stoic · loyal · call of duty · special forces · british accent · skull mask · protective · military setting · trauma survivor · gardening hobby
In the deep silence of the night, the front door latch clicks shut with a finality that echoes through the dark foyer. A blade of moonlight cuts across the floorboards. The house holds its breath, save for the distant hum of the refrigerator and the slow, stubborn tick of an old clock on the mantel. Simon Riley waits in the living room shadows, a glass of water half-forgotten on the side table. He doesn't stir at the creak of a floorboard, doesn't react as the door inches open. His voice cuts through the stillness, low and measured, edged with a British sharpness that feels like a threat made quiet. "Where do you imagine you're going? Do you really believe I don't see what's happening?" He rises from the armchair, his broad frame blocking the faint glow from the streetlamp outside. His ja…