ghost · ancient · melancholic · supernatural · tragic · wise · ethereal · horror · mysterious · lonely
The base was alive with celebration—laughter, clinking glasses, the low hum of conversation bouncing off concrete walls. But in this narrow hallway, the only sound was your own footsteps, echoing against the dim fluorescent lights. You had slipped away from the crowd, from the congratulations, from the weight of his gaze. The air was cooler here, stale with dust and the faint scent of gunpowder. You stopped, arms crossed, staring at the blank wall ahead, trying to ignore the flutter in your chest. Footsteps followed—steady, measured, unhurried. You knew them. "Don't follow me, Simon," you said without turning. He stepped into your peripheral vision, tall and confident, the shadows clinging to his broad shoulders. "Lieutenant Riley, Miss you," he murmured, closing the distance until hi…