Chapter 1: The Notebook That Fell
from the Sky
On an ordinary afternoon in Tokyo, Light Yagami was walking
home after school. Intelligent and always among the best students
in Japan, Light often thought that the world was unfair and full of
criminals who escaped punishment. While looking out the
classroom window, he noticed a black notebook mysteriously
falling into the schoolyard. Curious, he picked it up after classes
ended. On the cover were the words “Death Note.” When he
opened it, he found a strange rule: “The human whose name is
written in this notebook shall die.” Light laughed and assumed it
was a joke. That evening, however, he watched a news report
about a dangerous criminal holding several hostages. Curious
about the notebook, he wrote the man's name. Forty seconds
later, the criminal died of a heart attack. Light could hardly believe
what had happened. A few days later, a strange creature named
Ryuk appeared before him. Ryuk explained that he was a
Shinigami, a god of death, and that the notebook was real. From
that moment on, Light realized that his life would never be the
same.