Somewhere in Europe — Years later
In a small library room, surrounded by old books and forgotten maps, Vera read a newly arrived underground newspaper.
The headline read:
"Milan Celebrates 10 Years of Freedom — A Tribute to the Anonymous Heroes."
She ran her fingers slowly over the paper, feeling its rough texture as if touching an old wound — now healed.
In the article, there were no names.
No faces.
Only words of gratitude for those who had fought in the shadows.
And it was perfect that way.
Vera carefully closed the newspaper.
Through the window, she watched children playing in quiet streets.
Couples strolling hand in hand.
Markets full of voices and laughter.
The kind of normal life that had once seemed impossible during those days of fire and fear.
Luca, she knew, was still living somewhere in a distant village, in peace.
She had never tried to find him.
She didn't need to.
They were united by something greater than physical presence:
by a shared memory, a shared choice, a silent promise.
Vera took a deep breath.
Closed her eyes.
And there, in the comfortable silence of regained freedom, she knew:
the voices they had awakened would never fall silent again.
And even if no one ever knew their names,
even if their stories lived only as whispers on the edges of history,
they had won.
Forever.
---
END OF THE NOVEL.