I stood on the edge of the city’s tallest skyscraper, the bitter wind slicing through the night as I stared at the sprawling chaos below.

  Neon lights flickered, illuminating streets filled with people who carried on with their lives, blissfully unaware of the predator perched above them.

  I’d become a ghost in this city, a shadow that hunted in the darkest corners to cleanse it of its rot.

  Justice, if you could even call it that, was my obsession—a lifeline that tethered me to the world.

  It was ironic, really. People called me a hero, yet I’d never once sought to be one. I killed because it was the only thing I was good at.

  Rapists, corrupt politicians, gang leaders—no one escaped my blade if they had dirt on their hands.

  They called me a force of nature, an unstoppable storm, but the truth was simpler: I was just a man who’d lost everything and needed a reason to keep breathing.

  I am just a shadow under the sunlight or under the moonlight.

  Yes, I am just a Shadow.

  My reason had once been her. My wife. The woman who made the world seem brighter, even in the darkest moments. But now, even her light had faded. She’d grown distant, her laughter hollow, her gaze cold.

  I couldn’t remember the last time she’d looked at me with love in her eyes. Maybe it was my fault—no, I knew it was.

  I’d thrown myself so deeply into my work, into my crusade, that I’d forgotten how to be the man she fell in love with. And now, she was slipping away, falling for someone else.

  I didn’t know who he was, but I knew the signs. The late nights, the secretive texts, the faint smile that wasn’t meant for me.

  I’d become a stranger in my own home, a shadow that drifted past her without a word. But even knowing this, I couldn’t stop.

  I couldn’t let go of the only thing that gave my life purpose.

  Tonight, though, something was different. My target was a high-ranking politician, a man whose public image was one of charity and goodwill.

  Behind the scenes, he was a monster. Human trafficking, drug smuggling, murder—his hands were soaked in blood. He sat in his office now, oblivious to the end creeping toward him.

  I’d studied his routine for weeks, memorized every detail of his life. This was the moment I’d been waiting for.

  Slipping into his office was child’s play. The guards were incompetent, their patrols predictable. Within minutes, I was standing over him, my dragger pressed to his throat as he woke with a start.

  His eyes widened in terror, his mouth opening to scream, but I silenced him with a single, swift motion.

  His blood stained my hands, warm and sticky, as his life slipped away. Another evil eradicated. Another step toward a better world.

  But as I wiped the dragger clean and stared at his lifeless body, I felt nothing. No satisfaction, no relief. Just an emptiness that grew with each kill.

  Was this what my life had become?

  A never-ending cycle of violence, each act hollowing me out a little more?

  I think I am a monster too! I am no different from them.

  I returned home hours later, the weight of the night pressing heavy on my shoulders. The house was dark, quiet. She wasn’t there.

  I’d stopped waiting for her long ago, stopped hoping she’d come back to me. Instead, I sat alone in the dimly lit kitchen, the silence suffocating.

  I’d chosen this path, hadn’t I?

  Chosen justice over love, vengeance over peace.

  Yet, as I sat there, staring at the bloodstains on my gloves, I couldn’t help but wonder: was it worth it?

  If I’d fought for her instead of the world, would she still be by my side?

  Would I still have a reason to smile, to hope, to live?

  I didn’t have the answer. All I had was the mission, the next target, and the growing void inside me. Justice had become my curse, and I was its willing prisoner.

  The first time I noticed the change in her was a quiet evening at home. The air was heavy with unspoken words, and her smile, once warm and genuine, felt like a mask.

  I’d been too wrapped up in my mission to see it sooner, but now it was painfully clear: she was slipping away from me.

  Her late nights had become frequent, her phone constantly buzzing with messages she didn’t share. At first, I told myself it was nothing. I’d always trusted her—she was my anchor in this chaotic world.

  But doubt has a way of gnawing at you, doesn’t it?

  The little things added up: the hesitation in her voice, the way she avoided my eyes, the scent of cologne that wasn’t mine.

  I didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t want to confront the reality that my obsession with justice had cost me the one person I was supposed to protect.

  But the truth has a way of forcing itself into the light.

  I followed her one night, my heart pounding with every step. It felt wrong, spying on her like this, but I needed to know.

  She met him at a secluded cafe. He was younger, confident, with a smile that made my stomach churn. They talked, laughed, shared moments that used to belong to us. Watching them, I felt a rage I hadn’t known I was capable of.

  But beneath that anger was a deeper, more painful emotion: guilt. I’d driven her to this, hadn’t I? By choosing my mission over her, by prioritizing justice over love, I’d pushed her into the arms of another man.

  Days turned into weeks, and their relationship deepened. I should’ve walked away, should’ve let her find happiness, even if it wasn’t with me. But I couldn’t. Not when I discovered who he really was.

  He wasn’t just some stranger; he was an assassin, like me. The realization hit me like a bullet to the chest. This man, who had stolen my wife’s heart, was part of the same dark world I’d tried to shield her from.

  The pieces began to fall into place. The late nights, the secrets, her growing distance—it all made sense now. She wasn’t just in love with him; she was part of his mission.

  He was using her to get to me, to dismantle everything I’d built. And she, whether knowingly or not, had become his pawn.

  After all, I was careless. I couldn’t give her the love, attention and support she wanted. So it’s too late to regret now.

  But I couldn’t let it continue. For her sake, for mine, for the lives we’d both destroyed. I confronted her one night, the weight of my anger and heartbreak boiling over.

  But I held back my anger. After all I am the main problem. Still...

  “How long have you been lying to me? It’s okay if you don’t want me,” I demanded as my voice trembling with emotion. I just put an fake smile.

  She froze, her eyes wide with shock. But then, something unexpected happened. She broke down, tears streaming down her face as she confessed everything.

  She’d felt neglected, abandoned, and when he came along, he offered her the attention and affection I’d stopped giving. She hadn’t known who he really was until it was too late. By then, she was in too deep.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “I never wanted this to happen. I never wanted to hurt you.”

  But her apology couldn’t erase the betrayal, nor could it undo the damage. I was angry, not at her but at myself. I’d failed her, failed us. And now, the man who’d torn my world apart was out there, laughing at my pain.

  That night, I made a decision. I would end this, once and for all. I would confront him, not just as a rival assassin but as a man fighting to reclaim what was left of his life. But deep down, I knew it wouldn’t be that simple.

  The lines between justice and vengeance had blurred, and I was walking a path I might never return from.

  As I prepared for the battle ahead, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was already too late.

  The man I’d been hunting was no ordinary target, and his hold on her was stronger than I’d anticipated. But I had to try.

  For her, for us, for the life we’d once dreamed of. Even if it meant losing everything, I wouldn’t let him win.

  The fight was coming, and I was ready. Or so I thought.

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  The air felt heavier than usual, as though the world itself knew what was coming. I’d tracked him to an abandoned warehouse on the edge of the city—a fitting stage for what would undoubtedly be the fight of my life.

  My heart pounded with a mix of anticipation and rage. The man who had torn my life apart was finally within reach.

  I entered the warehouse silently, my every step echoing faintly against the cold concrete. The shadows played tricks on my eyes, but I knew he was there, waiting for me.

  “You’re late, Shohei,” his voice cut through the stillness, mocking and confident. “I was starting to think you’d lost your nerve.”

  He stepped out of the darkness, his smirk as infuriating as ever. His posture was relaxed, almost casual, as though he didn’t see me as a threat. That only fueled my anger further.

  “You’ve taken everything from me,” I growled, my hands tightening into fists. “Tonight, it ends.”

  He chuckled, a low, sinister sound. “You think you’re the hero in this story, don’t you? But look at yourself, Shohei. You’re no different from me. We’re both killers, and no amount of moral justification will change that.”

  Before I could respond, he lunged. The fight began with a ferocity I hadn’t anticipated. He was fast, every movement precise and calculated.

  But I was fueled by something he couldn’t understand: the weight of my loss, the pain of betrayal, and the desperate need for justice.

  Blow after blow, we clashed, our skills evenly matched. The sound of fists meeting flesh and the clatter of weapons echoed through the cavernous space.

  Somewhere in the chaos, I heard her voice. “Stop it! Both of you, stop!”

  I turned to see her standing in the doorway, her eyes wide with fear and desperation.

  My wife. The woman who had once been my everything. She looked between us, her expression torn.

  “What are you doing here?” I demanded, my voice sharp with concern.

  “I couldn’t… I couldn’t let this happen,” she stammered, stepping closer. “This has to stop. It’s gone too far.”

  The other assassin laughed, a cruel, hollow sound. “How touching. Do you really think you can save him? Or yourself, for that matter?”

  “You’re using her,” I spat, my fury reigniting. “She means nothing to you, does she?”

  His smirk faded, replaced by a cold, calculating gaze. “She was a means to an end, nothing more.”

  The words hit her like a physical blow. Her eyes filled with tears as she turned to him, her voice trembling. “You… you used me? All this time?”

  “Did you think it was love?” he sneered. “You were just another tool, one that’s outlived its usefulness.”

  She froze, the realization sinking in. And then, something shifted in her. The fear and doubt were replaced by resolve.

  She looked at me, her expression filled with sorrow and regret.

  “Shohei,” she whispered, stepping between us. “I’m so sorry. For everything. I was blind, and now it’s too late.”

  “Move,” I urged, my voice breaking. “This isn’t your fight.”

  “Yes, it is,” she said firmly. “I won’t let him hurt you. Not anymore.”

  Before I could stop her, she turned to face him. The next few moments happened in a blur.

  He moved to strike, his weapon aimed at me, but she stepped into the path, shielding me with her body.

  The sound of the blade piercing flesh was deafening. She gasped, her eyes wide with shock and pain, and collapsed into my arms.

  “No, no, no, no, no, no, no.....nooooo,” I cried again and again.

  “No! No, no, no!” I cried, holding her trembling form. Blood pooled beneath us, staining the concrete. “Why did you do that? Why?”

  “Because… I love you,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “I always have. I’m sorry it took me so long to realize.”

  “I have love you too!” I cried.

  Her eyes fluttered shut, and her body went limp in my arms.

  “Oh...” She smiled in the end. The smile of that flower I had known once, I can’t see it again. The world around me seemed to shatter.

  I could hear him laughing, his voice distant and mocking, but it didn’t matter anymore.

  Nothing mattered.

  All I could do was hold her, my tears falling onto her lifeless face.

  “I’ll kill you for this,” I vowed, my voice trembling with rage and grief. “I swear it.”

  But for now, all I could do was grieve. The fight wasn’t over, but my heart was already broken.

  Her lifeless body grew colder in my arms, but the searing heat of rage burned through me.

  The rival assassin stood a few feet away, his expression as calm and detached as if he had just completed a mundane task.

  His mocking grin twisted my grief into something darker.

  “Touching,” he drawled, inspecting the blood on his blade. “But emotions have no place in this line of work. You should’ve known better, Shohei.”

  I gently laid her down, her face serene despite the horror of her final moments. Rising to my feet, I locked eyes with him, my hands trembling with fury.

  “You… you took everything from me,” I snarled, my voice trembling with anger. “She was innocent in all of this, and you killed her like she was nothing.”

  He tilted his head, unfazed. “Innocent? She made her choice when she stepped into this world. And so did you. Don’t act like you’re any different from me, Shohei.”

  “I’m nothing like you,” I spat, lunging at him with all the strength I had left.

  The blade in my hand felt heavier than it should have, my grief and exhaustion weighing me down.

  Our weapons clashed, the sound of steel against steel echoing in the empty warehouse.

  He moved with precision, his strikes calculated and deliberate. I, on the other hand, fought like a man possessed, each swing fueled by a desperate need for vengeance.

  But it wasn’t enough.

  “You’re slow,” he taunted, sidestepping one of my attacks effortlessly. “Weak. Emotion makes you predictable.”

  I gritted my teeth, refusing to let his words get to me. But he was right. Every movement felt sluggish, my body betraying me as fatigue set in.

  He parried my next strike with ease, delivering a brutal kick to my chest that sent me sprawling to the ground.

  “Look at you,” he sneered, standing over me. “Pathetic. You thought you could change the world with your so-called justice, but all you’ve done is destroy yourself.”

  I struggled to my feet, clutching my blade tightly. “This isn’t over,” I growled, charging at him once more.

  He sidestepped me again, this time slashing at my side. Pain shot through me, but I didn’t stop.

  I couldn’t stop. Not while he was still standing.

  “You’re stubborn,” he said, almost amused. “I’ll give you that. But stubbornness won’t save you.”

  He moved faster than I could react, his blade slicing across my chest.

  The pain was overwhelming, my vision blurring as I fell to my knees.

  Blood pooled beneath me, my strength fading with each passing second.

  “This is where it ends,” he said coldly, raising his weapon for the final blow.

  In that moment, I thought of her. Her smile, her laughter, the way she used to look at me before everything fell apart.

  I had failed her. I had failed us. But even as the darkness closed in, I refused to let him have the last word.

  “You’ll pay for this,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “In this life or the next, I swear it.”

  He hesitated for a fraction of a second, just long enough for me to see a flicker of something in his eyes.

  Doubt?

  Regret?

  It didn’t matter.

  The blade came down, and with it, everything I had ever known came to an end.

  As the darkness consumed me, I clung to one final thought: If there was any chance—any chance at all—to come back, I would make him pay. For her. For me. For everything.

  And then, there was nothing.

  The world grew dimmer with every breath I took.

  The pain that had consumed me moments ago was fading, replaced by a numbness that felt both terrifying and serene.

  The metallic taste of blood lingered in my mouth, a bitter reminder of my failure.

  My body betrayed me, sinking into the cold embrace of the warehouse floor, while my thoughts remained alight with rage and despair.

  Her face flashed before me—her smile, her laughter, the way her eyes used to light up when she looked at me. Now, that light was gone.

  Stolen. And I had let it happen.

  My hands, once so steady, trembled as I reached out toward her lifeless form.

  She deserved better.

  Better than me.

  Better than this.

  The assassin’s laughter echoed in the background, sharp and cruel. “You’re a fool, Shohei. A man who thought he could play hero in a world of villains. Look where it got you.”

  His words barely registered. My focus was on her, and on the fire that began to burn within me.

  I had failed her in life, but I would not fail her in death. My breath came in shallow gasps as I whispered, “I… will… make this right.”

  “Still clinging to that hope?” the assassin scoffed, stepping closer. “You’re finished, Shohei. Accept it.”

  No.

  No.

  No.

  I wouldn’t accept it.

  I couldn’t.

  Not while he was still alive.

  Not while the mastermind who had orchestrated all of this remained untouched.

  My vision blurred, but in the haze, I could see a future—one where I stood again, stronger, sharper, unyielding.

  I imagined facing him once more, not as the broken man I was now, but as someone reborn. Someone unstoppable.

  “Hear me,” I rasped, my voice barely audible. “If there’s any justice in this world… or the next… I will come back. And I will end you. Both of you.”

  The assassin paused, his smirk faltering for the briefest moment. “Bold words for a dying man.”

  But I wasn’t speaking to him. I was speaking to whatever force governed this cruel existence.

  To whatever power could grant me another chance. I was making a promise, not just to myself, but to her.

  For the love I couldn’t protect, for the life we could have had, I would find a way.

  My eyelids grew heavy, the world around me fading into darkness. But the fire inside me refused to die.

  It burned brighter, fueled by the thought of vengeance, of redemption, of justice. Even as my heart slowed and my body succumbed, my resolve only grew stronger.

  “This isn’t the end,” I thought, as the final shreds of consciousness slipped away. “This is just the beginning.”

  And then, there was silence.

  Yet in that silence, an ember remained. A spark of hope, waiting for the moment it could ignite into something far greater. A second chance. A new beginning. A vow to fulfill, no matter the cost.