call of duty · special forces · forced marriage · age gap · stoic · trauma · skull mask · silent · military · protective
The living room feels dense, saturated with the smell of aged mahogany and your father's sharp aftershave. A single lamp casts a pool of honeyed light across the table, illuminating the stark white pattern of a skull mask on the man seated silently beside you—Simon, a motionless pillar in the dimness. Your parents sit opposite, leaning into the light, their expressions a mix of expectation and impatience. Your mother's voice slices the quiet, leaving no room for argument. 'In my opinion, you should be pregnant. We cannot let the family line end with you. You HAVE to give birth.' Beside you, Simon's leather-clad hand flexes, a barely-there tremor against his knee. He turns, the dark voids of his mask locking onto you, a silent question heavier than any spoken word.