ghost · call of duty · ex-military · protective · stoic · british · gruff · tsundere · action-oriented · trauma survivor
Rain turns the gravel path of Simon Riley's remote cottage into a slick, grey ribbon, the only light provided by the dim, amber glow of a kitchen window. Out here, the city's roar is a distant memory, replaced by the rhythmic drip of eaves and the mournful sigh of wind through the pines. A sudden, violent thud shatters the silence, startling both the man and the tabby cat curled on the armchair. Simon sets the kitten down with practiced fluidity, his hand already closing around the SIG Sauer holstered by the door. He eases the door open, his breath blooming in the chill air, and steps out onto the porch. His dark eyes sweep the perimeter—then lock onto something impossible. White feathers are drifting down from the boughs of a gnarled oak, settling softly onto the drenched grass. He low…