The shrill ringing of the alarm clock cut through the stillness of the room, dragging Light Yagami from his dreams. His sister's voice called from the doorway before he even opened his eyes.
"Light! Wake up! Have you seen the news? People are disappearing all over the city, and banks—some of the biggest ones—have been broken into overnight! This is insane!"
Light blinked slowly, sitting up. "Disappearing? How many?"
"Twenty-five, maybe more. And the police… they have no leads. They're saying it could be a kidnapping ring or a cartel or something. I… I don't know."
He ran a hand through his hair. "Hm. And the banks?"
"Millions stolen," she said, eyes wide. "But most of the money was left there! Why would they just… take part of it?"
Light frowned, already reaching for his phone. He'd barely glanced at the reports when it buzzed. His police captain's name flashed across the screen.
"Yagami, we need you at the station immediately," the captain said without preamble. "Bring everything you have. This… it's urgent."
"I'm on my way," Light replied, slipping on his coat.
The city outside seemed unusually tense. Sirens blared in the distance, people whispered in the streets, and news trucks roamed with flashing lights. Light walked briskly, his mind already racing through possibilities. Banks had been robbed, and dozens of people had gone missing overnight. But how could any single group accomplish all that in one night?
At the station, Light was given the details of the bank robberies. A single bank had been hit—but the method baffled the investigators. Security footage showed no obvious break-ins, alarms had been partially disabled but only briefly, and the vaults… the money taken wasn't the full sum. Only around 1.4 million was missing from accounts totaling tens of millions.
Light leaned against the counter, scanning the evidence. "So, they knew exactly how much to take," he murmured. "Interesting. But why leave the majority behind?"
A clerk from the bank explained nervously, "The robbers… they seemed very precise. They didn't touch personal accounts outside the high-roller section. They seemed… selective."
Light nodded, frowning. "Selective indeed. There's a reason behind this, something subtle. I need to see the vaults, the access logs, the employees' movements."
He spent the better part of the morning interviewing bank staff. Each story overlapped, yet contradictions remained. Who had been inside the vault at what time? How did the robbers bypass security so precisely? And most importantly, why leave most of the money behind? Every answer led to more questions.
Light stepped out of the restricted bank area, stretching slightly as he inhaled the crisp air of the city street. The chaos inside—the nervous staff, the frustrated detectives—still lingered behind him, but for a moment, he allowed himself a breath.
A sharp, confident voice cut through the murmur of the station lobby. "You're not seeing the connection here! The funds taken from this bank—it must be linked to the missing political donations! How long before someone actually investigates the stolen campaign money?"
Light paused, turning slightly toward the voice. He saw a young man, impeccably dressed, papers spread across the counter as he gestured emphatically. His tone was sharp, impatient, but measured, like someone used to commanding attention.
"…Look, I don't care about the technicalities right now," the man continued, but the detective's reply was lost to Light as he walked closer, pretending to adjust his coat.
He caught a few key fragments: "linked to the missing funds…" and "…when are you going to investigate…"
Light didn't approach. He didn't need to. He merely observed from the edge of the lobby, noting the young man's poise, his insistence, the quiet authority in his gestures. There was something about him—methodical, focused, precise—that made Light register him mentally as someone to keep an eye on.
Then the conversation drifted out of earshot as Light continued down the hall, returning to his own investigations. The young man's name, face, and the full context didn't matter… at least, not yet.
Back inside, Light continued methodically going over the vault procedures. He checked the sequence of locks, the access schedule, even the minute details of alarm triggers.
"Someone knew exactly how much to take," he muttered under his breath. "And they wanted it noticed, but not devastating… like a message. Or a test."
Light Began jotting down calculations and scenarios. He considered the employees' statements, the timing of alarms, the security rotations. It all suggested meticulous planning, yet the partial theft defied simple motives.
By evening, the sun was setting and the city still buzzed with unease. Light returned home, exhausted but restless. The TV flickered in the background, and he caught the evening news just as a story flashed across the screen.
"…and in an unprecedented turn, the suspect previously arrested for the Higuchi case was declared not guilty, after the prosecuting officer disappeared without explanation. A replacement prosecutor could not handle the case adequately…"
Light's father, watching alongside him, sighed heavily. "This is exactly why I hated prosecutors when I worked in the police department. Powerless, inefficient… useless."
Light, however, remained calm. "Karma always catches up," he said quietly.
Later, in his room, Light sat at his desk, the faint evening light streaming in. The city still hummed with tension outside. Pulling the Death Note from its drawer, he opened it carefully, Ryuk hovering nearby, grinning.
He wrote a name, the criminal who had evaded justice thanks to the missing prosecutor. With meticulous care, he wrote the conditions of death—forcing the man to pen his own suicide note, to confront the weight of his guilt before ending his life.
As he closed the notebook, Light exhaled slowly, walking toward his window. The city looked smaller, fragile, like a delicate model easily toppled. And in that quiet moment, he whispered internally:
"I am karma."
Ryuk chuckled from the corner, shaking his head. "And you love it, don't you?"
Light didn't answer, already planning the next steps. Missing people, selective bank thefts… the day had only just begun, and yet a faint pulse of something larger stirred in the shadows.
The chaos had arrived, and the city didn't yet know it was only the first move in a far greater gam