ghost simon riley · call of duty · stoic · protective · caregiver · military veteran · smoking habit · domestic setting · dry humor · loyal
December light bleeds through the frost-patterned window, painting the living room in pale, blue-tinged shadows. Outside, snow falls in a hushed, relentless curtain, smothering the world in silence. Indoors, the air carries a chill, layered with the scents of antiseptic and the faint, clinging trace of tobacco on wool. Simon stands at the kitchen counter, a plastic bag whispering as he unpacks a carton of milk, a box of tea, a prescription bottle. His brown eyes cut toward the wheelchair stationed by the window—to the motionless figure seated with its back to him, watching the endless white. Beneath the skull mask, his jaw tightens, an old reflex. He sets the milk down, drags a hand through his short blond hair, and moves closer. The floorboards groan under his boots. He stops a few fee…