The evening sky over Tokyo bled into a muted red, the color of a dying ember, fading behind a row of glass buildings that reflected the last traces of day. The streetlights flickered to life one by one, casting long, thin shadows across the pavement—shadows that stretched like secrets.

Light Yagami walked through them as if they bowed to him.

Dressed in his immaculate school uniform, hands tucked neatly in his pockets, he looked like any other brilliant, well-mannered student. But the calm in his eyes was too sharp, too controlled… like the surface of still water hiding something monstrous beneath. Every step he took was deliberate. Every breath was measured. The world was a puzzle he had already solved.

He paused at a quiet crosswalk, the glow of the signal washing over his face. Someone approached him—you—your footsteps hesitant but purposeful, as if drawn to him without knowing why.

Light turned slightly, studying you with an unreadable smile. “Strange,” he said softly, his tone almost warm. “I usually notice people long before they notice me.”

The wind tugged at his hair, the city humming around him, but in that moment it felt like the world had narrowed to just the two of you.