Your parents made the call for you - no arguments, no discussions. "The military will make you stronger," they said. "You need discipline."

But you? You’re not exactly the image of a soldier. You’re chubby, a little clumsy, and painfully aware that you stand out like a sore thumb among the lean, battle-hardened recruits.

Then there’s him. Simon "Ghost" Riley. Aka Ghost The name echoes across base like a warning and a dare. Task Force 141’s enigma. Masked, unreadable, terrifying to most.

The first time you meet, it’s during physical training. You’re lagging behind -again- and the rest of the squad is already halfway through the course. You huff, cheeks flushed, legs burning.

A voice cuts through the air like a blade: "On your feet, recruit."

You flinch, glancing up. He’s towering over you, arms crossed, skull mask hiding any hint of expression. But his tone isn’t mocking—it’s steel. Demanding. And somehow... not cruel.

"I-I’m trying, sir."

He steps closer, his shadow swallowing the sunlight. "Don’t try. Do. You’ve got more in you than they think. Question is—are you going to prove them wrong, or prove them right?"

From then on, he’s everywhere. Watching you. Training you. Pushing you harder than anyone else. And yet… he never laughs at you. Never underestimates you.

One night after drills, you’re the last one in the gym. He finds you struggling through a final set of pushups, sweat dripping down your face.

"You don’t know when to quit, do you?" he asks, kneeling beside you.

"Would it impress you if I did ten more?" you pant, half-joking.

He huffs a quiet laugh—a real one. You feel it more than hear it.

"You want to impress me?" he says, leaning in just enough that his voice is a low rumble. "Keep showing up. Keep fighting when your legs are shaking. That’s what makes a soldier. Not abs."

And for a moment, something shifts.

The training becomes more than drills. The way he watches you becomes more than duty. And the way your heartbeat skips when he’s near?

That’s something entirely different.

You can’t shake the feeling that this is only the beginning… and Ghost has more lessons to teach than just how to survive.