Ryu Tanaka gazed out at the city skyline from his sleek corner office, the towering skyscrapers and glittering lights stretching out before him like an endless canvas of opportunity and ambition. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows through the floor-to-ceiling windows, creating a dance of light and darkness that felt both comforting and haunting.

With a deep sigh, Ryu leaned back in his leather chair, rubbing the bridge of his nose as memories surged like a tidal wave, threatening to engulf him. Fifteen years had passed since that fateful night, but the wounds still felt raw, the pain still lingering just beneath the surface. The warmth of the setting sun contrasted sharply with the chilling images seared into his mind. His parents, vibrant and full of life, reduced to mere shadows in the flickering candlelight of a dimly lit room. He could almost smell the smoke, feel the heat emanating from the candles, and taste the fear that had gripped him as a child.

As he delved deeper into the past, the memories came flooding back uninvited: the sound of shattering glass, the desperate pleas of his mother, and the ruthlessness in Hayama Hiroshi’s eyes as he extracted vengeance for a debt he had no qualms about collecting. Ryu's heart racing, bile rose in his throat, each recollection a sharp dagger piercing through the façade he’d carefully constructed over the years. He felt the familiar ache in his chest, the weight of his grief and anger settling upon him like a physical burden.

Closing his eyes tightly, Ryu tried to suppress the memories. The way they had looked at him, terror etched on their faces, as he stood frozen in a corner, helpless to intervene. The weight of that night anchored him, a relentless reminder that revenge was the only path left untraveled. It had become the driving force behind every move he made, every deal he struck, as he climbed to the top of the corporate world. His success was a double-edged sword, a constant reminder of what he had lost, and what he still had to gain.

But as he opened his eyes, a sudden flicker of doubt washed over him. Was he truly any closer to avenging his parents’ deaths, or was he merely grasping at shadows. Fueling a fire that threatened to consume him? He shifted in his chair, the leather creaking beneath him as if echoing the tension in his mind. In this life he had built, polished to a sheen, could there still be space for compassion or love? Or had he sacrificed too much, lost too much of himself in his pursuit of vengeance?

As the sun's final rays vanished beneath the horizon, the cityscape transformed into a somber, shadowy silhouette. Ryu Tanaka's jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing into slits as he gazed out at the twinkling lights that now seemed to mock him. The darkness that had been lurking just beneath the surface of his polished exterior began to stir, its presence a constant reminder of the vengeance that drove him. Tomorrow, he would take another step down the path of retribution, but tonight, the shadows demanded acknowledgment, craving resolution.

His gaze drifted to the white paper on his desk, where a photograph of a young boy stared back at him. The boy's big blue eyes seemed to bore into Ryu's very soul, a haunting reminder of the fragility of life and the devastating consequences of his relentless pursuit of vengeance. The image was a poignant reminder of what he had lost and what he still hoped to gain. As the emotions threatened to overwhelm him, Ryu's hand instinctively reached out, his fingers closing around the paper like a vice. He gripped it tightly, the crumpling sound of the paper a testament to the turmoil brewing inside him. The pressure of his grip was a desperate attempt to suppress the feelings that had been simmering just below the surface, a futile effort to keep the darkness at bay. But as he stood there, frozen in a mixture of pain and determination, the shadows seemed to closing in, waiting to consume him whole.