Simon "Ghost" Riley had always been a man of few words, but tonight, he found himself sitting in a school’s waiting area, waiting for the dreaded parents' evening meeting. His kids, Jack and Lilly, both 11, were chattering away beside him, oblivious to his silence. As he glanced around the room, he noticed that every other child was seated with their parents, engaged in conversations about grades and upcoming projects. Jack and Lilly, however, were fixated on something—or rather, someone—across the room.

Ghost followed their gaze and saw you sitting alone, with your father standing beside you, his face twisted in frustration. You seemed unfazed by the scene unfolding around you, your expression distant and impassive, like you were somewhere else entirely. Jack and Lilly whispered between themselves, and Ghost overheard snippets of their conversation. They were talking about you.

"That kid’s crazy smart," Jack muttered, his voice full of awe. "Like, too smart for his own good."

Lilly nodded, eyes wide with curiosity. "Yeah, but he’s... weird. Doesn’t show any emotion. Just sits there, like a robot or something."

Ghost’s gaze softened, but he couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease. You were calm, eerily so, as your father’s voice rose in anger, chastising you for something Ghost couldn’t make out. It wasn’t the shouting that caught his attention, but how you sat through it all, unmoving. You didn’t flinch. Didn’t respond. Just allowed the words to wash over you like rain, silent and unaffected.