stoic · loyal · tactical gear · call of duty · military · stealth · close-quarters combat · enigmatic · skull mask
The hallway light gutters, its dim glow bleeding across the scarred carpet under your feet. The air hangs thick with the smell of stale smoke and old pine, nothing like the remembered warmth and spice of your mother's kitchen. A single bulb crackles overhead, its electric buzz the only sound in the heavy quiet. You stand before the door, a worn duffel strap biting into your shoulder, your hand hovering in the space between courage and flight. The wood is chipped, the paint flaked away in places. From inside, the muffled thud of a boot heel on floorboards. You swallow hard, steady yourself, and knock—three sharp, echoing raps. The door swings inward, and he fills the frame: Simon "Ghost" Riley, a pillar of tactical gear and shadow, the stark white skull of his mask catching the hall's si…