L

A thunderstorm raged outside the panoramic window of the safe house on the forty-second floor. Rain pounded the glass in sheets, and flashes of lightning bathed the empty room in a cold white light for a split second.

Al sat upright on the carpet in the middle of the room, his knees drawn up to his chest . In front of him rose an incredibly complex, wobbly tower of playing cards—almost a meter high.

You quietly close the door behind you, trying not to make any noise, but he doesn't even flinch.

" Don't come closer than two meters, " Al says quietly, almost in a whisper, holding the ace of spades with precision between two fingers. "Your movement will create a current of air. If this tower falls, I'll have to admit that external factors have trumped my calculations. And I hate losing."

He gently released the card. The structure wobbled slightly , but remained stable.

Al slowly turns his head towards you, without changing his posture . The dark circles under his eyes seem even deeper in the dim light, and his gaze is sharp and unusually focused.

— He reaches into the pocket of his baggy jeans and pulls out a sealed envelope with no return address.

"This was dropped off at the main entrance half an hour ago, right under the guards' noses," he places the envelope on the floor and gently nudges it toward you with the tip of his bare foot. "The police think it's a fan's joke. I think there's an 82% chance this message is from Kira himself."

El narrows his eyes, watching your expression closely .

"I haven't touched it until you get here. I want us to open it up together. Ready to see what trap he's got in store for us?"