Chapter One
"Kira's word is law, it is Him we must obey. He keeps us safe from criminals. He keeps us in our place. He is the loving parent of the world, keeping us from falling into chaos."
"Very good Akiko, you may sit down."
I let out a sigh and closed the book, Kira's World, then sat back down on my desk. Why was this required reading? The book has no plot, no characters, just boring descriptions about how Kira is the most amazing thing ever.
Not that I should be surprised. Kira's the equivalent of God. You did something bad enough to be broadcast on the news? Something bad enough for people to complain about on the Internet?
Oops. You're dead.
You have to stay on his good side to stay alive in this world.
The bell rung, jerking me out of my thoughts.
"I suppose that's all the time we have today, class." My teacher closed the lesson plan.
Eager to leave, I slid my books into my bag and shot out of my seat, making my way to the exit. I didn't have much time.
I ran through the halls of my school, eager to stay ahead of the horde of students about to come free. Mikami, my manager, was sitting inside the black, shiny Honda. Checking his watch. Like he always does.
"Hey." I opened the door and climbed into the car.
"Akiko." He used his middle finger to push his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. "I had to cancel your photo shoot today."
"What?" I raised my eyebrows. "Why? Mikami, you're my manager. You're supposed to set these things up for me, not cancel them."
"Yes...but a...situation has arisen. Concerning your father."
"What? My...father? What's wrong with him?"
"I'm not obliged to tell you that."
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I think it will be better if you see it for yourself."
Mikami started the car and began to drive.
Could something have happened to my dad? Did Kira kill him?
No way, that couldn't possibly be true. It was true my father had spoken against Kira, had considerable power as head of the NPA, but...
Also, he would have told me if something like that had happened. The curiosity was eating at my insides. I could ask more questions, but Mikami was focused, his narrow, dark eyes not moving from the road. His hands gripped the steering wheel so tight, his knuckles were turning white. Whatever questions I had, he wouldn't answer.
I let out a sigh. When Mikami reached the parking garage of our apartment building, he parked and we started up the stairs to the very top of the apartment building. My father and I live in a penthouse on the top floor.
Stairs are inconvenient, yes, but I'm claustrophobic. I can't stand elevators. It's like you're sealed in a coffin and pummeling towards your death.
When we got to our apartment, Mikami rapped on the door.
"Come in, the door's unlocked."
I looked up at him, but he wouldn't meet my gaze. My stomach started to turn. This was getting weird. Father never leaves the door unlocked.
Mikami opened the door, and I walked inside the apartment. It's lavishly decorated, with black tile floors and ornate throw rugs. The kitchen takes up the right corner, and the living area the left. A glass staircase leads up to our bedrooms.
Father was sitting in his favorite black leather chair, facing the ceiling to floor length glass window. He spun the chair around to face us.
His brown eyes surveyed us from a distance, and he smiled. "Good work, Mikami."
"It is the least I can do, my lord. What would you like to do now?"
My lord? What? Since when did Mikami call my father lord?
Seeing my confused expression, Father's smile deepened into a knowing smirk. "You can leave now, Mikami. I need some time alone with my daughter."
Okay, now what was this all about?
Mikami bowed deeply, then exited the room and locked it behind us.
"Um, Dad?" I asked, taking a few steps closer. "What's this all about? Why'd you cancel my shoot?"
"Akiko, come over here," he said, twirling his chair back around to face the window. "I think it's about time we had a father-daughter talk."
"I...it is?" My eyebrow raised. "A talk that couldn't wait until tomorrow?"
"Absolutely not."
I tried to rack my mind for anything I could have done that would require a father-daughter talk, but nothing came up. I walked carefully towards my father, and sat down on the floor next to his chair like I used to when I was a little girl. He reached out and stroked my light caramel hair.
"Darling, I can't live forever," he started.
This statement took me aback. I flinched away from his touch. "Dad, I know that. Everyone who's over five years old knows that. What do you mean?"
"Well...I need someone to carry on my legacy."
"Your legacy? You want me to take over your job as head of the NPA?"
"No, no. What a silly idea."
"Then what do you mean by legacy?"
Father smirked and loosened his red tie. He started to unbutton his dress shirt.
My eyes widened. "Dad?"
"Everything will become clear soon." I saw that he was wearing something underneath his shirt, a harness of some sort. I watched as he reached inside his shirt and pulled out a black notebook.
"What's that?" I asked. "What's with the harness? Dad, can't you just tell me what this is all about?"
"No." He held the black notebook in front of my face, close enough for me to see, but far enough away so that it would be hard to snatch. "What do you think this is?"
"Well, it's a notebook, obviously."
"Think, Akiko. I didn't raise you to state out the obvious."
I let out a heavy sigh. "Well the fact you've got a fancy harness thingy for it and walking around with it strapped to your body means that you don't want anybody to steal it. It's important. And apparently has something to do with your legacy."
"Good. What else can you deduce about this notebook?"
"Well, there's not much else I can figure out without a little more information."
My father grinned. "Alright. I'm going to let you hold it now. Tell me what you've deduced about it afterwards."
He handed me the notebook, and I took it. I examined the book cover. It was completely black, with no markings on it at all. I opened the book and started to flip through the pages.
There were names written in it.
Curious, I started to flip through the pages. Countless names, written in Japanese. Names I didn't recognize.
"What is this, Da..." I started, looking up from the notebook, but seeing something standing next to my father. Something very unexpected.
I let out a scream of surprise as the notebook flew out of my hands. Standing next to my father was something far too tall to be a human, but had spiky black hair that stood straight up. His limbs were skinny as bones, and his eyes weren't human. Yellow, no irises, and red pupils.
The creature smirked, showing rows of pointy white teeth and began to laugh, a horrible laugh that sounded like he was gargling rocks.
"So this is what you meant when you said something interesting would happen today!" He chuckled. "Oh, this is just too good..."
"Wha...what the hell is that?!" I cried, scooching backwards on the floor.
"How many times do I have to repeat myself, I'm not going to tell you. Use your deduction skills," my father replied, cool as a cucumber.
"B...but Dad...that thing...h...how am I supposed to figure out what it is?!"
"Don't worry. It's not going to bite."
My mouth dropped open, staring up at the monster. It looked down at me, starting to cackle again. "You're going to make her figure it out? It looks like too much for her mind to handle."
"She can do it. Give her a minute."
I looked down at the notebook, and slowly crawled forward, picking it up. "This creature appeared once I touched the notebook..." I started to flip through the pages again. I came across a page where two names were written in English.
"L Lawliet? Quillish Wammy?" I frowned. "I don't recognize these names. The fact that they're not in Japanese must mean that they're important."
"You don't? I'm disappointed." My father's expression changed to a straight line. "You don't remember Lollipop and Wham? The two evil characters in the bedtime story your mother used to read to you?"
"Of course I remember Lollipop and Wham...the smart panda with the craving for sweets and the stingy old heron who took care of him...trying to catch the little kid who had to power to control the lions from eating the zebras...making them eat grass instead..."
I started to flip farther through the notebook. Near the very end, I began to recognize the names written in the notebook.
They were criminals.
I recognized the last name as a criminal who'd been caught and broadcasted on the news last night.
He had died during the broadcast of his trial.
"Dad..." I closed the notebook and looked up at my father, who was grinning. A dread started to fill my stomach. "This notebook...doesn't happen to kill the people whose names are written in it, does it?"
Father threw his head back and started to laugh, a laugh I'd never heard from him before. It was horrible and terrifying.
Father killed people with this notebook.
My dad...was Kira.
