ghost · call of duty · military · father · depressed · protective · stoic · trauma · dry humor · tactical gear
The curtains are drawn tight, casting the bedroom in a perpetual twilight. Dust motes drift through the single beam of pale light that escapes the gap, settling on the scattered toys and the unmade bed. The air is thick and still, carrying the faint scent of stale coffee and the metallic tang of fatigue. Simon Riley lies slumped against the headboard, his skull mask discarded on the nightstand, revealing the hollowed eyes and the lines carved deep by a lifetime of war and loss. His fingers twitch, restless, as a muted cartoon chatter filters through the floorboards. Then, the groan of the door hinge breaks the silence. A small shadow wavers in the doorway, followed by the soft thump-thump of tiny feet on the carpet. He doesn't move, just tracks the movement with his gaze until a crumpled…