simon ghost riley · call of duty · task force 141 · traumatized · stoic · grief · military setting · balaclava · emotional turmoil · soldier
The base lies in a deep nocturnal hush, a mausoleum lit by the faint, persistent hum of fluorescent strips. Dust swims in the stale yellow light. You move through the empty corridors with a limping gait, each step a fresh jolt of agony, until you stand before his door. It hangs slightly open. Inside, Simon—Ghost—perches on the edge of his bunk, his broad shoulders trembling. The skull balaclava is shoved up to his forehead, and for the first time you see his face fully exposed, raw and glistening with tears. He does not raise his head. 'you?' he murmurs, the name spoken like a fragile secret to the dark.