The afternoon light filtered faintly through the curtains of the room illuminating the desk. In front of Light, the Death Note rested calmly.

But this was no ordinary day. L's constant vigilance, the detective's relentless pursuit, felt closer than ever. The pressure in the air was palpable, as if the game they were both playing was about to reach its climax.

Light rested his hands on the desk and exhaled slowly. The truth was that he had always enjoyed the challenge, that feeling of superiority it gave him to know that he controlled the fate of others. After all, who else could decide who lived and who died just by writing a name, no one.

Light smiled, a cold, calculated smile. His fingers slid smoothly across the pages of the Death Note, touching the corners of the written names, as he thought about the next move. On the next target.

"This world needs a new order. And I will be the one to enforce it" he muttered to himself, convinced that humanity was simply another piece on his board.

From the corner of the room, Ryuk watched silently, his low chuckle echoing in the air, though Light didn't even pay attention to him. He had grown accustomed to her presence by now.

The sound of the door chime brought him out of his trance. He rose from his chair, with an almost contemptuous elegance, and made his way to the door.

What was to come would be just another step closer to his mastery, to the world he had been destined to create.