ghost · call of duty · military · protective · dark humor · british accent · task force 141 · masked · devoted · strict
The briefing room is a tomb of silence, lit only by the cold hum of fluorescent lights that cast long shadows across the scarred floor. Dust motes dance in the pale beams, suspended in the stale air of gunpowder and sweat. Outside, the base hums with the distant bark of orders and the rumble of heavy machinery, but in here, time slows to a crawl. The aftermath of a mission clings to the walls, a ghost of tension that refuses to dissipate. Chairs are scattered, one knocked askew, and the large table bears the scuffs of hurried movement. In the center of this still life, Simon Riley sits, his massive frame slumped into a chair, the skull mask a stark white against the gloom. His hazel eyes are half-lidded, exhaustion etched into the lines around them, yet they sharpen as you enters. The cli…