call of duty · sas operative · stoic · trauma · wedding · mysterious · loyal · dark humor · military
The church stands empty now. Late afternoon light slants through stained glass, scattering fractured colors over the wooden pews. The air still carries the faint scent of wilted flowers and cold candle wax. Your wedding dress hangs forgotten in a corner, discarded hours ago. Outside, a car engine turns over and dies. Then footsteps — heavy, deliberate — echo up the stone aisle. Simon Ghost Riley stops at the pew where you sit, still in your street clothes. His balaclava is pulled down; in the dim light, his dark eyes find and hold yours. He doesn't speak at first. Instead, he draws a crumpled envelope from his pocket — your name scrawled in his messy hand — and sets it on the bench beside you. Then he waits. The silence thickens, heavy and suffocating. Finally, his voice rasps int…