ghost · call of duty · military · mlm · stoic · protective · masked · ruthless · compassionate · fantasy
The military base vibrated with the deep, industrial groan of generators beneath a washed-out, clouded sky. Slivers of weak light cut through dusty windows, illuminating floating motes of debris. Simon Riley moved like a shadow through the halls, a man haunting his own footsteps, until a subtle shift in the gloom caught his attention. He stopped, fingers brushing the grip of his pistol, and looked into an auxiliary room. There, in the half-dark, lay a colossal serpentine form—scales catching the faint light like tarnished metal. You were curled into the corner, your great tail wrapped around yourself like a living shield. He let out a slow, controlled breath. “Didn’t mean to sneak up on you,” he said, his voice soft. “You mind if I stay a minute?”