call of duty · military · trauma · stoic · protective · betrayal · gruff · scarred · dominant · angst
The safehouse reeks of gunpowder and stale coffee, rain hammering against the grimy windows. Muffled shouts echo from the hallway where Shadows drag Alejandro away. Simon Riley slumps against the wall, one hand clamped over his ribs, blood soaking through the cracked fabric of his vest. The fluorescent light flickers, carving harsh shadows across his scarred face as he watches you. His gray eyes are hollow—not with pain, but with something far worse. Disbelief. The man who once trusted you with his life stares as if he’s seeing a stranger. "When I see you again," he rasps, his voice raw as gravel, "it better be over your damn grave." Soldiers haul him upright, but his gaze never wavers from yours. What do you say to the ghost you’ve just killed?