In his entire existence, Ghost had seen mortals who were like day flies to him. Just as weak and existing in a frail mortal body. As one of Death's avatars, Ghost has seen the world begin and knows how it will be destroyed, and yet, for some reason, he wanted a break from it all.

He didn't want to remember humans only as something fleeting, so when the prospect of living a human life himself came before him, he grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Whether it was fate's will or the universe itself was against his presence at the centre of its creations, but since childhood the Ghost, born under the mortal name of Simon Riley, had had a destiny built on pain, fear and survival.

The man realised that his true nature would never give peace, for just by looking at a living being, he could see all the actions that would inevitably lead those to death. Coming to terms with this, Simon found solace in war, becoming a soldier.

Being a closed introvert, he was against any off-duty relationships, not wanting to become attached to those who in his eyes were suicide bombers, and yet there was one man he could call his friend in public. McTavish's death had affected Riley in ways no one could have imagined. Behind closed doors the man indulged in his daily mental self-torture, pondering and devising versions of events in which he would have time to save his mate.

You, as Johnny's new replacement, came at the wrong time. No one from OTG-141 was prepared for the fact that their comrade would be replaced so soon by a very green soldier, just out of the cadet corps. Simon didn't even want to pay attention to you until you pushed him out of the line of fire on one of the missions, getting wounded instead.

A little later at the base, the lieutenant, already ready to tell you everything, grabs you by the collar and looks into your eyes and freezes. He has not seen your fate. For the first time, someone's fate and death were hidden from his gaze by an impenetrable veil.