"Kara."

A sweet voice keeps calling out to me, but I can't see anything through this darkness.

"Kara."

I try to move my body toward the sound, but my limbs are weighed down to a cold, hard floor.

"Kara."

"Dammit, what? Quit calling my name if you aren't going to help me up!" I'm so not in the position right now to be yelling at this unknown phantom, but this is just getting irritating. It's cold, it's dark, and I'm stuck to this floor like a dead person.

Dead.

That's right. I'm dead. How did I die again? I remember the war. My mom reached for me taking her last breath and a daemon pulled her head off in front of me. I remember screaming her name. I don't remember crying at all. Just screaming and killing. All I saw after that was red. I've never been so angry in my life. What was the point of fighting when the person I cared the most about was gone?

Then I remember my friends. My comrades. The little children who cried at the sight of the daemons. That's why I fought. I fought for them. I stabbed Frank, the leader of the daemons for them. What a horrible name for a demon leader. Frank? I think I could've come up with a better name for myself if I was leading an army. Yet, even with his dad name, he got me the moment I got him. In both of our last breaths, we stared each other in the eyes as our chests bled. A sword in his heart. A sword in mine. An eye for an eye.

"You fought well, Kara," the voice said. But was it enough? Did we win the war?

I meant to ask those questions, but instead what came out was, "Sure did. Sorry you can't be as cool as me." Says the girl lying on the floor dead. So uncool.

The voice chuckled at that. I would say "she" based on how her voice sounded, but I really don't know what was talking to me. If I'm dead, then it could be an angel, demon, or even God Himself. Or Herself. Maybe God is a woman. What a plot twist. "You are just as lively in death as you were in life," she said.

"So," I asked awkwardly, "is this it? Will I be lying here for all of eternity? Is this my punishment?" God, I hope not.

"No. You will not stay here. But you will not follow the others, either."

My breath hitched. I guess we still breathe in the afterlife. "I'm...going to...Hell?" I thought back on my life to all of the sins I committed. Gluttony, maybe? I did eat a lot. I know that's one of the deadly sins. Lust? I died a virgin, so that can't be it. What the hell did I do?

"No. You won't be going into the afterlife. You may not remember, but I came to retrieve your soul in the last moment of your life. With your last breath, do you know what you said to me?" As she spoke, adoration layered her tone. I felt as if it were my mother speaking to me, sweet and loving.

"I don't know." Unease settled in my nerves. Knowing me, I could've said something crude or offensive. I'm not exactly good with words if you can't tell by now.

"You said," she paused for dramatic effects, I'm sure, "'Save my people.'" Wow. That just upped my coolness levels.

"And, did you?" Finally, the question that has been eating at me so far has come out.

My heart raced as I waited for her answer. I fear for the safety of my people more than I do my own soul. I could take Hell. I could even take lying on this cold floor in the darkness for the rest of my life. Though, it would destroy me if all of our sacrifices and pain had been for nothing. We, Nephilim, have been trained since we were able to walk to fight against the daemons who threaten all humans. Rarely have any of us been able to settle down and live normal lives. Most of us die before age 30. As unfair as it seemed, we all happily gave up our lives to save our people. To save the Nephilim.

Daemons have never been known to work together. Yet, Frank, a daemon who has lived since the creation of our kind, was able to unite thousands of them with his Furfur lying abilities. Apparently, his original form was a winged deer but took on the image of a mortal man to combat our security measures. It worked. Once the shields were down, shields that worked for centuries in keeping daemons out from our homeland, all Hell broke loose. Literally.

I know that I was able to kill Frank, their leader, but that doesn't mean the other daemons weren't able to get to the Capitol. If they did, then it would've all been for nothing.

"I didn't," she finally responded. I sucked in a sharp breath. Oh, no. No, no, no, no. They are all...dead. "You did."

What? I did? "What do you mean by that?"

"You didn't just kill the Furfur. You destroyed the bond between him and the others. The daemons were no longer under his spell and lost his vision. You save your people." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I saved them? They're alive? My whole body relaxed at this revelation. Thank God. It wasn't all for nothing. I can die in peace now. The voice continued, "The angels heard your last plea. They saw your sacrifice. In return, I will give you a gift that no mortal nor Nephilim has received in over a thousand years."

I get a present? Yippee. "What is it?"

"Your life. I will return you to your physical body. You will live." I didn't know how to feel about that. I have lost so much. I have lost so many people. I picture my mom's head being ripped from her body. Will I be able to live on after seeing that? Would I dare?

"What if I don't want my life?" I whisper. This is too big of a decision for me, right now.

I figured she would have struck me down at that moment for rejecting her "gift." I mean, how many people can say that an angel brought them back to life? Who would turn down the chance to survive death? She didn't strike me down. She said, "I'm afraid you will have to live. There is another reason for this decision by Heaven. Yes, your will to save your people proved you worthy of our mercy. However, the price does not come free. You will not be returning to your world. At least, not yet. You will be sent on a mission to save a world that's not your own."

I blinked despite the lack of light. "What world?" I have to do this all again? I just got out of war.

"You will be sent to the mortal world. They are being attacked by a daemon of their own."

I rolled my eyes. The mortal world is known to be full of crime and corrupt politicians. Yes, we Nephilim have our own fair share of bad people, too, but at least we fight for ourselves. The mortals always need someone to save the day for them. I don't know if they are stupid or lazy. "One daemon? They can't handle one daemon?" We handled thousands of them. Nephilim rocks, I guess.

"Yes, just one daemon. However, this is no ordinary daemon. Their kind have existed long before the Nephilim were created. They are able to kill within being in the presence of their prey. They are so powerful that they can even share their ways with the mortals."

Share their ways? "What do you mean by that? Are you saying that the mortals have gained the powers of a daemon?" Maybe the mortals aren't lazy, just stupid.

"One has. They call him Kira." Huh, what are the chances? Almost like my name. "The mortals have never seen Kira's face nor do they know Kira's true name. The person's identity is hidden. Kira has gained the powers of this daemon and is able to kill via heart attacks."

Well, that's definitely interesting. Any normal person would ask why the angels don't handle Kira themselves, but we are raised knowing that angels do not directly involve themselves with human affairs, Nephilim or mortals. They let us do the dirty work. I've always kind of detested them for that. "But you know Kira's name. What is it?" This should be easy. All I need to know is this person's name and I just have to find them and destroy the daemon. I'm sure it wouldn't have wandered too far from the mortal since it has given Kira its power.

"I cannot tell you that. Doing so would be inserting myself in the affairs of the mortals." She's really working my nerves now.

"Aren't you already inserting yourself by sending me out on this mission?"

She never once seemed agitated at me for how I spoke. I guess being an angel gives you limitless patience. "No. I am merely steering you in the right direction." Bullshit. "I will give you one clue. Find L and you will find Kira."

"Huh, what does—" Before the words could leave my mouth, a light so bright nearly blinded me. I squinted and covered my eyes. Oddly enough, my limbs no longer felt heavy. Instead, I felt as light as a feather. Wind swirled around me and my stomach began to coil into itself.

Oh shit, I'm falling. Purple, blue, green, and yellow lights wisped around me. I tried to scream, but the roaring of the wind was so strong that it took my breath away, literally. I was falling for what felt like hours until that white light got even brighter. What is happening? The rush of it all made me pass out, returning me to the world of darkness.

I woke up on concrete surrounded by a bunch of concerned-looking men and women. "Are you okay?" one of them asked. I nodded my head and sat up, which was the wrong move, I learned. Pain shot down my chest, leaving me gasping for air. I looked inside my shirt to check for the stab wound. Only a small scar was left where the deep cut should have been. Why does it feel like the sword is still in me, then? Are these those phantom pains I've always heard about?

I was still wearing my Order uniform, which consisted of tight black pants, a tight, black, long-sleeve shirt, and combat boots. Despite the simplicity, there were many hidden pockets in the pants that left room for small weapons. There were still a few daggers on me that gave me a little relief. I would usually have my belt with me that held all of the larger daggers and my sword, but it was nowhere to be found. A member of the Order must have taken it off my body after I died. There was a big slit in the front of my shirt from where the sword entered my chest. I'm sure the sight must have freaked everyone out a little.

"Miss?" a woman asked. After a quick scan for any wounds or broken bones on my body, I pulled myself together and made it to my feet. The pain in my chest began to die down, but my limbs were sore as hell. Probably from lying on that floor for so long. Wait. Am I here? Is this the mortal world? I looked around at the crowd. Some began to walk away seeing that I was up and about. The others stood frozen, waiting for me to say something.

"I'm okay," I told them. My voice was a bit husky.

The same woman who called out to me before asked, "Are you sure? You should probably go to the hospital."

I patted the dirt off of my legs and shook my head. "I'm alright. I promise." Everyone was dressed a bit oddly. Most of the men wore suits and most of the women wore dresses or a female replica of a suit. The Nephilim world had suits and dresses, too, but we didn't wear them out on the streets. Only on very special occasions. We always needed to be prepared for a fight, so pants and simple shirts were our go-to. It would have been embarrassing trying to fight a daemon with a dress on. Not to mention problematic.

Everyone seemed to take my word for it and go on about their day. Hunger hit me like a ton of bricks and I mentally kicked myself for not asking them where I could get food. Now that I think about it, it's odd that I can understand them at all. Surely, we would've spoken different languages. Maybe the angel gave me the power to understand mortal language without having to study it for years.

I wandered around peeking inside of glass doors, hoping to cross a diner or something. Tall buildings lined up a paved road. Power lines swung everywhere in the air. I'm definitely in a big city, but I'm not sure which one. The academy taught us mortal geography in case our people needed to take refuge in this world. I never paid much attention to the lessons as I was too busy passing notes to my closest friend, Lori, about the cute guy sitting in front of me.

Although I am able to speak and understand the language here, I can't wrap my brain around the writing on the building signs. I guess the angel figured written language was far too much power. Luckily, I caught a whiff of grilled meat that led me to a tasty-looking burger joint. Despite being from separate realms, the Nephilim have always been able to keep up with food trends in the mortal world. There's a portal that connects our worlds, but only a few are able to go through it. The Capitol keeps specific guards at the entrance to upkeep this rule. The few who do get to realm hop bring back cultural ideas created by the mortals. We copied the ones we wanted, which meant pizza and burgers were a big thing in my world as it is here.

I drooled at the thought of a burger and made my way inside. Within a minute, I am turned away and forced back out the doors. I had no money, which meant no food. Dammit. I need to find food quick. It's not like I'm going to die soon, but I will get a hefty case of hangry rage if I can't satisfy my growling stomach. Wandering around the streets, I made turn after turn going into restaurants and being denied service.

On my next stop, I came across a quaint café of some sort. As much as I knew they wouldn't give me any scraps, I had to at least make an effort. My stomach is eating itself at this point and one wrong look by any mortal will send me into a violent match. I stepped inside and explained my situation to the woman at the register. Well, I didn't exactly tell her the real story, since I'm sure that would have landed me in a psych ward. My story has been consisting of vague details of how I'm a foreigner who has run out of money after being robbed. I figured the more pitiful my story was, the likelier someone would give me some food or some spare change. It hasn't worked so far.

The woman refused me, making me want to break her nose. I took several deep breaths and began to walk out the door until a thought hit me. What's stopping me from stealing some food off of leftover plates? The worst they can do is kick me out, right? It's not exactly the most hygienic plan out there, but I haven't eaten since I went into battle outside of the Capitol. I don't know how long I was dead before I was resurrected, so I can't really pinpoint the amount of days it's been since then. My body tells me it has at least been a few days and I'm desperate.

I glanced at the woman behind the counter and she had already forgotten about me via a random device in her hand. She was furiously pushing buttons on it. I don't know what it is, but as long as it keeps her distracted, then I won't question it. The café was dark but cozy and few people were here at this time of day. I walked casually as if I were looking for someone I was meeting up with. For the most part, the customers ignored my presence, which gave me wiggle room to glance at the empty tables for leftover plates that hadn't been collected by the workers yet.

So far, I hadn't found anything. The place was impeccably clean. That would have earned a "job well done" from most people, but it sucked for a hungry leech like me. Nearing the back, I stumbled upon a table that hadn't been cleaned yet. I scanned the café for any onlookers but only one table was being occupied back here. The two guys seemed to be in such deep conversation that they didn't even notice my presence. Thank, God.

The plates didn't have much left on them, just the crust of a slice of pie and a handful of cherries left unwanted. I ate it all quickly. This wouldn't be nearly enough to fill me up, but it would take the edge off of the pain coiling through me until I could find a real meal. As I popped the last cherry in my mouth, my ears picked up on a very familiar name. "If I were Kira," one of the men said at the table. That caught my attention. Kira. I'm supposed to be finding Kira. Well, technically I'm supposed to be finding some person named "L," but if I can find Kira beforehand, then I won't have to bother.

I listened in a bit more of the conversation by sliding into the booth where I finished off the rest of someone else's leftovers like an animal. Typically, mortals wouldn't have been able to hear their conversation so clearly from where I'm at. The guys are sitting a few tables down and are speaking fairly low. However, the angel blood running through me enhances all my senses. I wouldn't say I have the hearing of a bat, but it's a lot better than that of a mortal.

"If you line them up side by side, the first letter of every line reveals a message. Rearranging it like this, it gives you, 'L, do you know Gods of Death love apples.'" L? No freaking way. This is a two for one deal. I thought about the rest of the words he said. Gods of Death? Are they talking about...daemons? I wracked my brain from where I've heard Gods of Death from. I know mortals have some crazy stories about Gods and what happens in the afterlife, but I've never really paid any mind to it. Was a God of Death one of those myths? Or did I hear it in my Daemonology course? I should've studied harder in school.

I didn't realize I had zoned out momentarilly, missing what the guy said after that. I cleared my mind and focused back on the situation at hand. "That's incorrect. The thing is there were actually four photographs," the other guy said before pausing for a moment. "When we add this one, it reads, "L, do you Gods of Death who love apples have red hands?'" This was news to me. I've never heard of a daemon feeding on anything other than the life forces of humans. They didn't exactly need fruits and veggies to stay away from the doctors.

The original guy seemed really defensive about this for some reason. "But seeing I only had three photographs to work with, my deduction was perfect!"

"No, it wasn't. The truth is there was four of them. If you had figured that out, it would've been perfect. Even though you knew the message was incomplete, you decided that there were only three notes. You never even considered that there might be a fourth. What do you make of that?" To be honest, I was at a complete loss at what they were talking about. It sounded like the original guy was being challenged. Losing, at that.

The original guy must've known he was losing, too, from the silence that followed. Finally, he gave in. "Well, you got me there. I didn't think of that. In any case, the likelihood this message will lead you to Kira is not very great. Besides, we all know Gods of Death don't exist." Typical mortal. They never believe what they can't see. Then again, I don't know if I would have believed in daemons either had I not faced them in battle. I can't really blame them.

"If you were me," the second guy cut in, "faced with someone who might be Kira, how would you go about establishing this person's innocence or guilt? You need to be absolutely sure." That question struck a chord with me. In the Nephilim realm, we would have one of the Awakened Ones pry through their brains. It was always the last resort, but if one of the Nephilim got out of line and broke the laws of the Order, then we were sent to track them down. We held court and provided evidence like the mortals, but when there was no evidence to show, we would resort to the Awakened Ones.

There are no Awakened Ones in the mortal world. So, how do they establish guilt from a criminal who doesn't leave behind evidence? There was so much I needed to learn here. Another thought crossed my mind. This second guy seems to be looking for Kira. He had asked the original guy, "What would you do if you were me?" Is it possible he has been hunting Kira down? That's pretty bold for a mortal. Even if they don't believe in daemons, surely they would know that Kira has an abnormal power. One they should be afraid of.

The original guy responded, "I would try to get him to say something that was never made public in any way. Something that only Kira could know. Kind of like what you were doing just now."

"What's incredible is that I have asked countless detectives this same question, and it took most of them minutes to come up with an answer, but you, you immediately thought of a scenario in which Kira is speaking directly with the investigator. I'm impressed. You will make a fine detective, Light." So Light is the original guy's name. Now I need to know the other one, so I can begin looking for L and Kira.

Light chucked in a creepy way and said, "But it's a double-edged sword. The more impressed you are with my answers, the more of a suspect I become." Wait, what? Light is a suspect? Is he suspected to be Kira? Holy shit. Did I just find Kira? That didn't take long at all.

"Yes, it's about three percent now," said the other guy. Three percent? There's only a three percent Light is Kira? My hope faded at those words. "However, that has made me that more determined to work with you on this investigation. You see, I'm in a position that even if you are Kira, it would still be to my benefit to have you working alongside us. Do you know why I'd say that?" Uh, no. That made zero sense actually, but who asked me?

Light knew the answer, though. "If I cooperate with you, there's a chance I could help you with the investigation to move forward. And if I'm Kira, I might reveal myself. In other words, whether I'm Kira or not, you stand a gain either way. It's a very smart move on your part." Huh. That is a smart move. I couldn't have come up with that. I see evil. I stop evil. Simple as that. But, again, who asked me, right? "But, you might be getting the wrong idea. It's true that I do have an interest in the Kira case, and, yes, detective work is a hobby of mine, but I know that I'm not Kira and I certainly don't want to be killed by him. Besides, what proof have you been able to give me that you yourself aren't Kira? I mean, it hardly seems fair for just one of us to be investigated, wouldn't you say? At this point, neither of us can prove that we're not Kira. However, if you are in fact L, I don't imagine it would be that hard for you to prove it to me. I'd say I'd be convince if, say, my father or someone else from the taskforce headquarters was able to confirm your identity. If you can't do that, then I'm afraid that I just won't be able to help you."

Jesus, this dude talks a lot. Though, he has a point. Wait, did he just say that the other guy was L? No way. I just found L and a Kira suspect. Wow. I'm on a ball today. I'll be returning to my world very very soon at this rate.

"I don't remember saying that you couldn't meet someone from the taskforce headquarters to verify my identity. I am currently working alongside your father and several other senior detectives from the NPA. Now, if I understand you correctly and take you to taskforce headquarters, you will help us with the investigation. Am I safe in making this assumption?" L is a...detective? One who is investigating Kira? This is all starting to make sense to me now. Find L and you will find Kira.

The angel must have had some serious faith in L to know he'd find Kira. Though, what's up with these names? I already had to deal with a Frank, which was odd enough. Now I have to deal with a Light and an L. What happened to normal names?

Either way, I stood up from the table deciding that I've heard enough. It was time to confront both of them and put my mission into action. As soon as I got close to their table, both of their devices started making a weird ringing sound. I stayed behind a plant near their booth to avoid being seen while I spied on them. I really wanted to know what those devices were and what they do. I kind of want one.

In hiding, I was able to get a better look of their faces. I could hear a female voice coming from one of the devices saying, "Light, your father had a heart attack." So that's what these devices do? You can talk to people without having to be present. We have jewelry that do that. Better yet, we have necklaces that allow us to read each other's minds as long as the other person has the twin necklace. Nephilim is cooler, I'd say.

Light, I figured out, had chestnut brown hair and brown eyes. He looked around my age and very handsome. If he wasn't a mortal and a Kira suspect, I'd try one of my cheesy pick-up lines on him. The other guy was...odd. L, I guess his name was, had stark black hair and very pale skin. His eyes were wide and pitch black. It looked like his pupils covered his irises. The severe eyebags underneath made him look like a vampire, which are not real I've learned. The oddest part about him was that he sat on the bench with his knees pulled up to his chest. In fact, I don't even think his butt is touching the bench. He put all of his weight on his feet, bare feet at that.

A male voice came through L's device saying, "Ryuzaki, Chief Yagami had a heart attack." Wow, what a coincidence. L alerted Light just as Light alerted L. I watched as they jumped up and ran out the door. With a quick glance at their clean plates, I sighed in annoyance and ran after them. Discreetly, though. I figured now wasn't the time for magical surprises. Light's father just had a heart attack. Was it Kira? If so, Light couldn't be Kira. There's no power where a daemon could kill simply with his mind, which meant a mortal couldn't kill with his mind even if he borrowed the daemon's power.

The two men hopped in a sleek black car. Right before they sped off, I quietly unlocked and opened the trunk of said car and slid right in. Being a Nephilim, I have certain abilities that help me with battle. Opening sealed or closed spaces happen to be one of them. Silencing my every action is another. Most of the time, these powers aren't useful, but they could sure come in handy when you need them.

And just like that, I have started my mission by following Light (possibly Kira) and L to the hospital. In the trunk of their car. Like a creep.