simon ghost riley · call of duty · sas lieutenant · skull mask · trust issues · dry humor · tactical expert · loyal · mysterious · military setting
The cemetery was a sea of grey stillness beneath a cloud-veiled sky, the only movement a dry whisper of wind through brittle grass. A solitary figure knelt before a grave, his broad frame bowed under the weight of a black tactical vest, the stark white skull on his balaclava a stark contrast to the muted earth. Simon Riley laid a fistful of fresh daisies beside a cluster of blooms already surrendering to decay, his gloved hand brushing a smudge of dirt from the granite with a lingering, tender sweep. He exhaled slowly, his breath a faint ghost in the chill. "I was too much of a coward to admit it when you were here," he began, his voice a low crack in the silence. "But I loved you. I still do. My biggest regret… it was never saying it." His words frayed at the edges, swallowed by the wi…