[Location: Death Note - Unknown Country - Unknown Location.]
In a room dimly lit only by the faint glow of a monitor resting on the floor, an untidy-looking young man sat in a peculiar posture, his knees pulled up against his chest.
His dark eyes, framed by heavy dark circles, scanned the screen with an intensity that belied his seemingly relaxed stance.
L Lawliet, the enigmatic, world-renowned detective known simply as "L," was immersed in the most baffling case of his career.
L was regarded as the world's greatest detective, having previously solved the most convoluted cases no one else could touch.
Among the cases that had taken him the longest to solve were the BB serial murder case and preventing the world from entering World War III.
Now, arrayed before him were detailed reports on criminal records and circumstances of death, sent by his faithful assistant, Watari.
Nibbling on a sugary cake, he scanned every line, his thoughts moving at a dizzying speed.
Despite the gathered data, L was uneasy. The lack of logical patterns or reasonable explanations forced him to entertain increasingly improbable theories.
For the first time in a long while, he had to confront the possibility of something beyond human comprehension.
"Sir," Watari's calm voice interrupted over the speaker. "An additional eight convict deaths due to heart failure have been reported, along with 139 other civilians dying in the exact same manner. I have already transmitted the details to your terminal."
L tilted his head slightly to the side, as if processing the information from a different angle.
"Understood," L replied into the microphone, his tone flat and methodical.
He swiftly opened the file sent by Watari, but before he could read the name of the first convict, an unusual sound shattered the silence.
Ding!
Before his eyes, a holographic window materialized, projecting into the air with a clarity that defied all logic. His eyes narrowed as he read the text.
[Do you really want to keep investigating...? At this rate, you will die.]
For a moment, L remained motionless, his face unreadable.
Nevertheless, his thoughts accelerated, weighing possibilities.
Finally, he broke the silence.
"Watari, activate the room's cameras and describe what you see."
Watari, though surprised by the unusual request, obeyed without hesitation. From his monitoring station, he examined the footage fed by the cameras.
After a few seconds, his voice betrayed a rare mix of awe and bewilderment.
"Sir... I see a sort of holographic window floating before you. It doesn't appear to be projected from any device we can identify. Are you all right?"
"I am perfectly fine," L replied calmly. "However, I need you to inspect the room personally."
Watari wasted no time. He issued orders to bolster the building's security and made his way toward L's room.
Meanwhile, the detective continued to observe the holographic window, analyzing every word of the message. His mind explored hypotheses bordering on the absurd.
'Is this the work of the culprit? Or someone attempting to warn me?' he thought. Each possibility seemed more improbable than the last, yet none could be ruled out entirely.
Finally, slouched in his usual posture with a slice of cake in hand, L spoke in his customary tone of inquisitive calm.
"It appears you do not wish to see me dead. Are you the one responsible for these murders?"
As he waited for a response, he took another bite of cake, as though the conversation involved nothing out of the ordinary.
After a few seconds, the familiar chime resonated once more.
Ding!
Another holographic window overlaid the previous one.
[Something like that. At any rate, do you want what it takes to survive the attempt?]
[Yes / No]
L tilted his head slightly, a spark of interest gleaming in his eyes. Before he could decide what to do, Watari entered the room, while the two security guards accompanying him stood back, neither stepping inside nor peering in.
Watari's eyes immediately locked onto the holographic screen, his expression—though composed—reflecting quiet bewilderment.
He swept the room swiftly, leaving no corner unexamined.
"Sir," Watari said after a moment, "this does not appear to originate from any known technological source. Nor are we detecting external electronic signals or system intrusions. It is as if it simply... exists."
"That is interesting," L murmured, taking another bite of his cake. "That eliminates a conventional projection, at least preliminarily. It could be a shared psychological illusion, but its persistence suggests we are dealing with something entirely different."
He turned his head slightly toward Watari. "Any unusual patterns in the latest deaths? Anything suggesting an evolution in the culprit's modus operandi?"
"Nothing new for now. Of the deaths recorded globally over the last 96 hours, 139 civilians fit our suspect profile. However, upon investigating their medical histories and backgrounds, none showed any irregularities..." Watari answered. "I will, however, continue searching for more subtle connections."
L nodded, his eyes returning to the hologram. The "Yes" and "No" options floated before him, and he knew either choice carried risks. Yet failing to act carried risks as well.
"Watari," he began, his tone reflecting his typical blend of cold calculation. "Keep a detailed log of everything taking place. This interaction could be vital to the case."
Watari bowed his head in acknowledgment as L lazily extended an arm toward the screen, intending to select the "Yes" option.
'If the other party can shed light on the case, even slightly, then it is worth the risk,' he concluded.
As L's finger made contact with the "Yes" option, the familiar chime rang out once more.
Ding!
A new holographic window appeared, projecting with the same surreal clarity.
[Great! In that case... welcome to the "Part-Time Workers Group"!]
L read the text in absolute silence, his face remaining entirely expressionless.
Internally, however, a mix of bewilderment and calculation filled his mind. The deliberately informal phrasing seemed to clash with the gravity of the case he was facing.
"Part-Time Workers Group..." he muttered to himself, dissecting each word. 'What sort of joke is this? Or could it be...?'
He was given no time to finish the thought. The moment he read the final word, a blinding white light flooded the room, so intense that it forced him to close his eyes instinctively.
From the perspective of Watari and the security guards, what transpired was even more baffling.
L, sitting on the floor before the hologram, vanished in the blink of an eye—as if he had been erased from reality.
Watari stood frozen for a split second, his eyes examining the empty space where, moments earlier, the detective had been sitting.
His countenance, ever composed, now bore a gravity that betrayed suppressed concern.
"Sweep the building immediately," he ordered the agents in a low yet firm voice. "Include the adjacent structures and maintain surveillance over the streets and pedestrians. If you spot anything out of the ordinary, act with discretion. Do not draw attention."
The agents nodded sharply and exited the room, leaving Watari alone to inspect the area.
His gaze lingered on the spot where the holographic screen had floated moments before, but no trace remained. With calculated steps, he meticulously swept every corner of the room once more.
'No signs of projection or hidden devices,' he thought as he thoroughly scrutinized the surroundings. 'Nor any traces of external interference.'
Watari paused for a moment, his mind cycling through possible explanations. For years he had witnessed L's quirks, from his methods to his eccentricities. Yet this was unprecedented, even for him.
Finally, he activated a small communicator on his watch. "Keep the facility's cameras and sensors monitored around the clock. Any signal, no matter how faint, must be reported immediately."
Despite his usual calm, a thread of worry strained his voice. He knew that although L was extraordinarily resourceful, the nature of what had just occurred surpassed any eventuality they could have anticipated.
Watari remained silent for a few moments longer, observing the empty room. 'Wherever he is, he will surely find a way back... or at least leave us a clue.'
/////
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If nothing unexpected happens, we'll see you in a couple of days.
I wish you a good weekend.