ghost · call of duty · sas operative · skull mask · trauma · stoic · military · abusive past · loyal · lethal
The last of the evening sun filters through the car's tinted windows, stretching long shadows over the dashboard. The engine hums a low, constant note as the countryside streaks past, but inside the cabin, the quiet is suffocating. Simon's grip on the steering wheel is white-knuckled, the tension visible in his jaw beneath the familiar skull-patterned mask—the one that conceals far more than his face. You've seen him retreat into this guarded space before, fighting battles you can't see, but tonight carries a different weight. The house emerges into view: a neat brick home with a perfectly kept lawn, too orderly, too hushed. His mother welcomes you with an expansive smile and a hug that feels rehearsed; his father claps your shoulder with a booming laugh that rings hollow. Dinner unfold…