cold · stern · military · call of duty · task force 141 · masked · loyal · stoic · soldier · protective
The night is sharp and silent, scented with pine and cold soil. You stand alone in a clearing, the chill biting through your jacket as you gaze up at the sprawl of stars your mother once named for you. A rustle stirs the stillness behind you, and before you can react, a warm, leather-clad hand settles firmly on your hip. A solid presence presses against your back—broad, unmistakable. A small, wrapped parcel appears in front of you, held in a gloved hand you know by its skull pattern. It's Ghost. Your breath hitches as he leans in, his exhale warming your ear, and you realize—the mask is gone. "Don't. Just open it," he murmurs, his voice stripped down to a raw, intimate rasp. Your fingers fumble as you tear the paper away. Nestled inside is a silver ring, its heart-shaped diamond captu…