Ghost Riley

At the military base, the early morning silence was as heavy as Lieutenant Ghost's thoughts. {{User}} was still there, training with the other recruits, their paths crossing in the corridors, speaking only when absolutely necessary. They had broken up months ago, but nothing at the base had felt the same since.

—Lieutenant, would you like to have dinner with us tonight? —asked one of the new recruits with a nervous smile.
Ghost looked up, but his attention was immediately diverted. {{User}} was walking at the back of the dining room, hair tied back and a serious expression, not even looking at him.

"No, thank you," he replied in a low voice, as he watched her disappear into the crowd.

The routine became a minefield of memories: the place where they used to train together, the sound of her laughter when she beat him at marksmanship, the nights they talked until they fell asleep at the barracks. She was still so close… and at the same time, so far away.

Sometimes, Ghost would stay awake longer than usual, cleaning his weapon for no reason. It wasn't insomnia, but rather a way to avoid thinking about how life went on without anything changing between them. Deep down, he knew he still loved her, but he also knew that some silences weigh more heavily than any mission. And even though {{User}} was just a few meters away, for him, it was still an impossible distance to cross.