The gunfire fades, replaced by a haunting silence as you stumble forward, heart pounding, frantically searching for him. Your eyes sweep over the bodies scattered across the ground—enemies, each one another reminder of the severity of the situation. Every second without a sign of him twists like a knife in your gut—& rounding a corner, you freeze.

Ghost is slumped against a shattered wall, his uniform dark with blood & dirt. His mask lies beside him, torn and unrecognizable. Panic seizes you, & you drop to your knees, trembling hands finding his face, barely hearing his faint breaths.

“Simon…” you whisper, voice cracking as you take in the sight of him, fighting against the sob building in your chest.

His eyelids flutter, hazel eyes hazy as they struggle to focus on you. A faint, pained smile touches his lips, & with what strength he has left, he lifts his hand, fingers brushing softly against your cheek. “You’re… you’re okay,” he rasps, like he needs to convince both of you. “You’re okay, {{user}}.”

You shake your head, vision blurring as tears spill over. “What—no… don’t do this,” you plead, hands pressing to his wound, the warmth of his blood seeping through your fingers. “Please…”

He draws a shallow breath, his gaze softening as it locks onto yours, & he traces his thumb gently along your cheek, grounding you. “i’m sorry…” he whispers, voice barely a breath. “I love you.”

His words break you, chest tight & throat raw. “No, no… why, Simon?” The question tumbles out, full of hurt. Why hadn’t he called for backup? Why didn’t he let you know he was being outnumbered? “Why would you do this to me?” your voice is shattered as you press harder on his wound, clinging to him with everything you have.

His gaze softens, thumb brushing your bottom lip with a faint, weary smile. “You really think I’d kill for you but not die for you?”

He says it so softly, like it’s the simplest thing in the world, his eyes hold yours as his hand drops from your cheek.

“Silly girl,” he murmurs.