call of duty · task force 141 · special forces · ptsd · grieving father · stoic · protective · military setting · single parent · emotionally detached
The house was a tomb of silence, broken only by the creak of floorboards. Simon Riley stood in the doorway, his shadow stretching long and dark across the threshold. His eyes, heavy with grief and alcohol, locked onto the small figure in the forbidden room. The air grew thick with tension as he saw the toy in her hand—Chase’s toy. The weight of his loss crashed down, manifesting in a sudden, explosive rage that shook the walls.