What the hell is happening?
Was I given the power by mistake? Dammit, Author Lee…
"Cousin Rin, are you okay?" Mai's voice slipped in, steady, pulling me out of my spiral.
I shook my head so hard my bangs brushed against my cheeks. "No, I am not okay! I had lightning powers last night. When you zapped me yesterday, I acquired the power. I even zapped Selene!"
Their faces, though… flat. No spark of belief at all.
Hana tilted her head, stepping closer, her skirt swaying softly. "We want to believe you, but it's impossible for someone like you."
Impossible? My chest tightened. No—there had to be a reason.
I forced myself to think, breathing in slow. When Selene killed me… I was granted reincarnation. Then the ants—I could regenerate. Then yesterday, Mai zapped me, and I had her powers. But not anymore. Does that mean it's limited? Temporary?
My hands balled into fists. "Em… Cousin Mai. Zap me," I said, stepping forward, testing my own theory.
Mai's eyes widened instantly. She shook her head, her long hair brushing against her sleeve. "No way. I'm still feeling bad about yesterday. Something bad could've happened to you, but somehow you survived."
"Just zap me! I need to check something," I insisted, my voice cracking with urgency.
But Mai's jaw set firm. "Nothing you're going to say, cousin, will make me—"
"Okay then," I cut in, smirking just a little, my heart pounding at the reckless thought. I took a breath, then blurted out, "But you need to know… I do picture Koko naked every single time and imagine a lot of dirty thoughts with he—"
"BZZZT!"
Before I could finish, my whole body lit up with sparks. The current rushed through me, sharp and wild, and I twitched on the floor like some helpless bug. My arms flailed. My voice broke into little squeaks I couldn't even control.
The girls just… stared.
Koko's jaw dropped, wide enough to swallow her own words. Hana slapped both hands over her mouth, muffling a scream. Suki, of course, didn't even flinch—she just lifted her cup and sipped, shoulders shaking like she was secretly laughing.
Mai stood frozen, lightning still buzzing faintly around her fingertips. Her hands trembled. Her cheeks were burning red, equal parts fury and panic. "Cousin Rin!" she shouted, her voice cracking.
And me? I was still twitching, breath shallow, smoke practically puffing from my hair. My limbs ached, my chest heaved.
"So much pain…" I croaked. Then—my hand lifted on its own. My fingertip sparked. A little light, faint but real. "Damn… so I have to suffer this much to gain power?"
I staggered to my feet slowly, like my body was rebooting.
"Ahhhhhh!" Koko gasped, stumbling back so hard she nearly tripped over her chair.
"Your eyes… they… they're purple," Hana whispered, her voice shaking.
"What?!" I blinked at them, but the charge inside me only grew stronger, surging like waves against my skin. My body felt like a recharged battery—alive, buzzing, overflowing.
My aura felt heavier, glowing stronger than yesterday. Lightning crawled up my arms in thin lines, and the air around me snapped and crackled.
"Oh… you were telling the truth," Mai breathed, eyes wide.
"See?!" I said, grinning too hard, too high on the feeling. "I told you I have powers! Cool, right?"
But then—zap!
The lightning shot from my hand before I could even think. It struck the refreshments table.
"Ohhh!" Everyone gasped in unison, chairs scraping back. The plates rattled, cups toppled, the smell of burnt sugar filled the air.
"Oops, sorry! I didn't mean to—"
But another spark tore loose, wild, and shot across the room. It nearly hit one of the maidens.
"Watch out!"
In a blur of speed, someone yanked her aside. The girl stumbled into safety, her breath ragged. My heart stopped at how close it had been.
The room filled with sharp gasps, frightened eyes all on me.
Mai rushed forward, grabbing my wrist tight. "Cousins, let's go before cousin Rin destroys this club!" she snapped, tugging me toward the door with all her strength.
The others didn't argue. Hana scrambled up, Koko stumbled after us, and even Suki finally stood, slipping her cup down with a quiet sigh.
And just like that—chaos at my back, sparks still buzzing at my fingertips—Mai dragged me out, with the others close behind.
We didn't stop until the chatter of the club was far behind us. The sun was sharp overhead, throwing clear light across the empty courtyard. No shadows to hide in. No excuses. Just me, standing there with sparks dancing faintly at my fingertips.
"Okay… this place is better. Good," Mai said, her voice clipped. She turned to me, eyes blazing. "How is this even possible? I zap you once, and suddenly you've got powers?"
"Temporary. I think," I muttered, rubbing my arm where the last of the charge still buzzed.
"Temporary or not, you have powers." Hana folded her arms, her words cutting through the air.
"That's not possible," Suki said, her calm tone now unsettlingly cold. "No one in the Kisaragi clan has powers. No one."
"Yeah, but I do." I forced a weak laugh, lifting my hand where tiny sparks leapt between my fingers. "Haha… it's a good thing, right?"
Koko stepped closer, her expression tight, disbelief twisting into something sharper. "Unless… you're not a Kisaragi."
"What? Of course I am!" I blurted out too fast, my voice cracking. "I'm Rin Kisaragi. Your cousin."
Mai shook her head slowly, the sunlight catching in her hair, her gaze unforgiving. "No. You're not. There have been signs from the very beginning."
"The way you talk," Koko pressed, her voice unshaking now. "The way you don't recognize people names. How you cling to cousin Akari all the time. And now this—powers. None of it fits."
Hana's eyes locked on mine, sharp and unrelenting. "Then tell us… who you really are."
Their stares pinned me down harder than any lightning bolt.
I swallowed, my throat dry, my pulse pounding. They weren't wrong. If something was wrong with Rin Kisaragi, they'd be the first to know. They deserved more than lies.
If I could tell Selene, then maybe… maybe I could tell them too.
I drew in a shaky breath, sparks crackling faintly around my hand.
"…Yes. You're right." My voice trembled, breaking the silence. "I am not Rin Kisaragi."