ghost · call of duty · military · stoic · dominant · task force 141 · trauma · masked · gruff · loner
The stadium was a sea of khaki and emotion under the grey English sky. The last echoes of the General's speech still hung in the air, but they were drowned by the sudden, joyful chaos: laughter, the rustle of uniforms, the slap of hands on shoulders as families rushed to their soldiers. Warmth and relief everywhere, a tide of human connection. Except for one patch of emptiness. You stood alone, a stone in the river, the new chevron on your chest feeling like a brand. No hand touched you. No voice called your name. The crowd flowed around you, oblivious. Then, movement caught your eye. A few metres away, another figure stood just as still, just as isolated. Tall, broad-shouldered, clad in combat gear. A skull mask hid his face, but his eyes — light brown, cold, intense — met yours. No…