It was cold. Colorless. There was no joy in this place, only a sepulchral moroseness. And boredom. Her children sat hunched on the floor, playing dice or sleeping. Giant corpses given new life, adorned with wings, jewels, spikes, and staples, keeping together their tattered skin — if they even had any. 
All eyes turned to her. Hollow eyes suddenly gleaming with interest. With conflict. She understood. To welcome her home would be to go against His wishes. No matter. This was no longer her realm. The world she inhabited now was for more to her liking. But she had to show them she was far from defeated. 
Slowly, she stretched her arm. Black veins canvassed her porcelain skin like sinister tendrils, creating an intricate artwork on her flesh. Her dainty hand bore long silver claws, dripping mortal blood. She laughed, reveling in the ensuing awed gasps. Nobody would stop her this time. Not the King, not the meddling spirit, not even —

"Cassandra, wake up!"

Cassandra shot up, eyes frantically searching her surroundings. A pair of hands gripped her from behind. She screamed and fought against whoever was holding her.

"Cassandra, it's me, stop!"

She stopped thrashing and looked over her shoulder, finally recognizing the young man with the raven hair. "L-Lawliet? What —?"

"You were crying and writhing in your sleep. Are you okay?"

"I-I-I... I don't... Wh-Where am I?"

"In Tokyo, remember? You're safe in bed with me. Nobody can hurt you. Please calm down."

Cassandra took a deep breath. The nightlight on L's side of the bed cast a warm glow into the room, dispelling some of the darkness which had taken such a hold over her. It was big and spacious, with warm colors and plenty of furniture. Her erratic heart rate eased at the sight. Just a nightmare. Nothing more. It wasn't real. 

"What was it this time?" asked L, his lips close to her ear. 

"The monsters," whispered Cassandra. "They're so horrible. And my hand was..."

She raised her trembling hand, finding it looked regular and human. But it hadn't in the nightmare. She'd been a monster, too. A monster with dark thoughts. Murderous thoughts. Oh, please, no...

"Lawliet," Cassandra pushed herself out of his embrace and turned to face him, "did I kill someone?"

"No," he said, "nobody died. Light stopped her in time."

"Light? Does he know?"

"He believes a ghost took possession of C. I'll talk to him to make sure he keeps on believing that."

Cassandra exhaled, releasing some more of her tension. She was safe. Nothing had happened. And nobody knew. Nobody but L, her Lawliet. He would keep her safe. He always had.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to Cassandra. She quickly checked the clock on her nightstand. Only ten pm. 

"What, um... What are you doing up so early?" asked Cassandra. 

"I haven't gone down yet," replied L. 

"You mean you stayed here with me this whole time?"

"When I put you in bed, I noticed you were holding my shirt. I didn't want to wake you, so I lay down next to you and fell asleep. I woke up when your nightmare began."

Cassandra stared at him, dumbstruck by his words. In all the years she knew L, he had only ever slept in the same bed with her the night she moved in with him. He'd allowed it that once, but never again. It seemed ludicrous he'd gotten a kingsize for their bedroom when she was the only one using it, but she'd never questioned him. He had his quirks, and she really wasn't one to judge. Him doing this now was a huge step. 

"You're staring again," said L, breaking the silence. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yes, I... I'm just sorry I woke you," said Cassandra. 

"Don't be. You know I sleep little, anyway."

"Which is why I'm sorry. You need every minute when you do sleep. I wish you would reconsider going to that sleep clinic back home. Their results are among the best in the world, and I'm sure they can help you."

L cocked his head at her. "Are you really this worried about my well-being?"

Cassandra's cheeks flushed red. She averted. Yes, she worried. How could she not? Even if he didn't reciprocate her feelings, L meant everything to Cassandra. He was the one who'd helped her understand her condition, who'd given her a home, who'd given her an inkling of her life back. She wouldn't have made it this far without him. 

"Thank you." L's soft voice made Cassandra peer through her lashes. The way he was looking at her sent flutters through her stomach. "I'll think about it, if that'll make you feel better."

"It would. But I don't want you to go because I asked you to. Go because you want to. For yourself."

L looked away and pushed up his lower lip with his thumb. This had to be the quirk Cassandra adored most. When he shut off, to ponder on the matters at hand. It reflected his brilliance. And it was damn cute, too.
She sat on her knees before him, mimicking L's own position, and rested her arms on his shoulders. Hesitantly, she drew closer until their noses touched. Her heart stilled when he met her gaze and took her by her hips. She waited for the inevitable. For the words that would crush her. But L remained silent. 

Cassandra leaned in, yearning to feel his warmth. L's hands slipped to the small of her back, making her up sit straight with him, pushing her lower body against his. Her bosom flattened against his muscular chest. Though L mainly kept a sedentary life-style, he had an amazing, lean physique. The feel of him instilled a deeper desire in Cassandra as she pressed her mouth on L's.
Against expectations, he answered immediately. His fingers dug into her back, snatching at her blouse. Emboldened by L's response, Cassandra ran her own through his soft raven hair. She gingerly ran the tip of her tongue over his lips. He tasted so sweet. So intoxicating. Every fiber of Cassandra's being urged for more. But to her dismay, L drew back then, creating a short yet unbearable distance between them. 

Whimpering, she clutched his hair, her eyes begging him not to leave her embrace so quickly. She caught the inner struggle in his own gray-blue orbs as he lowered his gaze. It was like he was having a game of tug-of-war with himself. Did he feel something for her, after all? Not love, but maybe... lust?
Cassandra recalled all the previous times they'd kissed. She'd always been the one to initiate it, except for... that day. In that single moment, on the day she'd been the happiest young woman alive, she'd let herself believe he wanted her. But she'd forgotten it was only part of the arrangement she had agreed to. An arrangement that exchanged one gilded cage for another. And one where there was no room for the physical relief she so desperately craved. He made sure to always remind her of that.

L sighed and took Cassandra's wrists, making her release his hair. She fell back at the loss of him, upon which he gently lay her hands in her lap. Without so much as a single glance, L left the warmth of the bed that, for a few hours, had truly been theirs. He sauntered to the door, posture hunched, hands in his pockets. 
Cassandra turned away. She couldn't bear to watch him leave. Somehow, it was so much worse now. When he left for another city or even another country for weeks or months on end, the distance eventually dulled the ache of parting. Yet now, he would be only a few floors down for a couple of minutes, maybe a little while longer. And then he would return to sit on the couch, with Watari bringing him coffee and sweets to get him through the night as he worked on the Kira-case. He would wish her goodnight, and she would silently cry herself to sleep as yet another rejection carved crudely into her already bleeding heart.

To love a man so close and still so far... It was the sole reason Cassandra sometimes wished she'd never met L.

📓💀📓

Light's eyes traveled to the clock for the umpteenth time. Where was L? The security cam showed him taking the elevator, but that had been hours ago. He'd sent Watari saying he'd be down later, but the later never came. 

"Maybe we should just retire for the night?" suggested Light's father with a sigh. 

"Ryuzaki said he'd join us, so I'd prefer to wait a little longer if you don't mind," said Light. "Besides, I want to make sure C is all right."

Soichiro hummed, drawing his son's attention. There was a peculiar smirk on his father's mouth. A typical all-knowing one only a parent could bear. Good Lord, what was he thinking now?

"You're fascinated by her, aren't you?" asked Soichiro. 

"Huh? No, I'm not."

"I'm your father, Light. I know you best. Though I'll admit, you surprised me a few times over the last couple of months. But one thing has always remained consistent in all the years I've watched you grow into the young man you are today. All you ever wanted to do since you were a child was solve the next puzzle I brought home for you. The next great mystery. It was the only thing that kept you on edge. Even as you grew older, the idea of girls or romance in general never seemed to interest you. Not as much as investigating and studying, I mean. You caught us off guard with Misa, but I can tell just by observing you both that you don't really love her."

"Dad, where are you going with this?" demanded Light.

"C has sparked your interest. She's a complex riddle that arouses your need for knowledge. An enigma you have to solve. That being said, she is also the first woman I've seen you swoon over."

"What? Dad, for God's sake, don't be ridiculous."

Soichiro chuckled and pushed his glasses higher on the bridge of his nose. "Light, you may fool me in certain fields, and you've certainly already outmatched me in detective work, but in matters of the heart, there is still much for you to learn. For argument's sake, answer me this; how do you see C?"

"I... I don't know," Light answered, despite his apprehension of where this was going. "She's... I'm not really sure how to even describe her."

"Do you think she's beautiful?"

"Um, maybe, I... I guess so."

"And you do find her intriguing, don't you? You were alone with her in the car on the way to the hospital. Did you talk with each other?"

"Yes, but I won't repeat what she said. It was a private conversation."

"So you don't want to betray her trust."

It wasn't a question, so much as an observation. One Light didn't particularly care about. When he didn't reply, Soichiro nodded in understanding and sat back in L's office chair. The chain binding father and son together dragged over the floor with a soft clink.

"Son, you know I love you and want to see you happy. You deserve it after everything you've been through. I will never tell you who to love or who not to love. If C is someone you feel for and wish to pursue, then, by all means, go for it. All I ask is you merely consider all factors before rushing in."

All factors? What is that supposed to —?

But then Light grasped exactly what his father was talking about. Or rather, who. C wasn't her own person. She was an extension of another. Not even that, really. And if there was one thing Light knew for certain was that he could feel absolutely nothing for someone as mousey as Cassia. 
Besides, he still wasn't entirely sure what C's — and by default, Cassia's — relation to L truly was. It didn't appear as though they were anything more than work partners, but L had deceived them all before. Yet there was his conversation with C from the car to consider as well. She'd openly admitted to never having been with anyone. Yes, she could've been lying to gain his trust, but her body language contradicted that notion. 

Why am I even thinking about this? Dad is messing with my head. Sure, C is interesting, but to say I swoon over her? Come on, that's too crazy for words. Though... I can't ignore I have this quaint sensation in the pit of my stomach whenever she walks into the room. I've never had a crush on someone, so maybe that's just what's happening now. Wait, no, what am I saying? I don't have a crush on C, or anyone else, for that matter.

Soft footsteps resonated, breaking Light's train of thought. He turned toward the glass staircase to find L coming down into the main office. That was odd. Why didn't he take the elevator? It wasn't out of order, was it? 
Light exchanged a glance with his father as Soichiro got up from L's seat, but the latter merely shrugged. The young detective had many eccentricities, so they shouldn't really be surprised at anything he did. Still, Light couldn't help but notice L seemed even more robotic than usual, as the young detective ambled to their shared desk.

"Is everything okay, Ryuzaki?" he asked. 

"Yes," answered L, taking the handcuff off Soichiro's wrist and closing it around his own. "Mr. Yagami, could I ask you to please vacate the room? I would like to have a debriefing with Light over what happened at the hospital."

Light again glanced at his father, catching the twitch in the corner of his mouth at L's orders. Soichiro was a proud man and a worthy inspector at the NPA. Certainly he, of all people, should be present for a debriefing? Especially if it concerned an active investigation. Unless... 

"It's okay, Dad," said Light before his father could object. "I don't mind. Why don't you go check on the others? I'm not tired yet, so we can help them out with the research C requested when you're back, either here or in our room."

"Very well," Soichiro agreed reluctantly. "I'll only be a few minutes."

"Sure, thanks."

L waited for Light's father to leave before turning his attention toward him. His wide-open eyes bore into Light in the most unnerving manner. 

"If there were ever a moment, Light Yagami," began L, "that I required your full cooperation and honesty, it would be now. I need you to tell me everything that happened in the hospital from the moment you walked through those doors until your father and Mr. Aizawa found you."

"Oh. Yes, of course, but, um," Light hesitated. "do you mind telling me if C is all right?"

"To answer that, I must hear your account first. Please be as detailed as possible."

An inexplicable fear gripped Light. What if he said something that would get C in trouble? Would L send her away? No, he couldn't. She was a valuable asset to the investigation. They needed her.

She can also be a danger, he thought then. What I witnessed in the hospital was surreal. It was like she tried to suck that woman's soul right out of her. If I keep silent and something else happens... I can't have that on my conscience. 

With the safety of the others on his mind, Light told L everything that had happened. How they made their way to the third floor, how they got separated when the alarm went off, how he searched for and then found C. When he got the part about the burn victim, shivers ran over his entire body. As if merely taking about it was bringing down doom on them all. 
By the time Light finished, L sat huddled in his chair, thumb pressed to his lower lip. His eyes had never once left Light's face. He hadn't even blinked. If L's shoulders hadn't risen with his breathing, Light would've taken him for a statue. 

"As I feared," murmured L then. 

"What is it, Ryuzaki? Did this happen before?"

"Yes. Hospitals aren't a good place for C, hence why I didn't want her to go earlier. Some of the unfortunate souls who came at a rather abrupt ending can be... let's say extreme, in making themselves known."

"C mentioned something similar," noted Light. "So that was really a ghost possessing her, then?"

"It happens more often than one might believe," said L. "You see, Light, there are two types of earthbound spirits. The light ones can again be categorized in two sections, but I won't go into that right now. It's the dark ones C is most concerned about, because they feed on people's energy and fear. Depending on how strong a ghost is, and how long they've been earthbound, they can teleport from one place to another, move items, and attach to but also possess a living person. Some don't even have to step into the person's body. They control them like a sadistic puppet-master pulling on invisible strings. C has never been oppressed like that, but she is, I regret to say, susceptible to possession."

"Isn't there anything she can do to protect herself?"

"Not when she's in a hospital with hundreds of ghosts around her. As soon as one of them becomes aware she can see them, they descend on her like ravenous wolves. She is their only chance at completing their unfinished business and some will not hesitate to take it by any means necessary. A physical jolt is usually what breaks the possession, as you yourself surmised."

Light reclined in his chair and licked his lips. Everything L told him made perfect sense. He even answered some unspoken questions. And yet, Light knew the detective was lying. Perhaps not about everything, as the best lies are those sprinkled with truth, but he was lying. Light's instincts had picked up on the very subtle hints from the start of L's elaborate explanation.

"So how do we proceed from here?" he asked casually. 

"There is nothing to be done," said L. "This wasn't the first time C got possessed, and I dare say it won't be the last. That being said, there is something important I would ask of you, Light."

"What is it, Ryuzaki?"

"Don't share the details of what happened in the hospital or of what we discussed with anyone. Not even your father."

"But shouldn't the others know in case it happens again? To help, I mean?"

"Watari and I know what signs we have to look out for, and C has already agreed to not leave HQ unless one of us accompanies her to limit the odds of another possession. I assure you, we will take action if need be."

But Light wasn't assured. Not by a long shot. For now, though, he decided to go along with L's request. His father had been right about something — C fascinated him. He was determined to solve the puzzle she posed. And he already knew how to go about it.

📓💀📓

The medical staff stood around the patient's bed, utterly defeated. The single flatline tone resounded like a drum in their hearts. A nurse moved to shut it off, inviting an eerie silence to the room. 

"What happened?" inquired the head physician on shift. "I thought she was doing better?"

"Physically, yes," answered the nurse with a strangled sob. "But the skin grafts were agony for her. And she hasn't had a single personal visitor since she was admitted a week ago to help her through this. Nobody but the agents from the insurance and social care."

"Her family?"

"Died in the fire. She blamed herself for it."

"I thought it was arson?"

"It was. But she believed her husband was doing better with the new medication, so she let her guard down. He drugged her and the two little ones through their food. The firemen could only save her." 

"Damn... No wonder she gave up."

Everyone bowed their head, praying the woman would find peace and be reunited with her loved-ones in the afterlife. The head physician took up the chart, eyes flickering one last time to his patient. Curiously, she had the most peaceful expression on her face. Amid her harrowing wounds and scars, the serene smile on her lips was a beautiful sight to behold. Finally, he checked his watch and put his pen to the paper, officially calling it.

"Time of death, 11.59 pm, July 27, 2007."