A/N: First of the rewrites planned for this story. Please let me know what you think.

Nothing is right. The world I am seeing is grey and void of any life, it is different, and it thrills me. I can feel the power of this place though it is just an echo, like a voice from a distant memory; it draws me in, and I embrace it. I look down a tunnel to my left, and I see a shadow forming there, the tendrils of darkness molding the shape of a person. There is no face, but I watch in amazement as what appears to be a hand stretches out to me. Common sense tells me to run in the other direction, but something in my soul tells me I should go to it like it is part of me. I take a step towards the figure, confident that I will finally find out who it is . . .

"Noriko!" calls my father from downstairs. "You're going to be late for school if you don't get up now!"

Slowly I rise from my soft bed, lamenting the loss of my dream world, but I know it is pointless to try to return to the world of lifeless grey. It does not return at my command, even though I have seen it since I was a small child, and each time it seems more real than the time before.

"I'm coming, Dad!" I yell back as I pull my uniform out of my closet. I look over at my bedside clock and see I have half an hour to get ready if I wanted to make it to school before the last bell.

I go to my en-suite bathroom and quickly change into my school clothes before taking care of my morning routine. Brush my teeth, wash my face, apply moisturizer, apply deodorant, brush, and style my hair, finally, use a bare trace of perfume. Once I reach the second to last step of my routine, I look at myself in the mirror, wondering if I will see something new. Nothing about my appearance is outstanding, at least not to me, and I nod to my reflection. Considering how precious my time is of late, I do not want to waste more than I have to.

With my entrance exams just a few short months away, my schoolwork occupies a significant portion of my time. If not for how often I study with my friends, I would never see them given how much time I spend in my room, at school, cram school, and in the library. I am glad my family is as understanding as they are, but I do feel a little bad about not spending as much time with my little brother.

Gathering up my school things I scan my room for any sign of anything I might have missed in my slight mad dash. My clothes are in the hamper, books are in my arms, and my pencil case is in my satchel downstairs, as are my shoes and jacket. Nothing seems to be out of place, and everything I need is already here. With a relieved sigh, I head out of my room and towards the staircase, where the smell of freshly brewed coffee greets me.

As I enter the living area, I see my father and brother already seated at the table while my mother cooks. My dad is reading the newspaper, a black pen in hand to circle anything of interest to him or his case; most of the time he just circles something he is sure Koji or I will find interesting. My little brother, Koji, sits across from him already dressed in his school uniform of my former elementary school. He swings his legs as he eats from his giant bowl of impossibly sugary cereal, and I smile to myself as I put my books down on the coffee table and head over.

I slip into the chair beside my father, who acknowledges my presence with a wink. Koji beams at me, generally he says something but his mouth is currently full with food; I am glad he does not share with me.

"Good morning, Noriko," says my mother over her shoulder as I help myself to some toast with strawberry jelly and a cup of jasmine tea. "I hope you slept well."

I nod as I mix in a spoonful of sugar into my tea. "Yes," I reply. "Oh, Mom, before I forget. I'm going to the library tonight to do some research for my new project."

"What's your project about, Nori?" asks Koji, finally between bites of cereal, although he is getting droplets of milk on the table.

"Famous detectives throughout history," I say as I help myself to a few orange slices as well. "It's the final project for my study of law class, and worth a significant portion of my grade."

My father smirks. "Who are you researching? Your dear old dad?"

I roll my eyes; of course, he says something like that. "I've chosen to write about the detective L." Seconds after the words leave my mouth a weird look crosses my father's eyes like heis remembers something better left forgotten.

"I see," he says a little stiffly. "Well, you've certainly chosen a difficult topic to research, very little is known about L. The police here have had dealings with him in the past, and we still don't know much beyond his name and occupation."

"I'm up to the challenge," I say with a small smile. "Who knows? Maybe I'll learn something about him you don't know."

Koji grins brightly. "If anyone can find out what L's hiding, it's you, Nori. You solved that case at my school. Someone was breaking into lockers and stealing phones, and you were the one who found the guy. Teachers still talk about that. I'm glad no one expects me to solve mysteries, I don't think I could deal with the pressure."

"Koji, you would do just fine," I argue kindly. "Dad's a top detective at the NPA and Mom used to be a CIA agent before she came over. You could probably be the next Sherlock Holmes if you set your mind to it."

Koji rolls his eyes. "Nori, the only one of us that will be Sherlock Holmes is you. I'm just fine with being the Ping-Pong World Champion."

I smirk as I take a bite of my toast. Koji plays Ping-Pong competitively for his school and is set on being the champion ever since he heard there is such a thing. He is outstanding and led his school to the championship game his first year on the team, proving that he has what it takes to succeed; his career path is assured if he can finally beat me.

"No, you can't, that's my hobby job," I tease before taking another bite of food and watch as his cheeks flush pink. It frustrates him endlessly that I win every time we play together, no matter how much he practices or how much I slack off.

"I challenge you to a final match of Ping-Pong!" he declares, standing up in his seat and glaring down at me, I almost choked on my bite from laughing. "Winner takes all!"

Mom materializes beside us and claps me on the back while glaring at Koji for shouting in the house and standing on the furniture. "Neither one of you is going to have any career in anything if you don't knock this off. It's way too early to be arguing over something like Ping-Pong. Noriko quit antagonizing your brother and Koji don't issue out challenges to your older sister, especially loud ones."

"You two get way too competitive," says Dad calmly, still looking at the newspaper. "You know every time you play; we get new holes in the walls and broken chairs."

Koji and I look at Mom, who is giving Dad a look that makes us shrink down in our chairs. Dad remains completely oblivious.

"And as I recall, you didn't do a damn thing to stop them, Touta," says Mom darkly and her tone makes Dad sit up perfectly straight as he puts down the newspaper. "If they end up playing again, you had better referee them properly. Otherwise, you'll be sleeping at Aizawa's."

We then turn our attention to Dad, who is smiling nervously at Mom.

"Don't worry, Raku, I'll oversee them next time," he says, and then he looks at us rather sternly. "No Ping-Pong until my next day off, otherwise you'll both be grounded and have to pay for anything that gets broken or damaged."

Koji and I share a scared look before nodding. More than anything, Dad hates spending the night at our Uncle Aizawa's house and that is always Mom's threat whenever she is angry or annoyed with him. Dad only ever once stayed the night with Uncle Aizawa, and that was when I was eight and Mom had had a bad day with Koji, who was barely one at the time. We can never get him to disclose what happened, but it is apparently bad enough that he never wants to stay over there again.

"The bus is here, Koji," blurts Mom as she rushes to get him his lunchbox. "Run along to school and don't forget, you're going to tutoring tonight, and your father will pick you up on his way home from work."

She puts the box down in front of him and kisses his forehead.

"Okay, Mom!" says Koji happily as he stuffs the box in his crammed backpack and heads for the door, I lean forward and watch as he attempts to put on his school blazer, bag, and his shoes on all at once. He trips over himself before dashing out of the door.

"I should get going myself," I say as I stand up from the table, I lean down and kiss my father's cheek before getting my lunch from the counter behind my mother. I do not even try to kiss her cheek. I then collect my books from the coffee table. "I'll see you later tonight."

"If you're going to miss dinner, please call," says Mom as I head for the genkan. "I'll have something for you, just in case."

"Thanks, Mom!" I call to her as I step into my shoes and put on my jacket. I slip my books into my satchel and sling it over my shoulder. Bracing myself for the cold outside, I open the door and leave.

The walk to and from school is always my favorite part of the day, even in November; I use it as a time for recreational thinking, my one real escape from studying. This morning, my mind drifts back to my dream. I have had this dream for as long as I can remember, it used to be the same thing over and over, just a grey cave with shadows but since my seventeenth birthday, it developed into what it is now. It almost feels like I am looking at this world through someone else's eyes, that this is what they are seeing and I am just a passenger. As strange as it seems, this line of thought feels right, somehow. It may be my imagination getting the better of me, but thinking that I am sharing this dream makes it feel less lonely and more tolerable. Of course, that just leaves the mystery of with whom I am sharing it and exactly where the hell they are.

"Hey, Noriko wait up!" says someone to my left. When I look, I see my friend Sango running to catch up with me.

"Hi, Sango," I say as I stop and wait for her to catch up with me. I realize I have already passed by her house and did not even bother to stop; I suppose I was more absorbed in my thoughts than usual. "Sorry about that."

Sango brushes it off with a wave of her hand, and we begin walking again.

"It's fine, Noriko," she says dismissively. "You obviously have better things to think about than leaving your best friend behind."

I sigh to myself; Sango is always one for dramatics. "I was just thinking about the nationwide exams; we should be getting the results today." I feel a little bad about lying to her, but I do not feel comfortable sharing my dream with her, she might not understand, or she would feel compelled to tell Parisa and Haru. My friends are very dear to me, truly, but there are some things that they just do not need to know.

"What do you think you got on the exams?" asks Sango, tucking some of her red hair behind her ear. "I'm pretty sure I scored what I need to for admission to Wasegi, so I'm happy with that. Do you think you'll get into To-oh?"

"Probably," I reply, somewhat modestly. "With all of this studying, I should at least get the bare minimum."

Sango smirks. "What happened to those aspirations of getting a perfect score like Light Yagami? The whole school is waiting to see if they'll have another perfect score come out of the exams."

"I've curtailed my expectations," I say easily. "Have you picked what you're going to major in yet? Deadlines for that are coming up, aren't they?"

"Yes, I know," she sighs and then she gives me a false glare. "Just so you know, not everyone has chosen their degree by the time they're seven, Nori."

I smile triumphantly. "What can I say? Detective work has always called to me."

Sango pushes me gently in the shoulder. "Why can't you just go to Wasegi and get a degree there? Why does it have to be To-Oh?"

"My parents have always pushed for To-Oh," I say thoughtfully, "and I've heard wonderful things about it from research and when I went to visit it a few years ago. I've dreamt of going there since middle school. You know that."

Sango sighs dramatically. "I wish I had your ability to make choices and stick with them. If I did, I wouldn't be stuck trying to decide between Haru, Aoi, and Eiji." She then gives me a sly wink. "Which one would you pick?"

I blush, just like always whenever she brings up this topic of conversation; ever since I was thirteen I have had a crush on Haru and Sango is well aware of it. She has had a crush on him for the same length of time, and we confessed it to each other on the same day but agreed that we would leave it up to Haru to decide which of us he likes more. In the four years since that day, he is still completely oblivious.

"You know who I'd pick," I say in a mock defensive tone. "Sadly, we made that pact, and neither you nor I can ask Haru out, we have to wait for him to choose."

Sango shakes her head. "That boy. He'll never pick. Well, he might, and it'll probably be Parisa."

I laugh loudly. "That would be just our luck, wouldn't it?"

"Shut up," snaps Sango and I obey with some hesitancy; lately she seems more and more preoccupied with Haru and our secret pact. "Nori, what if Haru asks me out?"

"Then I would be happy for you," I reply sincerely, we have this conversation multiple times a year, and each time I give the same answer. "And if he asked me out?"

Sango looks down at the ground and then up at the sky. "I'd be okay with it."

I can hear the lie; I know she will be devastated if Haru chooses me over her. "You know, we really should find different guys to be interested in."

She turns and smiles at me. "I know. It would save us a lot of trouble."

God, how I hate world religions class. It is just a teacher babbling on and on about religions around the world and how their practices differ from person to person, country to country, and generation to generation. Currently, we are studying cults and organizations outside of regular religious practices, while they are slightly unusual, my mind wanders back to earlier, when Sango and I were discussing Haru. As much as I like him and do want to date him, I do not want to lose my friendship with Sango over it, even if our friendship is not the strongest; the four of us have been friends since elementary school and to ruin everything over a simple crush would be terrible. Then again, only Sango and I know about our crush on Haru, so it will only ruin one friendship rather than four.

I lay my head down on my arms and stare out of the window. Why does being seventeen have to be so difficult?

"Matsuda," says my teacher, Mr. Irie, his voice startling me. "What do you believe to be the opinion of the Tanjogami worshippers on the state of the world?"

I sigh and stand up from my desk. "The followers would believe that everything is going according to how the Tanjogami devised the world, as they are of the belief that the life gods see and record the destinies of the people who inhabit the world."

"Excellently explained," says Mr. Irie as I sit down in my chair once again. "Miss Matsuda is correct; the Tanjogami disciples would see the world is in its destined state." He turns back to the chalkboard and begins writing the fundamental doctrine of the Tanjogami religion. "Of course, they would face an uphill battle trying to convince some other faiths that they are right. There are some who believe that the world could be improved."

"You mean like Kira?" asks a student from the other side of the classroom.

The room is completely silent after his words. The student brought up the touchiest subject in the entire world: the serial killer Kira the Savior. While not formally taught in school, the subject of Kira is often brought up for debate and discussion, and as a result most of us are familiar with the legend. I am quite fascinated by it; it is hard to believe that one person could bring about such change in the world simply by killing off criminals. Even though it had been reported that he was caught and executed years ago, unexplained deaths still happen, and rumors persist that there is a mostly underground cult.

Mr. Irie turns around and looks surprised for a moment before composing himself. "Yes," he says calmly as if this is just a regular topic of conversation. "Kira would likely describe the world as being in a state of complete chaos and needs drastic change. He would say that criminals haven't been punished adequately, and not enough people are contributing to society." Something flashes across his face, and it is gone so quickly, I cannot say for certain what it was. "Now, back to the Tanjogami."

I am sure I am the only one who saw Mr. Irie's face; everyone likely fixated on his words rather than his expression. I sit back in my chair and gaze out the window, now wondering about the feared killer. He was active over twenty years ago and according to the Internet, was executed the same year I was born. During his time he killed thousands of people, mostly by heart attacks but many suspects he could kill by other means, so those deaths are unaccounted for; in reality, he could have killed millions. His followers were vocal and active during his reign, and after his death, they slowly faded into the background. The only time they come back is when a criminal is paroled or executed. They are a loud and rowdy bunch that usually disperses within minutes of being confronted by the police, so no one pays them much attention anymore. By law, we are required to report any suspected Kira worshippers so they can be put on a list to be monitored. My father told my mother it is now a common practice for people going through divorces or reporting others for abuse to accuse the person of being a Kira cultist. He told her the police now arrest both and judges usually sentence both should the subject be brought up.

Thinking about that discussion I overheard reminds me of when I attempted to put up the issue of Kira with him and my mother several years ago, after hearing about the serial killer from a friend. Before I could ask my full question, my father ended the conversation immediately. He said Kira is pure evil and anyone associated with him is no better, and that it is our duty as concerned citizens to report any and all Kira-related activity, no matter how minimal it might be. I glance at Mr. Irie from the corner of my eye, and I see him doing the same to me while he speaks to the rest of the class. That display earlier might be grounds for an investigation if I told my father about it, then again I may be seeing things and risk getting arrested myself for falsely accusing him. I look away.

Class ends with little incidence a short while later, and we leave for our lunch hour. I pick up my satchel from the floor and head straight for the rooftop, hoping that our usual spot is available. Generally, during lunch my friends and I sit near the corner of the roof that has the most fantastic view of the area around the school; it is an excellent spot to get some sunshine and listen to the bustling world around us. It makes me feel like we exist in a separate space from the rest of the world, where what we do is living and what they do is provide a backdrop.

I sit down at my usual spot and rest my back against the stone verge before reaching into my satchel to retrieve my lunchbox. I am a little surprised when I open it and see what my mother packed me: she made me my favorite cucumber roll, tuna roll, a thermos of tea and a couple of slices of freshly made honey cake. Something apparently came over my mother for her to pack such a lunch.

"Hey, Nori," says a voice above me, I look up and see Haru standing above me with his lunch. "How's the weather down there?"

"You would know if you sat down," I reply with a smile.

Haru blushes a little as he sits. "What a comeback, Nori, pure wit."

I nudge him a little with my shoulder. "It's better than that line you just used. 'How's the weather down there?' how uninspired and unoriginal."

"You wound me with your sharp tongue," he says, putting a hand over his heart like someone just injured him. "What kind of person can be so cruel and yet look so sweet?"

I blush a little as I pour a cup of tea. "A wicked one," I say, and Haru laughs.

"Hi, Nori, Haru, what's so funny?" asks Sango as she approaches, Parisa at her side.

"Nothing," we reply.

Sango looks at me carefully before she and Parisa sit down in front of the opposite verge; Sango's feet come to rest on top of my ankles, a habit of hers since we started sitting here.

"God, I thought lunch would never come!" she says with a heavy sigh. "Why did they have to schedule physics right before lunch?! I can't think without food, don't they realize that?"

"I don't believe your eating habits were taken into consideration when creating your schedule, Sango," says Parisa lightly as she opens her lunchbox.

Sango sticks her tongue out at Parisa before unwrapping her salad. "Shows what you know, Pari, I bet they did it just to torture me because my parents got me out of physics last year."

Haru nods thoughtfully. "Yeah, that may have had something to do with it; after all, threatening to sue the school if they don't let you take an English class was not a very good idea."

Sango rolls her eyes. "I needed to take that advanced English class instead of physics last year. It was the only time it was offered."

"That was the year you were going to be an English professor, look at how well that panned out," I say teasingly, and she glares at me. "Calm down, San-San, I'm just kidding around. You would have been an excellent professor."

My words seem to placate her ego enough to halt her glaring. "Thank you, Nori." She takes a bite of her salad. "Are we going to study tonight?"

"Don't we always?" I ask, slightly disgusted with her eating habits. "Maybe tonight we should work on projects rather than just studying. We all have something due before winter break."

Everyone groans.

"Do we have to?" asks Sango in a pleading tone. "Can't we just study extra tonight and call it good?"

Parisa takes off her glasses to clean them. "I would rather do anything than research ancient Chinese pagodas. Remind me again why I picked architecture as an elective?"

"Because you want to study it in university," says Haru kindly then he frowns. "I wish my history project wasn't this detailed. We have to pick an emperor, write about his accomplishments and how they have influenced today's society."

I bite back a grin. "Now I feel silly for thinking my project was the more difficult one."

The three of them look at me accusingly.

"What's your project, Nori?" asks Haru curiously and I look down at my lunch.

"Researching the detective L," I reply, and they all let out loud exasperated groans.

Sango throws a cherry tomato at my head. "If you think that's so easy, then you can do your project and mine for physics. That should be a sufficient challenge for the great Noriko Matsuda."

"She has a point, Nori," says Parisa, glancing at Sango. "Maybe you should do my project as well; you would certainly find it interesting."

"And mine," interjects Haru. "We'll all do our homework and study, and you can do our projects. We'll even pay you."

I roll my eyes. "This isn't middle school anymore, and I'm not going to do your projects for you so that you can pay me a measly five bucks."

The three of them look at each other.

"We'll pay you ten," they say, and I cannot help but laugh.

"I'll consider it," I say at last. "But I'm not doing it alone; you have to help me."

They nod, and I know they will at least help me find books and articles on the subjects, which will cut down some time. Our conversation drifts from there to our usual talk about the latest drama, rumors of upcoming tests, and family issues. I remain quiet and only listen, preferring to watch the birds flying overhead and the clouds change shape with the wind. A cool breeze, colder than it should be for this time in November, cuts through my sweater and chills me to the bone. I look around, and no one else around me seems to have experienced it, rather they are staring at me strangely, and I simply shrug, this appears to satisfy them, and they go back to their conversation. Carefully I glance at the other students, no one else seems to be reacting to the sudden chill, and I find myself shivering from something besides the cold.