The Mirrored Truth

As the pale dawn light crept in through the basement windows of their workshop, Yuna and Mika found themselves in a surreal calm following the storm. Saori lay on a makeshift bed, her unconscious form a haunting reminder of the fight they barely remembered.

"Sh-sh-she's going to be okay, right?" Yuna asked, her voice filled with worry as she gently brushed a stray lock of hair from Saori's face.

Mika nodded, her gaze steady on Yuna. "Yeah, she's tough. We've seen her come back from worse. But..." She glanced at the various security monitors they'd set up around the school. "We need to figure out what the hell happened."

Navigating the footage, they found themselves staring at a gruesome tableau of blood and destruction. But the most horrifying part was watching themselves in action, their features twisted and transformed into deadly, predatory beings. They watched as they fought with a ferocity that neither of them recognized, their vampire selves cold, brutal, and seemingly invincible.

"Holy hell, is that... is that us?" Mika's voice was almost a whisper, her eyes wide as she watched their transformed selves on the screen.

"Yeah... it's us," Yuna replied, her voice shaky. She was silent for a moment before adding, "I... I don't remember any of it."

As the shock of the revelation began to settle, both girls felt an odd sensation, a voice in their heads whispering for them to look at the mirror on the wall. Slowly, they approached it, their reflections staring back at them. Suddenly, they were not alone in their own minds. Their vampire selves were there, their personalities drastically different.

Mika was the first to break the silence. "So, you're... me?"

Her reflection smirked, her demeanor more serious and confident, a stark contrast to the typically jovial Mika. "In the flesh. Well, not literally, I suppose."

"Are you the one who...?" Yuna stuttered, unable to finish her question.

Her reflection, alluring and dangerously cold, replied with a sly smile, "Oh, sweetheart, if you're asking if I tore Satsuki apart... the answer is a delightful yes."

As Yuna recoiled from the answer, her vampire self laughed, a low and seductive sound that sent a shiver down Yuna's spine. "Don't act so surprised, darling. It was quite... liberating."

"But... why can't we remember?" Mika asked, her voice tinged with fear.

Her vampire reflection cackled, the sound echoing off the workshop walls. "Oh, sweetheart, you finally got it! That's right. I've been playing nice. Letting you have your sunlit days of innocence. But remember, I can take the reins anytime I want."

This revelation sent a chill down Mika's spine, her face turning pale. "But... why? Why let us live if you could just... take over?"

A sly grin appeared on the reflection's face. "Well, why not? I enjoy our little arrangement. The daytime is just too... dull for my tastes. Plus, it's entertaining to watch you squirm."

Meanwhile, Yuna had been silently observing her own reflection, her eyes filled with a mix of fear and curiosity. "You're the same, aren't you? You could just take control, but you choose not to."

Yuna's vampire self tilted her head, a chilling smile gracing her lips. "Exactly, darling. And don't you forget it."

"But we need to know," Yuna insisted, her voice shaky. "You can't just... keep us in the dark. Not anymore."

Mika nodded in agreement, her hands balled into fists. "Yeah, we deserve to know what you're doing when you're in control."

Their vampire selves shared a glance before turning back to them. Mika's reflection sighed, rolling her eyes. "Fine, have it your way. But don't say I didn't warn you."

"And you?" Yuna asked, locking eyes with her reflection.

The vampire's cold, calculating gaze met hers, a smirk on her face. "I suppose it could be... entertaining, to let you in on the fun. But remember this, sweet Yuna: knowledge won't give you control. When the sun sets, it's my turn to play."

"But we'll know," Mika added, her voice firm. "And that's better than being left in the dark."

The vampire reflections smirked, their eyes glinting ominously. The agreement was sealed, their usual banter replaced by a tense silence. Mika and Yuna stared at their own reflections, the reality of their situation sinking in. Their days belonged to them, but the nights... the nights belonged to the monsters within.

As Saori stirred in her makeshift bed, Mika and Yuna both whipped their heads around, their faces ashen, eyes wide. Mika broke the silence first, her voice barely above a whisper. "Yuna, do you think she heard us?"

"I... I don't know," Yuna replied, her hands unconsciously wringing the hem of her shirt. "She's been unconscious the whole time, hasn't she?

"But what if... if she heard us?" Yuna's voice quavered, her stutter creeping in as her nerves started to fray. "What... what would she think of us?"

Mika bit her lip, her eyes darting over to Saori. "We need to... you know, get rid of the footage. But we can't make it obvious. Can't have it looking like we've got something to hide."

"Y-yes, Mika," Yuna responded, her voice trembling, "I know."

Just then, Saori's eyes fluttered open, her gaze slowly focusing on the two girls standing nervously across the room. They attempted to plaster on calm smiles, their hearts pounding in their chests. "Hey, Saori," Mika greeted, her voice unnaturally cheerful. "How're you feeling?"

At the same time, Yuna rushed to Saori's side, her hands shaking as she gently touched Saori's forehead. "Saori, are... are you okay?" she asked, her voice laden with concern and an undercurrent of fear.

As Saori blinked, trying to clear the fog in her head, Mika and Yuna shared a nervous glance. Their secret was teetering on the edge of exposure and they had no idea how to deal with it. Their vampire selves were silent, watching the drama unfold with wicked amusement.

"Yuna... Mika..." Saori's voice was barely a whisper, the edges of her consciousness still blurred with pain and the remnants of her unconscious state.

Yuna gently squeezed Saori's hand, her heart pounding like a drum against her ribcage. "We're here, Saori," she reassured her, trying to keep her voice steady. "You're safe. You're in our workshop."

Saori's eyes flicked between the two of them, a soft frown creasing her brow. "I... I remember... there was a fight..." Her words trailed off, confusion washing over her.

"Yeah, there was," Mika interjected quickly, her gaze darting to Yuna for support. "But it's over now. You got a nasty knock on the head, but you're gonna be just fine."

Saori seemed to consider this, her gaze distant. "I remember... blood... screaming..." Her voice was soft, her words stirring a cold dread in the pit of Mika and Yuna's stomachs.

"That... that was the fight," Yuna murmured, her voice trembling slightly. "It was... it was really bad."

"But we're all okay now, Saori," Mika reassured her, her tone overly bright. "That's what matters, right? We're all okay."

Saori nodded slowly, her gaze falling on Yuna. "I'm glad you're okay, Yuna," she whispered, her hand reaching up to brush against Yuna's cheek. "I was so scared..."

Yuna swallowed hard, her voice trembling despite her best efforts. "I-I-I'm okay, Saori," she stuttered out, cradling Saori's hand. "We b-both are."

Mika bobbed her head in agreement, trying to offer a comforting smile despite her inner turmoil. "Yeah, what Yuna said. We're as tough as old boots, aren't we?"

Saori managed a small smile at their attempt to lighten the mood. But then her gaze flicked to the security monitors, her brow furrowing. "What happened...after?"

Yuna and Mika exchanged a glance, their hearts sinking. "We, uh...we don't remember much," Mika admitted, struggling to keep her voice steady. "I think we got hit on the head too."

"And the security footage?" Saori continued, her eyes not leaving the monitors.

"Corrupted," Yuna blurted out, a little too quickly. "There was a...a power surge or something. Everything from that night is...gone."

"Oh," Saori said, disappointment lacing her voice. She seemed to accept their explanation, her eyes closing as fatigue overcame her.

With Saori asleep once again, Mika turned to Yuna, a contemplative expression on her face. "So, about the footage..."

"We need to get rid of it," Yuna cut in, her voice firm. "But it needs to look like an accident."

A tense silence fell over the room. Yuna and Mika shared a troubled look, their minds in overdrive, trying to find a way out of this messy situation.

Suddenly, Yuna's eyes lit up. "What if... what if we did actually cause a power surge? A real one."

Mika scratched her head, "So, a real power surge then? But we can't cause one without the whole school losing power, that would be too suspicious."

Yuna bit her lip, staring off into space as she considered their limited options. She glanced around the workshop and her eyes fell on a pile of discarded gadgets and parts, leftovers from Saori's covert security system installation. "Wait a minute, Mika, remember when Saori was installing the security system? There were so many parts left unused."

Mika looked at her, puzzled, "Yeah? So?"

Yuna grabbed one of the discarded power converters, a small, boxy gadget with an array of colorful wires poking out. "These power converters... Saori said they were too powerful for her security system. What if we...?"

Mika's eyes widened in realization. "What if we rigged one to cause a surge in the system? It would look like a random malfunction!"

"Exactly," Yuna confirmed, her voice trembling with excitement. "We just need to tamper with this and connect it to the security server."

"But how do we make sure it only affects the security system and not the whole school?" Mika questioned.

"Well, since Saori's system is separate from the school's, it should be relatively isolated. As long as we don't cause a city-wide blackout, we should be able to limit the effects."

The next few hours saw the girls hunched over their workspace, tools in hand, as they modified the power converter. Every now and then, one would cast a worried glance at Saori, sleeping soundly in the corner, unaware of their plan.

Finally, the device was ready. Now all that remained was to connect it to Saori's security system. They knew they were taking a big risk, but they also knew it was their only shot at keeping their secret safe.

"Ok, so, we just need to overcharge the converter, right?" Mika asked, her hands twitching nervously as they held the power converter.

"Right," Yuna confirmed, gulping down her own nerves as she reached for the pair of wires. "We pump this baby full of juice and it'll fry everything connected to it. Ready?"

Mika nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Yuna swallowed hard, her fingers trembling as they closed around the wires.

"Now!" Yuna shouted and Mika flipped the switch.

Instantly, a bright blue spark erupted from the converter, followed by a loud snap. The server began to buzz and smoke, the screens flashing rapidly before finally shutting down. The room plunged into darkness, only the emergency lights casting long, eerie shadows.

"Holy sh...!" Mika breathed, staring wide-eyed at the smoldering remnants of Saori's security system.

"We...we did it," Yuna stuttered, her heart pounding so loud in her chest she was sure Mika could hear it. "We really did it."

Their celebration was short-lived, however, as Saori's groan brought them back to reality. She was stirring in her sleep, the sudden power outage causing her to wake. Both Yuna and Mika stood stock-still, holding their breaths as they waited to see if their secret would remain safe.

As Saori blinked awake, the room dimly lit by emergency lights, she looked around in confusion. "Wh-what happened?" she asked, her eyes falling on Mika and Yuna standing nervously nearby.

Mika, ever the quick thinker, held up the fried power converter. "We tried to fix the server," she stammered out, her voice a high, anxious squeak. "W-we replaced the power supply."

Saori's eyes widened. The string of expletives that followed could have made a sailor blush. "Mika, you absolute fuckwit! You can't just tamper with things you don't understand! You dense, thoughtless twit!"

Her rage was as fiery as it was swift. She raged at Mika, her words sharp and scathing. "How many times have I told you to not mess with the power supply? It's too fucking powerful for that old server. You're damn lucky you didn't blow up youself and the whole fucking workshop!"

Mika was taken aback, tears welled up in her eyes and started streaming down her face. "I-I'm s-sorry, Saori. I didn't m-mean—"

Saori cut herself off, her angry tirade dying in her throat as she caught sight of Mika, tears welling up in her eyes, her face a mask of genuine regret.

"I-I'm s-sorry," Mika sobbed, her words coming out in a rush. "I-I didn't m-mean—"

Saori sighed, her anger quickly deflating as she ran a hand through her hair. "No, no, I'm sorry," she said, her voice softer now. "I shouldn't have yelled. I'm just... frustrated."

She moved over to the remnants of the server, her eyes scanning the damage. "This is... completely fried. There's no recovering the data," she muttered, her face falling in defeat. "And the last backup was this morning... So we've lost everything from today. But, I suppose it could've been worse."

Saori's expression crumpled, a sudden sob tearing its way from her throat. The harsh reality of everything they'd lost and everything they were up against hit her like a freight train. She doubled over, her hands clutching at her sides as if she were physically wounded.

"It's all my fault," she wept, her voice cracking with raw despair. "All of it. I couldn't protect anyone. I couldn't even protect myself. I...I let you down. I let everyone down."

Her sobs echoed through the room, a heart-wrenching melody of guilt and despair. Mika and Yuna could only watch in stunned silence as their usually composed friend broke down before them.

Yuna was the first to recover, stepping forward with a determined look in her eyes. "Saori, that's not true," she started, her voice shaking slightly.

But Saori wasn't listening. She continued to ramble, her words interspersed with sobs and sharp, pained gasps. She spoke of regrets, of people they'd lost, of every decision she'd made that had led them to this point.

"Mika, Yuna, I-I'm so s-sorry," she stuttered, her words barely intelligible through her sobs. "I've failed you...failed everyone..."

In that moment, Yuna's heart broke for her friend. She reached out, wrapping her arms around Saori and pulling her into a tight hug. But the words of comfort she wanted to offer died in her throat, replaced by a heavy silence.

Finally, after a long, tense pause, Yuna did something she'd never done before. She pulled back from Saori, looked her directly in the eye, and slapped her across the face. The sound echoed through the room, a sharp retort against the lingering silence.

"Snap out of it, Saori!" she snapped, her voice stern. "Yes, we've lost people. Yes, things are fucked. But you are not the one to blame. It's not your fault. You've done everything you can, more than any of us could have asked. If it wasn't for you, we'd be dead too. So don't you dare blame yourself."

Her voice softened, her fingers lightly brushing Saori's cheek. "You're our rock, Saori," she murmured. "You're the smartest person I know, the strongest person I know. And I...I..." She trailed off, her voice choked with emotion. Then, with a sudden surge of bravery, she leaned in and kissed Saori passionately.

After a moment, she pulled back, her hand moving to gently cradle Saori's face. "We're in this together," she said firmly. "And we're going to get through this, together."

And as Yuna held Saori, Mika joined them, wrapping her arms around them both. The trio stood there, a moment of shared comfort amidst the chaos, each of them silently vowing to fight, to survive, to make things better. Together.