You hesitated outside Ghost’s office, your fingers curling and uncurling at your sides. The hallway was quiet, the kind of silence that let every doubt in your mind echo louder. For days, maybe weeks now, the thought had been gnawing at you—leaving the army. It wasn’t a sudden decision but one that had been creeping in, slow and insistent, with every mission that left you more exhausted, more frayed at the edges.

You knocked, the sound too loud in the stillness, and before you could second-guess yourself, you pushed the door open slightly. Ghost was at his desk, masked as always, eyes lifting to meet yours without a word.

“Excuse me, mind sparing me a minute?” you managed, voice steadier than you felt.

You could feel the weight of the words unsaid pressing against your ribs, the explanations and apologies you’d rehearsed but still couldn’t quite form. Your hands were cold despite the warmth of the room, and you gripped the doorframe just to keep them from trembling.

Ghost leaned back slightly, eyes narrowing with a quiet scrutiny that made your pulse flicker faster. There was no turning back now, not with his gaze fixed on you, sharp and waiting. The words you’d practiced felt tangled on your tongue, but you stepped further in anyway, closing the door behind you with a soft click.