Chapter 2

The Death Note fell.

It sliced through the cold night air, invisible to the human eye, twisting and turning as it drifted downward. The city below was a sea of neon lights and restless movement—cars rushing through the streets, advertisements flashing across towering screens, and people going about their routines, unaware that their world was about to change.

The notebook landed in the schoolyard of Shinjuku North High School, coming to rest on a patch of concrete beneath a flickering lamppost. Despite the wind, it did not move. Despite the dozens of students walking past, none of them seemed to notice it. It simply lay there, waiting for the right person to find it.

That person arrived moments later.

Hikaru Tanaka stood near the school gates, his sharp eyes observing the departing students. He had always found people fascinating—how they walked, how they talked, the little patterns in their behavior that they themselves never noticed. Most were predictable, boring even, but sometimes, if he paid close enough attention, he would see something… interesting.

And today, he did.

A black notebook, sitting alone in the schoolyard.

Hikaru frowned slightly. It wasn’t just that the notebook was there—it was the way no one else seemed to acknowledge it. People walked past it without even glancing down. Some even stepped around it unconsciously. That was strange.

Intrigued, he walked toward it, his shoes clicking softly against the pavement. When he reached the notebook, he crouched down and ran his fingers over the cover. It was smooth, cool to the touch, with two words written in bold, plain lettering:

DEATH NOTE

Hikaru’s eyes narrowed. What kind of name is that?

Flipping it open, he skimmed the first page.

> The human whose name is written in this notebook shall die.

He stared at the sentence, then turned the page. There were more rules—detailed, specific, almost methodical in their precision. Too elaborate for a simple joke. Too meticulous to be random nonsense. Whoever had written this had put in a lot of effort.

A small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. Interesting.

Still, he wasn’t the type to believe in ghost stories. Supernatural powers? Gods of death? Nonsense. He sighed, shutting the notebook and slipping it into his bag. If nothing else, it might be entertaining to read later.

As he stepped onto the sidewalk and headed toward the train station, a deep voice echoed from above.

“So, you’re the one who picked it up.”

Hikaru froze mid-step.

The voice was unnatural—low, amused, with a rasping edge that sent a faint chill through the air. Slowly, he lifted his gaze.

There, perched on top of a streetlight, was something impossible.

It was tall and grotesque, its body thin and skeletal with gray, decayed-looking skin stretched over sharp bones. Its wings—massive, black, and leathery—were folded against its back. Its yellow eyes gleamed with an eerie glow, and in its long, bony fingers, it casually twirled a half-eaten apple.

Hikaru’s breath should have caught in his throat. His instincts should have screamed at him to run.

But they didn’t.

Instead, he tilted his head slightly and smiled.

“You must be Ryuk.”

The creature blinked. Then, it let out a rasping, delighted laugh. “Oh? You already know my name?”

Hikaru tapped the Death Note in his bag. “I read the rules. It mentioned a Shinigami.”

Ryuk’s grin widened, his jagged teeth glinting under the streetlights. “Smart boy.”

Hikaru’s smile deepened. There was no fear in his expression, no hesitation. Only curiosity.

Something told him that his life had just become very, very interesting.

And he was going to enjoy every second of it.

To be continued.....

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