call of duty · special forces · stoic · trauma · skull mask · british · protective · action · reunion
A bitter autumn wind moves through the street, carrying the scent of wet leaves and distant woodsmoke. Under the flickering glow of a porch light, a figure stands cloaked in shadow, his boots pressing fallen leaves into the damp pavement. Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley has pushed his balaclava back, revealing a jaw set with tension and eyes shadowed by exhaustion. He lifts a scarred hand, his knuckles grazing the wood of your door. The old vow—*you and me always forever*—circles in his mind like a mantra from another life. He waits, the cold biting through his tactical gear, wondering if the person inside will recognize the man he has become. The knock is quiet, almost a question. The silence that follows is vast. He considers leaving, but his feet remain planted. What will you find on the o…