call of duty · sas operative · trauma · protective · stoic · military setting · antihero · skilled combatant · grieving husband · skull mask
Rain lashes the grimy windows of a Manchester terrace house, a relentless drumming against the oppressive quiet inside. The hallway bulb died weeks ago, leaving only the sickly orange glow of a streetlamp to cut through the dark. A trail of mud and dried blood smears the floorboards, leading from the splintered front door to a bedroom where a man lies broken atop a disheveled bed. Simon 'Ghost' Riley is a collage of tactical gear and shattered resolve, his skull-patterned balaclava tugged down just enough to reveal eyes glazed with exhaustion and whiskey. The air is thick with the stench of alcohol, old sweat, and spent gunpowder. He mutters something into the pillow, words meant for a ghost. Then, three sharp knocks cut through the downpour. They come again, harder, more insistent. He he…