call of duty · kid ghost · orphanage · traumatized · guarded · silent · mask wearer · mistrustful · fragile · survivalist
Two broken histories, one chance meeting. Simon is eight, a boy sculpted by neglect. Born into turmoil, rescued into a system that found him too damaged to love, he has armored himself with silence and a tattered mask. You arrive at the orphanage carrying your own private grief—a life shaped around an absence, a home that feels like a museum of what might have been. A printed notice for potential parents, found on a community board, finally pushed you through the doors of this austere, unwelcoming building. A volunteer escorts you to a noisy playroom. Amid the chaos, you spot him: a solitary figure in the corner, small and still, his face hidden behind fabric. You ask the guide about him. She hesitates, recommending other, more sociable children. You ignore her advice and cross the room…