21. Dangerous Currents

# Nine Lives in Neon Lights

## Chapter 21: Dangerous Currents

The anonymous text message from lunch haunted Akira through her remaining afternoon classes. Every time her phone buzzed—which seemed to happen with increasing frequency—her heart would skip a beat, expecting another cryptic message from unknown numbers. But it was the growing sense of being watched, studied, evaluated by unseen eyes that made her skin crawl.

Where was Ryouta? His absence felt more pronounced with each passing hour. During their shared Chemistry class, his empty seat seemed to mock her growing anxiety. Without his steady presence to help her navigate the overwhelming sensory input from her enhanced abilities, every supernatural signature felt like needles against her consciousness.

As the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, Akira gathered her things with shaking hands. The magnetic pull she seemed to radiate had only intensified throughout the afternoon, drawing more attention, more stares, more whispered conversations that her enhanced hearing couldn't help but pick up.

"—energy is off the charts today—"

"—never seen anything like it—"

"—dangerous if she doesn't learn control—"

She was stuffing her textbooks into her bag when a shadow fell across her desk. Looking up, she found herself face-to-face with the silver-haired girl from earlier—Shiori Mizuno, according to the class roster.

"Yamamoto-san," Shiori said softly, her voice carrying that same strange accent Akira couldn't place. "Might I walk with you? There are things we should discuss."

Every instinct screamed at Akira to refuse, to flee, to find somewhere safe. But Shiori's energy signature, while ancient and cold, didn't carry the predatory hunger she'd sensed from some of the other supernatural students.

"I suppose," Akira replied carefully, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

They walked in silence through the crowded hallways, past clusters of students preparing for after-school activities. Akira noticed how other students seemed to unconsciously part before them, creating a clear path as if some invisible force was pushing them aside.

Once they reached the school's front entrance, away from the immediate press of other students, Shiori spoke again.

"You're broadcasting your awakening like a beacon," she said without preamble. "Every supernatural being within a five-mile radius can sense the change in your energy signature. It's... unprecedented."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Akira said automatically, though the words felt hollow even to her own ears.

Shiori's pale lips curved in what might have been a smile. "The silver hair isn't a fashion choice," she said, running her fingers through the luminescent strands. "It's what happens when a young vampire's control slips during periods of intense emotion. Just as your sudden academic brilliance isn't the result of late-night studying."

Akira stopped walking. "You're a vampire?"

"Newly turned," Shiori confirmed. "Three months ago. I'm still learning to manage the... changes. Which is why I can recognize the signs of supernatural awakening in others." Her expression grew serious. "But your transformation is different. More powerful. More dangerous."

"Dangerous how?" Akira asked, thinking of the anonymous messages, the predatory looks, the way even human students seemed drawn to her against their will.

"A newly awakened supernatural being with your level of raw power will attract attention from every faction in Tokyo," Shiori explained. "Some will want to recruit you. Others will want to control you. And some..." she paused, her pale eyes scanning the area around them, "some will want to eliminate you before you become a threat."

A chill ran down Akira's spine, making her hidden tail twitch against its bindings. "Eliminate me?"

"Power vacuum," Shiori said simply. "The supernatural world here operates on a delicate balance. A new player with unknown capabilities and no established allegiances represents a wildcard that makes everyone nervous."

They had reached the school gates now, where the flow of departing students was heaviest. Akira noticed several familiar faces in the crowd—Kenji Nakamura near the bicycle racks, the warm-energy boy from Mathematics waiting by the bus stop, even Yuki Sato from the Computer Club lingering near the school entrance with her phone out.

All of them were watching her.

"They're not just curious," Shiori continued, following Akira's gaze. "They're evaluating. Trying to determine your capabilities, your potential allegiances, your weaknesses." She moved closer, lowering her voice. "Where is your mentor? Newly awakened beings don't usually navigate this alone."

The question hit like a physical blow. Where was Ryouta? He had promised to help her, to guide her through this transformation, but when she needed him most, he had simply vanished.

"I... he's not available today," Akira said, hating how vulnerable she sounded.

Shiori's expression softened slightly. "Dangerous. Very dangerous. Without proper guidance, you're broadcasting your power without any defensive measures. You're essentially walking around with a target painted on your back."

As if summoned by her words, Akira's phone buzzed with another message. This time, the sender wasn't anonymous:

"Kuroda-san has been called away on urgent business. In his absence, certain parties have become... interested in your development. Stay in public areas. Avoid being alone. —T.M."

"T.M.?" Akira muttered, staring at the message. She didn't recognize the initials, but the warning sent ice through her veins.

"Takeshi Mori," Shiori said, reading over her shoulder with vampire-enhanced vision. "Student Council President. Also..." she paused, seeming to consider her words carefully, "also not entirely human."

"How do you—"

"Werewolf," Shiori said simply. "Alpha bloodline, if the rumors are correct. The fact that he's reaching out to warn you suggests the situation is more serious than I initially thought."

Akira looked around the school grounds with new eyes. What she had assumed was normal curiosity about her academic transformation now felt like a hunting ground, with her as the prey. Students who had seemed merely interested now appeared to be positioning themselves strategically, cutting off potential escape routes.

"What do I do?" she asked, hating the note of desperation in her voice.

"Survive until your mentor returns," Shiori replied grimly. "And learn to shield your energy signature before it attracts something you can't handle."

## The Gathering Storm

Hiroshi was waiting for her at their usual meeting spot outside the school gates, his expression a mixture of concern and determination that made Akira's heart clench with guilt. In the face of all these supernatural revelations, her best friend's purely human energy felt like a beacon of normalcy she desperately wanted to cling to.

"There you are," he said, falling into step beside her as they headed toward the train station. "I was starting to worry. You looked pretty shaken up after your meeting with Sensei Watanabe."

"Just stressed about the academic pressure," Akira lied, acutely aware of Shiori walking a careful distance behind them, her pale figure ghosting through the crowd like a protective shadow.

"Akira," Hiroshi said, stopping suddenly and turning to face her. "I need you to be honest with me. What's really going on? The sudden academic improvement, the way everyone's been staring at you, the fact that you've been so distracted lately..." He paused, his eyes searching her face. "And who is Ryouta Kuroda really? Because I've been doing some research, and there are things about him that don't add up."

The question hit her like a physical blow. In all her worry about supernatural politics and hidden powers, she had almost forgotten that Hiroshi was conducting his own investigation. Her best friend, with his purely human intellect and determination, was potentially getting closer to the truth than was safe for either of them.

"What kind of research?" she asked carefully.

"His transfer records don't match his story," Hiroshi said, his voice dropping to a whisper. "There are gaps in his academic history, inconsistencies in his background information. And the way he looks at you... it's not like a normal high school student. It's like he's studying you, evaluating you for something."

Behind them, Akira sensed Shiori tense, her energy signature spiking with alarm. Other supernatural students who had been maintaining a careful distance were now moving closer, drawn by the intensity of their conversation.

"Hiroshi," Akira said urgently, "you need to stop digging into this. Some things are better left alone."

"Better left alone?" Hiroshi's voice rose slightly, attracting attention from passing students. "Akira, you're my best friend. If someone is manipulating you, using you for something, I need to know. I need to protect you."

The words hung in the air between them, loaded with years of friendship and genuine concern. But they also carried a weight that Hiroshi couldn't possibly understand—the weight of a human trying to protect someone who was no longer entirely human, in a world where such protection could be deadly for both of them.

Akira's phone buzzed again. Another message from T.M.:

"Situation escalating. Human friend asking dangerous questions. Recommend immediate separation. Others are listening."

Looking around, Akira realized with growing horror that they had attracted a small crowd. Students who should have been heading home were lingering nearby, pretending to check their phones or chat with friends while obviously eavesdropping on their conversation. Some she recognized as fellow supernatural beings, their energy signatures now feeling more predatory than curious. Others were human students whose expressions had shifted from casual interest to something that looked almost like hunger.

"We need to go," Akira said urgently, grabbing Hiroshi's arm. "Now."

"Akira, what's wrong? You're scaring me."

Before she could answer, before she could figure out how to extract them both from this increasingly dangerous situation, a new voice cut through the air.

"Yamamoto-san. Tanaka-san."

They turned to see Takeshi Mori approaching, his student council badge glinting in the afternoon sun. His energy signature was warm and powerful, carrying the controlled strength of a natural leader, but underneath it Akira sensed something wild and protective that made her think of pack animals defending their territory.

"Mori-san," Akira replied, trying to keep her voice steady.

"I was hoping I might have a word with you both," Takeshi said, but his eyes were scanning the crowd around them with the alertness of a predator assessing threats. "Perhaps somewhere more private? I have some concerns about recent developments that I think you'd find... illuminating."

The offer felt like a lifeline, but Akira wasn't sure she could trust it. In the absence of Ryouta's guidance, how could she know who was truly trying to help and who had their own agenda?

Her phone buzzed one final time. The message was from an unknown number, but the words made her blood run cold:

"The fox kit has no pack. The human has no protection. Both are vulnerable. We should discuss terms. —Council of Shadows"

Looking at Hiroshi's worried face, at Takeshi's carefully controlled expression, at the crowd of students whose intentions she couldn't decipher, Akira realized that her biggest fear was coming true. Her two worlds—human and supernatural—were colliding, and she had no idea how to keep the people she cared about safe from the forces that were gathering around her.

The web was tightening, and she was caught at its center with nowhere to run.