It was chilly.

Light wearily opened his eyes, wondering when he had fallen asleep.

The bed was strangely hard and cold; where had the blanket gone? Light found his right wrist felt strangely empty. He slowly realized that the metal cuff was no longer there.

'Had L kicked him out of bed?' He thought, though that had made no sense at all.

Light sat up on what seemed to be the floor, looking around and willed his eyes to adjust to the dark.

There's nothing but darkness around him.

Puzzled, he raised a hand and found that he could clearly see it, right down to the lines on his palms.

What?

That doesn't make sense.

Light put his hand down, blinking to try and spot anything else in his surroundings.

Nothing.

He must be dreaming, then.

Something cold prickled the back of his neck and he gasped, shivering.

Where's Kira?

A deafening tap sounded next to him, it sounded like lightning had struck in the silent space.

Light jumped, his eyes widening in surprise as he spun to the source of that noise.

Out of nowhere, a painfully bright spotlight had appeared right beside him, illuminating a single object in a yellow glow.

A knife.

Light stared at the blade in puzzlement, the cold surface gleaming under the light.

Without warning, a red and black cloud swirled on the metal surface and he gasped, beginning to scramble away from it when he realized.

He couldn't move.

Light tried to will his limbs to budge but they remained immobile, igniting a shudder of fear in him.

What's going on?

Panicked gasps escaped his lips as he tried to assess the situation.

That is when a low chuckle started behind him.

Light immediately knew who it belonged to.

"Kira."

"Hello, Light," he could hear Kira smirking even before he saw it.

The red-eyed man was crouched behind him, his invisible shadow falling over him as Light unwillingly remained in his initial sitting position.

"What is the meaning of this?" Light demanded, his eyes bright with defiance as he glared at the sadistic creature smiling down at him.

Kira chuckled at his tone, "Oh, Light. You really have no idea what you're in for."

"What?" He spat, struggling against the strings.

Wait, strings?

Light did a double take, this time seeing hair-thin wires connecting to his two wrists and into the blackness above, the threads barely visible in the dark. He looked down and found more attached to his elbows, knees and ankles.

"What is this?" He blurted breathlessly, his eyes wide as he noticed and was disturbed that the threads seem to go through his skin instead of just tied around it.

Kira did not answer.

He simply let loose another chuckle and held up a hand.

Light saw the same sort of strings that ended in wooden rings around each of his five fingers.

Kira slowly curled in his index finger and at the same time, Light found his arm being pulled upwards by the wrist.

Light's eyes widened as he regarded Kira with a shocked gaze.

Light was chilled to the bone by the smirk that came at his reaction.

Kira proceeded to curl in his middle finger, which pulled on Light's elbow, bending his arms accordingly.

The teen panicked, "Stop-"

He snapped his hand shut, which causes Light to be abruptly tugged on by the strings, propelling him to his feet with a pained yelp.

Kira ignored that, lifting his other hand and manipulating his slender fingers in a fluid dance.

Light jerkily began to walk, his feet frighteningly moving of their own accord.

"Kira-"

He suddenly lifted one of his fingers, causing one of Light's legs to give out under him. Kira watched in amusement as Light hit the ground with a grunt.

"Stop it!" Light pleaded, half his face plastered to the ground making his voice come out slightly muffled.

Kira let out a laugh, moving his fingers again.

Light slowly and gracelessly got to his feet like his body was possessed, his angered eyes staring at him.

"Are you prepared for the show, Light?"

"What?" Light stared at him when Kira suddenly talked to him as if he's a performer.

He found himself smirked at when he went silent, "It seems that you are."

Kira snapped his fingers and another spotlight appeared, this time illuminating the teen.

Light squinted against the bright glow that washed over him, noticing that Kira's action didn't affect his movement this time.

"An actor like you should always be prepared," Kira smiled at him as he slowly lifted his arm.

"Am I right?"

Snap.

Click.

A third spotlight appeared and Light's eyes widened in shock at the sight before him.

His father Soichiro stood before him, his usual calm disposition strained and rigid, his lips pressed into a thin line.

Before Light could react in anyway, Kira snapped his fingers again.

Click.

Next to Soichiro stood Light's mother, her worried gaze cast upon him, her expression looked as though she no longer recognized her son and was looking for traces of him from before.

What is going on?

Snap. Click.

Sayu appeared further away from the three, seemingly hidden behind the figures of her parents as she stared at Light with fear.

All three of them seemed frozen, Light briefly wondered if they were able to move before his father shifted uncomfortably.

It seems they are able to.

It looks more like they are in shock, paralyzed by whatever that they have seen.

Light spun to face Kira, demanding to know what is going on when Kira knowingly interrupted him in an excited voice.

"Let the show begin."

He moved his fingers and suddenly Light was walking back towards the middle.

He paled when he saw what he was heading towards.

The knife.

The unnatural swirls in it have already disappeared, the cold surface was clear as it reflected his terrified face.

Kira watched with rapt attention as he made Light bend over almost painfully and pick it up.

Light flinched when his fingers touched the smooth handle, before they closed around it firmly.

He straightened as abruptly as before and jerkily turned back to face his family.

With the sharp point of the knife directed at them, he realized with a chill what he was about to be made do.

"Please," Light squeezed out.

Kira ignored that and moved his fingers, manipulating Light to walk towards them.

"Stop it."

Light's body continued to walk forwards despite all his desires not to.

Soichiro caught sight of the weapon in his hand and walked forwards, a wary expression on his face, "Light, what do you think you're doing?"

"Please don't make me do this," Light pleaded, his voice nearing a sob.

His father seemed to think that it was directed at him and held up his hands, "Son, put down the knife."

Light suddenly stopped moving, his knife still raised at his father. His mother and Sayu have backed away slightly, holding each other as they stared at him in horror.

"Dad, no," he argued, unable to see what Kira is doing, "You need to leave."

"We can talk."

Suddenly, Light rushed towards his father.

He felt a jolt in his hand that held the knife as Soichiro's body jerked violently.

A warm wetness oozed onto his hand.

Light watched in horror as his father staggered back, shock and pain evident on his face as the blade slipped out of his stomach.

"Light…" he uttered, his voice barely a whisper as he crumpled to the floor.

Light stared down at his father's dead body, seeing dark blood flow out of the open wound that stained his white shirt. He barely heard the screaming coming from both his mother and Sayu as they stared at the red that painted his shirt and hands.

His ears throbbed with the loud rush of blood that went through his body, vaguely hearing Kira's laughter in the mix.

His gaze flickered down onto the knife in his hand, seeing only bright red.

He wanted to drop it, but his body wouldn't move at his command.

Light's body began to spring back to life, moving towards the source of screaming.

He looked up with wide eyes, seeing Sachiko's frightened face as she pushed his sister away.

"No!"

Stab!

The last Light saw in his mother's eyes as she looked at him were of pain and anguish.

'Why, Light?' They seemed to ask.

Tears rolled down his face as he stared at his mother lying on the floor motionlessly, a large pool of red growing underneath her, soaking into her clothes.

He wailed, his voice ending in a choked sob as his heart was further gripped with acute misery.

"Not yet, Light," Kira chuckled darkly, "There's still one more."

"YOU FIEND!" Light screamed as his body was directed towards his sister.

Sayu shrieked and scrambled away.

Light chased after her unwillingly, trying in vain to regain control of his own body.

He smoothly caught her by her hair, dragging her backwards. His heart breaking with every pained yelp and fearful shriek that his sister let out.

"STOP THIS!" Light yelled at the red-eyed monster, whose smirk grew even wider as his prey grew more distressed by the second.

"Please, no!" Sayu screeched, trying to free herself from her brother's hold, "Why are you doing this?!"

Light watched helplessly as his hand came down, slicing the knife across his sister's fragile throat.

She emitted a wet choking as she fell, her eyes wide as she clawed at her neck.

A sob escaped his lips as Light went to sit on top of his sister, the dripping knife raised high above his head.

He brought it down again and again and again, slicing into Sayu's back as she let out gargling screams, her bloodied hands clawing at the floor.

Tears flowed down his face as Light sobbed pitifully, clouding his vision as his sister's body began to still below him.

Behind him, Kira sat on an invisible chair, his red eyes filling with glee as he cackled at the sight before him.

L was roused from his sleep by violent shifting beside him.

He sat up, turning to Light to see the teen thrashing next to him, his young face scrunched up as he murmured in his sleep.

Another nightmare, it seems.

L reached out to wake him when a sudden wail startled him.

The detective froze in shock upon hearing that noise, his black eyes now alert and wide.

L stared at Light, disturbed as the boy tossed and turned, the covers tangling around his body. His mutterings grew louder and more coherent.

"No… stop it…" He pleaded, his closed eyes squinted as his fingers clutched onto the sheets so tightly his knuckles began to turn white.

L had not seen anything as serious as this and moved to wake him with renewed urgency.

"Light-"

A scream cut him off, resounding in the dark room.

"Light, wake up!"

Light screamed as he shot up, his arms reaching out in front of him and latching onto L painfully.

The detective let out an uncharacteristic yelp as he found himself tackled and pinned onto the bed by a shivering Light.

The teen's full weight was on him as frantic pants filled the room, Light's white knuckled grip didn't loosen as he clutched onto L's warm body with all that he had.

L was in shock, lying dazedly on the soft mattress, vaguely registering the covers trapped between their bodies.

He was abruptly brought back to reality when his ears picked up on quiet sobbing.

Alarmed, his hands reached up, holding the teen and finding that he was indeed crying.

"Light?" He inquired in a soft voice, trying to sit up, hardly able to move as he was covered under Light's body.

He moved into a better position, his eyes widening in shock at Light's tear-streaked face.

L pulled him close, cradling his head as he whispered, "Shh, it's alright now."

Light simply buried his face in L's chest, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

His sobbing eventually died down, his fingers that clutched onto L's shirt are now numb. L didn't stop rubbing soothing circles onto his back even when the front of his shirt was soaked, holding him gently yet firmly.

He noticed when Light had stopped crying but didn't inquired for the reason, or the obviously traumatizing nightmare he just had.

He won't ask if Light didn't want to answer him.

"L?"

He tried not to grimace when Light's usual silvery tone cracked, choked up with deep sorrow.

"Yes, Light-kun?"

Light shifted, burying his face further into his shirt, "Please."

L waited patiently, patting his back.

"Stop me."

"Pardon?"

"Stop me," Light's voice began to grow stronger as he spoke definitively, "If you ever notice that I'm not myself in the future, stop me."

L was silent as he took in his words.

"Promise me," Light said, lifting his head to look at L.

L said nothing, his mind moving a million miles as he searched for his own response.

"Please," he prompted, his voice beginning to sound desperate.

"I promise you, Light."

At that, Light smiled softly, before closing his eyes and leaning against his shoulder, sighing in gratitude.

L didn't respond to the smile, still rattled by the display earlier.

He had no idea what Light had dreamt of to spook him so violently and had no means to find out but…

"I promise," he whispered, stroking Light's hair gently.

Light sighed as all the tension left his body and L realized that the teen has fallen asleep.

L laid him back down and righted the haphazard mess of the duvet and pulled it over his body. He settled into his usual crouch beside Light and softly patted his head.

Whatever happens in the future, L simply wished to help the teen.

He hoped that keeping his promise didn't mean that L would have to kill him.

Please don't let it be that.

He glanced at Light's relaxed face as he indistinctly leaned into his touch.

Anything but that.