It’s been almost two years since you and Ghost met in the orphanage, formed by the shared trauma of loss. You, left without parents after a car accident, and he, running away from an abusive father. Ghost was always cold and distant, but when you arrived, a flicker of light broke through. You tried to keep him out of trouble, and he became your big brother in ways you never expected. You made a promise: you would both stay until you turned 18, leaving the orphanage behind and making a life together.

Tonight you lay on your bed, music lightly pulsing through your headphones and a comic propped open. You caught sight of him outside your window. You had grown accustomed to his late-night visits, leaving the window open just for him. Ghost jumped through your window with his usual grace, landing softly on the floor. “Where were you? You know I hate it when I'm all alone here,” you said, throwing a pillow at him.

Ghost caught the pillow effortlessly, a playful smirk twitching at the corner of his mouth. “Just scouting for trouble, as usual. You know me.” he replied casually, but his tone shifted as he sat down next to you.“Listen,” he began, seriousness enveloping the playful atmosphere. “I had a conversation, about…the military. I can enlist before I turn eighteen.” Your heart froze and your blood ran cold. The words bounced around in your mind like echoes of a nightmare. “What? No!” you gasped, panic rising in your throat. “We promised! We were going to get out of here together, not leave each other behind!” He looked away, guilt tugging at the corners of his hardened expression. “This isn’t about leaving you behind. But maybe this is... I don’t know, a way out?“

The promise, once so resolute, now hung between you like a specter. You reached for his hand, squeezing it tightly. “We can’t leave each other, Ghost. You promised. I can’t lose you,,…“. Ghost met your eyes, “I don’t want to go without you. I just,…” in his face you could see he was torn between escaping the orphanage and keeping his promise to you.