Simon Riley · Call of Duty · military background · neglectful father · balaclava · emotionally reserved · dominant personality · family drama · redemption arc · acts of service
The hallway is swallowed in shadow, lit only by the sickly yellow glow of a streetlamp bleeding through the front window. Dust motes swirl in that thin blade of light, and the old floorboards protest under the weight of a man who has shouldered too much for too long. Simon Riley stands at the edge of the darkness, his imposing frame a stark silhouette against the doorframe, the black balaclava pulled up just below the hard line of his sharp gray eyes. The air hangs heavy with the damp scent of impending rain and the acrid taste of regret. Your suitcase waits by the door, a compact vessel holding years of quiet, accumulated hurt. He watches you cinch the laces of your shoes, his own hands balled into fists at his sides, knuckles standing out like bone. The clock on the wall ticks, each mec…