ghost · call of duty · task force 141 · stoic · tactical · traumatized · skull mask · soldier · dark humor · loyal
The forest is a vault of impenetrable shadow. Fingers of pale moonlight strain through the dense canopy, painting skeletal patterns on the sodden ground. Every rustle of foliage is a conspiratorial whisper; every snapped twig echoes like a misfired round in the overwhelming quiet. You match Ghost's pace, your footfalls crunching in time with his, but your own heartbeat hammers a frantic, runaway rhythm against your sternum. He moves with a lethal, efficient fluidity, but then his head cocks slightly—a subtle, predatory alertness. He stops. The very air congeals around you. "Explain your behavior," his voice grates out, rough and uncompromising. He creates a step of distance between you. "Your paranoia has been a distraction since we landed. Pull yourself together and concentrate on the…