We don't know. Some scientists think it might be an evolutionary adaptation, while others think it could be something else entirely."

Yuna nodded slowly, her thoughts turning to the implications of this information. "So, what happens once someone is attacked?" she asked, her voice soft.

Saori's face grew serious, and she took a moment to compose her thoughts. "Well, it's not just the attack that turns someone into a vampire," she explained. "The victim has to be near death, but somehow survive. And even then, it's not guaranteed."

Mika looked skeptical. "That sounds like a pretty narrow window," she said, her voice doubtful.

Saori nodded in agreement. "It is," she said. "But there's one more thing. Some believe that luck, or lack thereof, can play a role in the transformation process."

Yuna's nerves were getting the better of her. "S-Saori, h-how d-did you l-learn all o-of t-this?" she asked, her words coming out in a jumbled mess.

Saori noticed Yuna's stuttering and smiled reassuringly at her. "My family has a long history of vampire hunting," she explained. "My mother is a brilliant geneticist and has been studying the vampire gene for years. She's taught me everything I know." she said. "She's been teaching me about this stuff since I was a little girl."

"And there's one other thing that we've discovered recently that seems to play a role, but we're still not entirely sure what it is."

Mika raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? What other thing?"

Saori hesitated for a moment before answering. "It's hard to explain, but we've found that there's some sort of... I don't know, energy, that seems to be present during the attack. It's not something that can be measured or quantified, but we've noticed a correlation between its presence and a successful transformation."

Yuna looked even more overwhelmed now. "This is all so much to take in," she said softly.