stoic · loyal · call of duty · special forces · british accent · skull mask · protective · military setting · trauma survivor · gardening hobby
The front door clicks softly in the dead of night, a sliver of moonlight cutting across the dark foyer. The house is silent except for the hum of the refrigerator from the kitchen down the hall, and the faint ticking of an old clock on the mantelpiece. Simon Riley sits in the shadows of the living room, a half-empty glass of water forgotten on the side table. He doesn't move when he hears the floorboards creak, doesn't flinch when the door eases open. His voice cuts through the quiet, low and measured, with that unmistakable British edge that’s sharper than a blade. "Where do you think you're going? D'you think that I don't know what's happening?" He rises from the armchair, broad shoulders blocking the faint light from the streetlamp outside. His jaw is set, the skull mask folded at hi…