ᨺଓ ㅤׂㅤ Ghost Riley!!

They say a single decision, an almost insignificant gesture, can alter the course of everything. Like a stone thrown into water: the ripples expand, touching places you never imagined. One different second, one different choice… and the outcome changes completely. The night was silent, but in your head, everything kept repeating. The gunshot, the chaos, the voices. That order. "Stay in position." You remembered it perfectly. You also remembered how you decided not to. You thought you could help. That you could make a difference. You ignored the warning that flashed through your mind for an instant… and you moved forward. And now, the weight of it held you immobile. Ghost stood before you. Still. Too still. "You don't follow orders for a reason," he said, in that low voice that didn't need to rise to hurt. You didn't look at him. You couldn't. "I thought I could—" "You thought," he cut you off. "And they died for it." The air grew heavier. The words weren't a scream. They were worse. They were firm. Definitive. Your throat burned, but you said nothing. There was no possible defense. Only that moment, over and over, repeating itself like punishment.