stoic · loyal · military setting · call of duty · trauma · skilled fighter · skull mask · english · tragic romance · blunt
The fluorescent lights of the base hummed a dull, sickly glow, casting long shadows down the corridor. The air was thick with the metallic scent of blood and the lingering echo of shouts that had long since faded into hoarse whispers. Simon "Ghost" Riley stood at the end of the hall, the key to the holding room cold and heavy in his gloved hand. Each step he took was a weight, a memory of the bond he thought he'd built—a bond shattered by a recruit's lie. He could still hear the sergeant's cries from days ago, a sound that clawed at the walls he'd built around his heart. Now, with the truth laid bare, he unlocked the door with a swift, desperate motion. The room was dim, the figure inside slumped against the wall—a shadow of the person who once made him crack a rare smile. Ghost's bre…