Written By Fate ||L Lawliet x Reader||

Chapter 24

The bar was alive with music, laughter, and the low hum of conversation. Y/N sat at the counter, a cocktail glass in her hand as she swirled the last remnants of her drink. She had come here alone, desperate for a distraction from the overwhelming stress of the case, the strange things she'd been seeing, and L's frustrating behavior.

"Another one?" the bartender asked, leaning in with a charming smile.

Y/N smirked. "Why not? Hit me with your best."

The bartender chuckled, busying himself with mixing her next drink. He was young, handsome in a carefree sort of way, and he clearly enjoyed the banter. "This ones on me, for a pretty lady like you..."

"Oh why thank you," Y/N teased. "You're too sweet."

Their playful exchange continued as he slid her another drink. Y/N took a sip, savoring the sweet, flavor, and leaned back in her seat. She allowed herself to relax.

But her comfort didn't last long.

Across the club, through the dim haze of colorful lights and moving bodies, she saw it again. The same creature. The thing she had been seeing, its unnerving, almost skeletal face, the way it stood out against the lively backdrop of the bar. It was watching her.

Y/N froze, her heart pounding in her chest. She blinked, hoping it was just a trick of the light, but when her eyes adjusted, it was still there. Motionless. Staring.

Her stomach churned. She turned back to her drink, swallowing it in one go, as if the alcohol could somehow erase the image from her mind. Maybe it was all in her head. Maybe she just needed to calm down.

But deep down, she knew better.

After a few more drinks and some half-hearted flirting with the bartender, Y/N excused herself. She needed to clear her head. The buzz of the alcohol wasn't helping, and the room felt suffocating. She made her way to the bathroom, her steps were unsteady.

The bathroom was quiet, a stark contrast to the chaos outside. Y/N leaned against the sink, gripping its edge tightly. She took a deep breath, staring down at the cool porcelain.

"It's not real," she whispered to herself. "It's not real. I'm just tired. Stressed."

But her voice didn't sound convincing, even to her own ears.

She lifted her head to look at herself in the mirror. The fluorescent lighting did her no favors, but that was the least of her concerns. She stared at herself.

Behind her.

There it was again, staring back at her.

The creature's reflection loomed in the mirror, its dark, hollow eyes locked onto hers. Y/N's breath hitched, her hands gripping the sink so hard her knuckles turned white.

She didn't scream this time. Instead, she forced herself to stay still, her eyes wide as she stared at it through the mirror.

"What are you?" she asked, her voice shaky but steady enough.

The creature tilted its head, almost amused. "Does it matter?" it replied, its voice low and gravelly, yet disturbingly calm.

Y/N's heart raced, but she pressed on. "Yes, it matters. You... you've been following me. Watching me. Why? What do you want from me?"

The creature chuckled, a sound that sent chills down her spine. "What do I want? Nothing. I'm just here."

She frowned, frustration bubbling up alongside her fear. "That doesn't make any sense. Why can I see you? Why now?"

It leaned in slightly, its grin widening. "I didn't choose for you to see me. That's not how this works."

Y/N felt a wave of confusion crash over her. "What does that even mean?"

The creature didn't answer. Instead, it simply chuckled again, its skeletal face filled with a twisted sort of amusement.

Y/N turned around quickly, determined to confront it directly, but when she did, the bathroom was empty.

Her chest heaved as she stared at the spot where it had been, her mind racing with questions. She turned back to the mirror, half-expecting to see it there again, but all she saw was her own reflection, pale and shaken.

"What the hell is going on?" she whispered to herself.

She leaned back against the wall, sliding down until she was sitting on the cold tiled floor. Her hands trembled as she tried to process what had just happened.

It wasn't real. It couldn't be real. And yet... it felt more real than anything else.

After a few moments, Y/N forced herself to stand. She splashed cold water on her face, trying to steady her breathing. Whatever this thing was, she wasn't going to let it break her. She was stronger than that.

But as she left the bathroom and rejoined the chaos of the bar, she couldn't shake the feeling that this thing was still there, watching her.