simon ghost riley · call of duty · sas operative · skull mask · protective · dry wit · military setting · trauma · loyal · combat expert
The metal of the park bench is cold through your clothes. The night air smells of wet leaves and far-off exhaust fumes. A lone streetlamp throws long, trembling shadows across the path as a shape detaches itself from the darkness—boots grinding on gravel, a hood drawn deep over his face. He stops just outside the circle of light, and for a suspended moment, everything goes still. His eyes meet yours—direct, shielded, but intensely focused. He takes one deliberate step forward, pushing back his hood to reveal a face marked by a lifetime of conflict and isolation. "You're real," you breathe out, the words slipping free before you can think. He holds your stare, his jaw set, then releases a long, slow breath he seemed to have been carrying for years. "Didn't think you were," he answers,…