Italy

4,436 years since initial death
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A cold breeze.

The last bullet was fired during the battle.

The Central Powers, consisting of the Austro-Hungarians and the Germans were defeated and forced to retreat. Those left behind were captured and taken as war prisoners. Despite facing the full might of their power, the Allied Forces prevailed. Monte Grappa had been defended till the end.

It was October 24th, the day the battle ended. Monte Grappa had been at war for almost a whole year now. What was once a beautiful location filled with the grandest mountain ranges in the area, had now been turned into a dusty warzone that brought forth only death and destruction. However, even beyond the familiar sights of war, the green valleys remained a sight to behold, especially now that the battle was finally over.

Within the next few weeks, peace treaties were formed and signed. The Central Powers were stripped of military power, politically humiliated and economically ruined. On November 11th, the great war was called off, officially marking an end to it all. The War to End All Wars was over, and many believed there would finally be peace and justice throughout this world.

The Italian forces were ready to celebrate their victory, but Matteo didn't join them. Instead, he walked back to the rear guards of their forces. A few biplanes found a narrow strip of stable ground to land over. That was when an idea came to him.

Walking over to one of the commanding officers, he spoke. "Matteo Settini, pilot of the Kingdom of Italy. Requesting permission to fly, sir."

One of them faced him, but he wasn't a commanding officer at all. Rather, he was the Marshal. Named Armando Diaz, he was the general of the 49th Division of the XXIII Corps. Without his leadership, they wouldn't be standing there on that day. He stepped forward and looked at the determined looking pilot.

"For what reason will you need an aircraft? Our fight here has ended." His tone was entirely serious. "Unless you intend to take one for joyriding purposes?"

Before Matteo could answer him, he heard the shouting of one of the other soldiers. He was running towards them. Upon closer inspection, he was wearing an aircraft gunner's uniform.

It was his own gunner, alive and well. He ran over to the two men while continuing to shout. "Matteo! You live! Dios mio, I witnessed your crash but I didn't see you bail." That was when he realized the Italian marshal was standing right next to him. He felt slightly embarrassed and saluted, but decided to start speaking to him. "This pilot has saved many lives, mine included. I have never seen any man maneuver a craft the way he did, in all my life, sir."

"Is that so, Marco?" That was the gunner's name, Marco Avisaré. He nodded in response, placing a hand over Matteo's shoulders.

"Matteo is a hero, sir."

As for Matteo himself, he never smiled or frowned. Keeping his chin up, he responded softly. "I don't feel like a hero."

"Put on a happy face, the war is won and this day is ours. You've done us an admirable service, one that could never be forgotten." Armando pointed at a nearby biplane. "It's yours for a day Settini, I trust you know where to return it afterwards."

Matteo tried his best to smile, but he couldn't hold it for long. Shaking hands with Armando, he walked towards the aircraft. Before climbing into the cockpit, he turned towards his gunner. "It's been an honor Marco. May your path lead you to greatness."

With a final salute, they separated once more. Matteo took off in the plane. It was a fairly bumpy start, but he knew just how to handle it. The sun was close to setting, shining a vibrant and colorful landscape ahead for him to traverse over. He returned to the small house overlooking the world, gently landing the plane over the smooth grass below. Valerie was there, she had waited for him.

Jumping out of the cockpit, Matteo slowly walked over to her. They never spoke a word, just watching each other closely. She was too afraid to say anything, she could see it in his eyes that he's on the verge of losing it all.

But to her surprise, he wrapped his arms around her to form a hug. They hugged in silence as the sun continued to shine over the two of them. He only held on to her tighter than before, never wanting to let go. Despite his anger, feeling her presence calmed him down.

For hours to come, they talked indoors. They discussed everything, learning more about one another and what they've experienced after Madrid. There were many details they both left out in their stories. Matteo couldn't tell her everything, and he plans on keeping his secrets for as long as he lives.

"Oddly enough, all of this has reminded me of an old Egyptian story I read during my travels." Valerie spoke as they sat around the fireplace, cups of warm tea in hands.

Matteo took a sip of his tea. He was intrigued. "Go on, I'm listening."

"It begins like any classic romance, with two star-crossed lovers in the center of it all. Khufu and his first wife, Meritites I. Strong was their love that it bonded between them for a lifetime. Even in death, they could not be separated. Unable to enter the afterlife without one another, they were reborn throughout history. Although their appearances and names had changed, they still found one another, only to lose each other in death once more. Khufu soon became heartbroken, traveling the world and taking the hands of several women in hopes of forgetting her, but it was all to no avail. Upon returning to his palace, he saw her. But he couldn't recognize her. The time just wasn't right. Just as he had waited for all his life, he waited some more, only increasing his love for her and further making their kiss that much sweeter."

Silence filled the room for a moment, only the crackling sounds of the fireplace was heard. She smiled at him, remembering every moment they used to spend together so many years ago.

Matteo spoke softly, looking into her eyes. "Nearly six hundred years have passed since we had first lost each other forever." His tone was still saddened as he never smiled.

"So imagine how sweet our kiss would be today." Valerie knew exactly what to say.

She didn't hesitate. Leaning in to kiss him, she was ready for the moment she's been waiting for. But Matteo didn't react. He frowned, forcing her to wait. It's when she looked back at him in confusion. They couldn't say anything. After what felt like a minute, he finally allowed it to happen.

After centuries of being torn apart, their love for each other was unbreakable. Beside the lighted candles, they kissed each other for the first time in an eternity. For once, both of their pain and suffering had faded away as they basked in the moment together.

The rest of their night was pleasant and romantic, not wanting to waste a single second of their reunion. Together, they lived happily in each other's company. Never again leaving one another, no matter the situation. While hard times were still to come in the future, they were more than capable of handling anything that came their way together.

They continued to share stories of their past, going over everything they had experienced. Everywhere they had been, every memorable figure they had met. Valerie never mentioned her origins, rather it was far too emotional for her to share and she didn't want to ruin their moment together.

By the time the sun had risen, they were ready to leave. With the biplane still stationed outside the house, Matteo knew exactly what they were going to do. As he approached it, he was suddenly forced to stop as Valerie started to speak. There was a question on her mind, one she's been wanting to ask for a while now.

"Michael Smith." She said, walking before coming to a stop beside him. "That was you in London, wasn't it?"

The very moment she mentioned it, he immediately stopped in place. Even his eyes slightly widened as he was met with some of the worst anxiety he's felt in years. Slowly and certainly not steady, he turned to face her with an awkward expression. He was quick to respond with a nod, trying his best not to crack. It took him a second to reply, his voice had lowered and his speech was slowed down. "Yeah, that's right. You know, I also had a feeling you were there. I just never had the chance to mention it."

"Somehow, I always knew." Her response scared him. "Even if I didn't say it myself, I knew exactly who you were."

"Did you?" Matteo's expressions had become serious. Every part of his mind told him to stop. The subject has to be changed otherwise he will admit everything. It's in his nature to do so. Once his wrath is uncovered, he won't be scared of revealing the truth, because by then and only then; everyone who hears it would soon be dead.

He noticed the way Valerie stood. She looked so smug and proud, she was practically mocking him. It's clear as day that there was something on her mind that she was yearning to mention, and it could very well be the death of her. Just as he felt the wind start to increase in intensity around him, he knew it was happening again. His inner self was awakening, carrying the heart and soul of his sin.

She remained unfazed to her surroundings. "I had many theories, and I know with the Ripper at large, you must have been stressed out of your mind. You disappeared on the day of the last murder, right when I had wanted to search for you. 

Matteo concealed one hand behind his back, trying to stop it from shaking as it started to resonate. A ringing plagued his ears as his consciousness began to fade. "Tell me then; who was I?" His sinister tone emerged.

"I knew you weren't Michael Smith at all. Rather..."

One more second was all he needed before it was his time to strike. He just needed her to say it.

"...you were Milton; my Milton Settler."

Valerie smiled wholesomely before hugging Matteo tightly and closing her eyes. Matteo on the other hand was stunned. His mind quickly returned to reality as his anger deteriorated in a flash. He hesitated before slowly hugging her back in silence. Perhaps in another reality, she'd be dead by now. But she had no idea how dangerously close he was to turning her into the Ripper's sixth victim.

She spoke once again. "We're immortal, we'll take any chance we can get to keep our secrets and start anew. I shouldn't blame myself, but I thought maybe it was because of what I did to you. Even after we were becoming such good friends, you left everything behind. I hoped wherever you had gone, you had a good time."

"It's fine." Matteo finally smiled back, but it wasn't for the reason Valerie expected. He smiled because he knew his secret was safe. "But it's not your fault, please don't worry about it. Come on, I know you can't resist a special and romantic joyride. What do you say? The biplane's up and running, just waiting on you."

They held hands as they climbed aboard the plane. Valerie was seated in the gunner's position as Matteo wore his aviator headwear.

"I still have to apologize for what I did to you." She said before he could start the biplane. "I don't remember drinking much that night, but perhaps I wasn't thinking straight. Can't believe I assaulted you in public and accused you of being the Ripper. That wasn't right of me and there's no excuse for it. I thought I might have damaged your image and you had to leave because of me. I'm serious Milton, I'm sorry for all of it. You didn't deserve it."

Matteo glared straight forward, trying his best to conceal his wrath. He just wished she'd shut up. "As I said, don't worry about it. It's fine."

Finally, they were ready to depart. Valerie placed a hand over his shoulder from behind. Although he couldn't see it, she smiled. "I love you."

He never answered back. Instead, he slowly rolled his head gently against her hand. After closing his eyes for a few seconds, he snapped out of it and began accelerating the vehicle. 

All that remained in front of them was the open world ahead. Starting the plane, the propellers began to rotate. At long last, they gained some speed as they slowly lifted from the ground.

They had forgotten everything. Every negative thought was disregarded. Above the clouds, they had entered their own personal state of utopia. Nobody could take it away from them. Together, they smiled, laughed and rejoiced in absolute unison and complete harmony. They had nothing left to fear, rather they had finally found themselves in the skies.

With the war concluded, they were able to travel the world in solidarity. Never living out their adventures or struggles alone, they would always carry one another through it all.

It was their dream, and it had finally come true.

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Historical Notes:

World War I ended on November 11th at 11AM. It is seen as the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. A ceasefire came into effect, forcing all combat to come to a stop. However, some fighting in the frontlines continued briefly as commanders desperately tried to gain new territory before the war would officially end.

Armando Diaz

The Treaty of Versailles, which officially ended the war between Germany and the Allied nations coincidentally happened to contribute to the start of World War II as fascist regimes were rising as a result.

The Ottoman Empire was destroyed and disbanded by the end of the war until Turkey won its independence in 1923. A majority of Germans felt resentful towards the war's conclusion. Many of the Central Powers were deprived of military power, became economically ruined and were politically humiliated.

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