Light's gravestone was becoming a familiar sight for him in these visions. Yet, this one was different from the others. Usually, he got to see his family and L's lives from his body. This time, he saw through the eyes of someone else, trapped inside this body as they visited his grave, not allowed to see just who this person was.

They, he, reached up and caressed his gravestone, his, their fingers tracing his name before dropping to their his lap.

"I'm sorry," the voice, his voice said. It was a voice filled with regret, Light's voice merging with it, making it hard to discern. "If I knew who they had in custody, I wouldn't have been so quick in halting my purge. I needed to keep them away to fracture their trust in our enemy, L. I hope you can understand and forgive me for letting you die."

"I will show this world our power, and we may have been torn apart by our enemies; we will be reunited in our next life, my love. This world will fear Kira, and they will remember your sacrifice, which will pave the way to bringing in a better world."

Light shot up and out of bed. Bile trickled up his throat, shoving the bathroom door open; Light dropped to his knees beside the toilet and threw up. He knew somewhere he had a connection to Kira, but to know the murderer was in love with him. Kira believed his death was actually a sacrifice for his paradise and not the murder it actually was. If Kira hadn't stopped killing, then Light wouldn't have died, or his execution would've been delayed, and maybe Light could've done something to help his situation. He wouldn't have been set back in time, suffering in this half-state. He could've stopped Kira in the first timeline.

A hand rubbing against his back pulled Light from his thoughts whilst another drew back his hair. Light stayed there, the hand soothing him until his nausea subsided. Light moved away from the toilet and turned to see L behind him. They had stayed up until five, talking about everything and nothing. It felt strange to have a seemingly normal conversation with the detective from whom he'd spent the last five months hiding. If everything had gone differently, no Kira, no Death Note or Shinigamis, then Light believes that L and he could've been friends, maybe something else.

"Was it the sandwich?" L said. Light shook his head. He couldn't keep his vision a secret, especially as it clearly showed Kira's motivation. If Kira was in love with him in the future, then he must be doing everything now for Light. It's clear then that whoever Kira is, they have been a close part of Light's life for years before they received the Death Note. Light might've never noticed them, but they've always been there, blending into the background, watching.

"No. I had…" Light was cut off by L's phone. The detective pulled it from his pocket and answered the call.

"Yes, Watari. I understand. We will be down momentarily," L said before hanging up.

"What is it?" Light said. Had Kira enacted his next massacre?

"Teru Mikami has been found," L said, "He's dead, Light."

Light stared down at Teru's bloody body. He'd been stabbed multiple times, both front and back. Light suspects whoever killed him continued stabbing him even after Teru was dead. His murderer was angry, fuming with Teru. The body had been thrown into the dumpster in an alley behind a restaurant.

"I spoke with the coroner. He counted at least sixty stab wounds but won't be sure of an exact number until he gets the body back to the coroner's office. The coroner also suspects he died in the last twenty-four hours but again won't have anything concrete until the autopsy," Aizawa said. Light looked at L. It had been risky letting them both leave headquarters, especially with Kira frantically trying to locate them, but Light wasn't staying behind.

"Aizawa, please accompany the coroner. Don't leave until the autopsy has finished and you know everything that happened to Teru," L said. Light crouched down.

"He tried to defend himself," Light said, lifting Teru's arm. He had cuts and bruises all over his fingers and lower arm. "I think he was taken off guard when he was attacked and tried to fight back, but his attacker gained control over him. I wouldn't be surprised if Teru was knocked unconscious."

"Kira did this, didn't he?" Matsuda said. No one else would've dealt this much damage and anger at Teru.

"He failed Kira—one too many times. Kira already has a fractured mental state, and whatever Teru recently failed to do pushed Kira over. He already massacred Sakura TV; killing one person is nothing to him," Light said. He shifted slightly and reached over to grab Teru's other arm. His fingers were tightly grasped around a small metal object.

"But each time Kira's used the Death Note, he's never physically killed someone. What's changed?" Raye said. Light looked up at the others.

"Teru first failed Kira during the bus jacking; he didn't get Raye's name, then later on he killed three police officers in broad daylight using the Death Note; witnesses gave Teru's description fleeing from the bodies. It was the first incident which would've tarnished Kira's name by killing the innocent. The Death Note affects a person's sanity and mental state; with each use, pieces of their sanity are carved out until nothing remains. We've all seen Kira's recent actions; the person who aimed to use the notebook to bring about a peaceful world is gone. Teru must've failed him again; this time, it was personal to Kira. Kira wanted Teru to suffer for his failure, and using the Death Note wouldn't achieve that; he needed to kill him with his bare hands," Light said. He looked back down at Teru's body at the small metal object.

Light heard the others move away, L ordering Matsuda to help whilst Raye returned to Naomi's side. Light shifted so that the hand was concealed by his body as he carefully peeled Teru's fingers open. Inside his palm was a small silver chain threaded through a ring; the clasp had snapped when Teru pulled at it. In the last seconds of his life, Teru must've realised that Kira couldn't continue and grabbed at something that belonged to him. Light looked down at the ring, blood now stained cluster of gaps between the diamonds. Tracking this ring back to its owner shouldn't be difficult; it looked expensive. Someone, somewhere, must have a record of selling this ring, but it didn't stop the voice in the back of his head from screaming about how familiar it looked. Light knew deep down he'd seen this ring before; someone he knew owned this ring, but who?

Light was jolted out of his thoughts by a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see L towering over him. "Light, we're heading back to headquarters."

The drive back to headquarters was silent, Light's fingers drifting over the ring in his pocket. He had yet to tell the others about it; he needed more evidence that this ring was Kira's before showing L and the task force. Light didn't think announcing that he found a ring on Teru, believed it belonged to Kira, and he's almost 100% positive that he's seen it before but can't remember where would go down well, especially with how jumpy the others have been around him since he blew up at his father and used his powers to escape. Matsuda and L were the only ones who still treated him like he was normal (apart from Raye and Naomi, who were used to him by now), for which Light was grateful.

Mogi and Ukita were waiting for them as they exited the lift. L had kicked his father from headquarters, and the Kira case, and Light didn't want to know where he was or what he was up to. When the Kira case was over, Light was going full-on without contact with his father and getting his mother and sister out of the toxic environment they were living in.

"Mogi, Ukita. I want you to track down Teru's last known whereabouts. He wasn't killed in the alleyway. We need to find where it happened, and we will be a step closer to finding Kira," L said. Mogi and Ukita nodded before leaving headquarters. Light dropped onto the sofa, and the others took their seats around him, with L being the closest.

"I have a theory about Teru's failure. I doubt it's right and probably stupid, but…" Matsuda said before Light cut him off. He noticed the detective was more intelligent than he let himself believe, and the other detectives constantly put him down whenever he seemed to suggest anything.

"No, go for it," Light said.

"It stems from the bus jacking; something about it always bothered me. How did Kira find out about Penber being in Japan and know he was an FBI agent? When we at the NPA weren't aware, the FBI were investigating us and our families. I checked, and there wasn't a leak to the public or even the police until after the agents had been recalled back to America, so technically, Kira shouldn't have known Penber was FBI. He was also the only agent who came into contact with Kira or an accomplice of Kira's, which means Kira could only have a link to the police officers and their families he was investigating - the Yagami's and the Kiramura's," Matsuda said. "The bus jacking happened when he was following you. I think Kira noticed Penber following you; maybe Kira thought he was a stalker. In his twisted mind, he believed he was protecting you by getting rid of Penber. Then, in your original timeline, Teru succeeded in getting his ID and found out that way about the FBI agents. I know it's probably completely wrong."

"No, you're right. I've suspected this for a while; like you, the bus jacking seemed off to me. Why send Teru unless Kira knew someone on that bus and it was riskier being there in person than by sending Teru in his place. Kira…" Light trailed off; he couldn't believe he was about to admit this, "Kira is in love with me."

"What!" Naomi said, "When did you find that out?"

Light looked over at L, who was masking his emotions well, but he could see the surprise in his eyes. "Remember when I was sick this morning?"

L nodded. "I had another vision last night. Kira was in front of my grave, and he confessed that he was in love with me. I couldn't tell who it was; it would never be that easy."

"What if Teru's final failure was about protecting you? Kira believes you are the love of his life, and I bet he would want you safe until he can approach you himself. Between your month long imprisonment and then moving into headquarters, Teru couldn't find you. It would explain the excessive amount of force Kira used when he killed Teru," Matsuda said.

Now everything made sense. Light pulled the ring from his pocket and brought it to his face. He knew Kira; it wasn't some random stranger, but someone Light had actually interacted with. Back at the beginning of the investigation, L suspected Kira was a student, so whoever they were, they were around the same age as him. It must be someone from school or cram school? In Light's vision of his execution, only one person was present, and they didn't want Light to know they were there - a Takada. Light knew a Kiyomi Takada from high school; she had asked him out, but Light had turned her down.

No, he knew Kira was male, and using the name Takada was too obvious; it was someone else, but who? Light wasn't close to anyone; he didn't have 'friends', more like acquaintances he talked to but never became close with. Kira knew how to blend in and fade into the background, but they were present enough in his social circles that Light had noticed things about them and the ring. Light spoke with so many people that no one stands out. No one ever stood out to him; they were all the same mindless, boring sheep. Light looked at the ring. Its shape and details were burning into his mind, each scratch and blemish highlighted as he searched through every moment of his life, looking for its owner.

"What are you holding?" L said. Light looked over at him.

"I found it in Teru's hand. I recognise it," Light said. L held his hand out, and Light reluctantly passed it over.

"It looks old. The natural wear and tear on the silver band comes from age, not the attack. If Kira does know you, Light, then I would suspect this ring belongs to their mother or grandmother, and it's been passed down the…" L said, but Light cut him off.

"Family," Light said, primarily to himself. It's a family ring.

'I stole it from my mother; she's been frantically searching for it. I don't get why; it's falling apart; they've had the stones replaced constantly, so why bother? I might pawn it off, get some extra cash for this new game I've been eyeing up.' Light couldn't believe how stupid he's been. All this time, he's been staring Light in the face, quite literally in some cases. He never leaves him alone, always floating outside Light's space, sometimes talking to him or those considered popular, pretending to be like them. Always being in places Light is, blending in most times that sometimes Light doesn't notice him until much later. Now he thinks about it; perhaps he has been in the distance watching Light for years, and he's never seen.

He saw Raye following him. He prepared the bus jacking incident to get Raye's name but couldn't be there himself because it was too risky. Light would notice him being there and would see it as odd behaviour should he push to get Raye's name, as that's not the type of person Light's always believed him to be. He's loud and brutish but non-confrontational.

Light jumped up from his seat, nearly colliding with L, as he rushed to a computer. He needed to see it with his eyes; he needed to see the evidence that he was Kira. Light loaded a picture from the tennis team he had been a part of before his father pulled him out. Names and lifespans appeared before him, all except one.

"Yamamoto Haruto is Kira."

That Shinigami was useless. Not only was he staying neutral against Kira's plan to rid this world of filth, demanding entertainment, then disappearing when the final stage of his domination began. He wasn't stupid; he had seen how distracted it was since he gracefully let him oversee Teru's failure. Something happened during that bus jacking that stole Ryuk's attention from him, and he will find out what. Once he rules over his paradise, he'll punish that God of Death for this treason. Day by day, he will purge the trash from this world, and soon, they will know him not only as the God Kira but also as their merciful ruler. Now armed with the power of his Death Note and his Shinigami Eyes, no one in this world was safe from him. The bullies, the criminals and his most hated enemy, L. He will know their names, and they will fuel the fire he commands as he, Yamamoto Haruto, cleanses this world until only he and his love remain.