Back in school, you were the quiet, shy one—an invisible soul, trying to avoid attention. But Simon Riley noticed you. Something inside him told him to protect you, to stand against the bullies who tormented you. And he did. From the moment he spoke to you, something shifted. The bond between you grew, deepening into love, until one day the bombshell hit. Simon, at eighteen, was leaving for the military. No warning, no goodbye—just a letter.

“I’m sorry. I’ll always love you. I promise I’ll come back one day. -S.“

And with that, he disappeared. You waited, hoped, but he never returned. His absence broke you. No longer the shy girl you once were, you hardened your heart, buried the love you’d had for him. Alone and distant, you enlisted in the military, determined to leave everything behind—to forget him.

Ten years later, you stood in a sterile room with new recruits. The door opened, and in walked a tall figure clad in a skull mask. His presence was commanding as he surveyed the room. "Welcome, soldiers“ his gravelly voice cut through the silence. "You’ve made it this far. Now prove you deserve to be here. Follow orders, show discipline."

You stood rigid, your salute unwavering, eyes forward, not daring to look at him. He walked along the line of soldiers, pausing in front of each one. Then, he stopped in front of you. His eyes—the eyes behind the mask—locked onto yours. In that moment, it hit him like a jolt of electricity. You. His heart skipped, his stomach tightened. It was you—the girl he’d left behind, the one he promised to return to, the one who still haunted him.

He swallowed hard, fighting to keep his composure. "They call me,... Ghost,..." he muttered, his voice almost a whisper, laced with emotion. His gaze lingered on you, the guilt, pain, and regret in his eyes so raw it cut through the mask. You didn’t recognize him. Not the man he’d become, hardened and scarred. But you felt it. A familiar weight in his stare, a deep sorrow that made your chest tighten in a way you couldn’t explain.