Y/n had always been good at solving puzzles.

Her job required her to piece together fractured minds, to analyze patterns in human behavior until they made sense. But Dexter Morgan? He wasn't a puzzle—he was a locked room with no key, a perfect illusion crafted over years of careful construction.

And she hated that she liked the challenge.

The latest victim had been discovered that morning—another woman, same careful staging, same eerie precision. The ritualistic nature of the kills fascinated her. The killer wasn't just taking lives; he was telling a story.

And yet, Y/n had the unsettling feeling that Dexter already knew the ending.

At the Crime Scene

The victim lay beneath the flickering glow of crime scene lights, her body positioned with meticulous care. Y/n stood a few feet away, hands on her hips, analyzing every detail.

Dexter stood beside her, his usual mask of quiet curiosity firmly in place.

"Whoever he is," Y/n murmured, "he's comfortable now. He's not rushing, not panicking. He knows what he's doing."

Dexter nodded, eyes flicking over the body. "Which means he's done this before."

She glanced at him. "You say that with certainty."

Dexter met her gaze, unreadable as ever. "Isn't that what the evidence suggests?"

Y/n hummed in response, shifting her focus back to the scene. Something felt off. She was missing something—something just beneath the surface.

And then it hit her.

"This isn't about the victims," she said suddenly.

Batista looked up from his notepad. "What do you mean?"

Y/n gestured toward the body. "The way they're staged, the way he takes his time—it's not personal. There's no rage, no remorse. He's not killing for them." She turned to Dexter, studying him as she spoke. "He's killing for himself."

Something flickered in Dexter's expression. Barely there, but enough for her to catch.

Interest.

Recognition.

And just like that, the pieces clicked into place.

Y/n wasn't just chasing a serial killer.

She was studying one.

And the most dangerous part?

He was studying her right back.