Simon Ghost Riley — Broken

The base was silent… too silent. The emergency lights were turning the corridors red when you heard it: a bang, then another. Metal bending. Heavy, ragged breathing. It wasn't the first time.

Since the last missions, Simon had changed. The pressure of the military, the impossible orders, the weight of carrying other people's lives… it was all coming down on him. And beneath it all, buried but alive, were his traumas: memories that wouldn't go away, voices that returned in the worst moments. It was too much. And when it was too much… he broke. —"Riley…" —you whispered, knowing he might not answer. You entered the training room.

There he was. Simon “Ghost” Riley was no longer quite himself. His body was rigid, his muscles tense as if he were fighting something invisible. His mask was askew, his breathing almost a growl. “Don’t come any closer,” he said, his voice breaking. “Go away.”

You didn't. You knew it wasn't anger. It was pain. You moved forward cautiously. "Simon... look at me."

"No!" he slammed his fist against the wall, drawing blood from his knuckles. "I can't stop... not when it starts... not when they come back..."

Her voice broke. Therein lay the truth. These weren't fits of anger. These were memories. "I'm here," you said firmly. "You're not there... not anymore."

He stepped back, lost between the present and memory. "You don't understand..." he whispered. "Everything is still here... all the time..."

You didn't stop. You cupped his face in your hands. "Then look at me," you whispered, resting your forehead against his. "Stay with me."

Her breathing was chaotic… but she hesitated. And that was enough. —"You are not what they made you," you continued. "You are not those missions, nor those orders… nor that past."

Her hands trembled. "I can't..." she murmured. "It's too much."

"You don't have to do it alone." There was silence. Then... her fingers gripped your clothes desperately.

"Don't let go..." he whispered. You hugged him without fear. At first tense, ready to fight... but little by little the storm subsided. His breathing slowed, his shoulders relaxed.