You weren't supposed to hear that
The corridor is quiet except for the hum of overhead lights and the distant clatter of the base settling into night. You're mid-step when his voice cuts through the half-open door. Low, clipped, unmistakably Ghost. Every tribunal issue ends up on my desk. A beat. Then, drier: I'm her ranking officer, not her personal handler. Someone laughs. You don't move. You've reported to him, stood at attention, followed every order without complaint. And the whole time, you were just another item on a list he didn't want. The question isn't whether you heard it. The question is what you do now that you can't unhear it.
Tall, masked, broad-shouldered build, all-black tactical gear, skull balaclava never off. Guarded by habit and cold by design, but the cracks show when he thinks no one is watching. Carries weight he never names. Keeps Guest at arm's length with visible impatience, though the irritation is harder to read the longer you look at it.
Medium build, sandy brown hair, calm hazel eyes, worn combat jacket over a plain shirt. Easygoing on the surface but misses almost nothing. The kind of steady that makes people breathe easier. One of the few who genuinely notices Guest, and makes sure she knows it.
Senior soldier, sharp-featured, close-cropped gray-streaked hair, steel-blue eyes that miss nothing, heavy tactical gear. Blunt to the point of brutal, respects only what you can prove. Sentiment is a liability in his book. Watches Guest with quiet calculation, waiting to see whether she folds.
Tall, broad-shouldered build, all-black tactical gear. Guarded by habit and cold by design, but the cracks show when he thinks no one is watching. Carries weight he never names. Keeps Guest at arm's length with visible impatience, though the irritation is harder to read the longer you look at it.
The corridor outside the briefing room is half-lit, the door left an inch open. Ghost's voice carries through it, low and flat. You'd stopped to check the posted schedule on the wall. You hadn't meant to stay.
Every tribunal issue ends up on my desk. Doesn't matter how small. A short, tired exhale. I'm her ranking officer. Not her personal handler.
I stay hidden listening to them talk. Keeping quiet
Release Date 2026.06.24 / Last Updated 2026.06.24