diff --git a/core/include/vf/LightEngine.h b/core/include/vf/LightEngine.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f328bd5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/include/vf/LightEngine.h
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <cstdint>
+#include <vector>
+#include "World.h"
+#include "Block.h"
+
+namespace vf {
+
+constexpr int maxLightLevel = 15;
+
+// Incremental sky + block light over a fixed world box. Sky light is seeded from
+// the open top of the box at full strength and travels straight down without loss
+// while unobstructed, attenuating one level per step in every other direction.
+// Block light radiates from emitters, attenuating one level per step. Editing a
+// block re-lights only the affected neighbourhood (flood-fill add plus removal
+// darkening) and yields the same field a full rebuild would produce. The box is
+// chunk-agnostic: it indexes by world coordinate, so light crosses chunk borders
+// seamlessly.
+class LightEngine {
+public:
+    LightEngine(World& world, const Vec3i& origin, const Vec3i& dims);
+
+    void rebuild();
+
+    // Sets a world block and incrementally updates both light channels.
+    void setBlock(int gx, int gy, int gz, Block block);
+
+    uint8_t sunAt(int gx, int gy, int gz) const;
+    uint8_t blockAt(int gx, int gy, int gz) const;
+    float combinedAt(int gx, int gy, int gz, float dayFactor = 1.0f) const;
+
+    const Vec3i& regionOrigin() const { return origin; }
+    const Vec3i& regionDims() const { return dims; }
+    const std::vector<uint8_t>& sunField() const { return sun; }
+    const std::vector<uint8_t>& blockField() const { return block; }
+    void loadRaw(const std::vector<uint8_t>& sunData, const std::vector<uint8_t>& blockData) {
+        if (sunData.size() == sun.size()) sun = sunData;
+        if (blockData.size() == block.size()) block = blockData;
+    }
+
+private:
+    struct Node {
+        int lx, ly, lz;
+        uint8_t level;
+    };
+
+    int index(int lx, int ly, int lz) const { return (ly * dims.z + lz) * dims.x + lx; }
+    bool inBox(int lx, int ly, int lz) const;
+    bool occludesLocal(int lx, int ly, int lz) const;
+
+    // isSun selects the straight-down full-strength rule for the channel.
+    void floodAdd(std::vector<uint8_t>& field, std::vector<Node>& queue, bool isSun);
+    void floodRemove(std::vector<uint8_t>& field, std::vector<Node>& removals,
+                     std::vector<Node>& reAdd, bool isSun);
+    void updateSun(int lx, int ly, int lz);
+    void updateBlock(int lx, int ly, int lz, Block newBlock);
+
+    World& world;
+    Vec3i origin;
+    Vec3i dims;
+    std::vector<uint8_t> sun;
+    std::vector<uint8_t> block;
+};
+
+} // namespace vf