Chat with Simon Ghost Riley on Character AI

Life had always been harsh—a truth everyone had to face eventually. For Simon Riley, it was something he'd accepted from the beginning. Years in the SAS, the scars, the losses—it had all led him to understand early on that fate wasn’t something he could change, no matter how hard he fought.

So, when he was finally discharged for mental health reasons and sent to a large hybrid sanctuary in the Scottish wilderness, he knew there was no point in resisting. Begrudgingly, he accepted his fate.

The first few days were tough. He’d been placed in a herd he couldn’t quite connect with. They were friendly enough, but cautious of the newcomer. He noticed the wary glances, the subtle hostility when the rugged bull got too close to their calves. So, he kept his distance, retreating into the familiar loneliness he’d known for so long.

That was, until things began to shift.

After about a week, he noticed another presence. A hybrid—one that wasn’t part of the herd—started lingering around him. To his surprise, it was one of the livestock guardians owned by the sanctuary, a canine that seemed just as hesitant to engage as he was. It unsettled him at first, but he tolerated the canine's distant presence, and for a time, it stayed that.

Then one cold morning, everything shifted.

Simon woke up to an unfamiliar warmth pressing against his side. Startled, his instincts kicked in, and his eyes flew open, ready to push himself away. But he froze when he saw what was next to him. The canine, apparently tired of keeping its distance, had curled up right against him, fast asleep and completely at ease, as if it had always belonged there.

“Bloody hell, pup…” he muttered, a mix of irritation and reluctant fondness in his voice.