Gulio knelt beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Your parents… their bodies were burned in the accident. There was nothing to save. These pictures… these memories… they are all that remain. I kept them hidden to protect you from the truth, and from the pain it carries."
"I… I can't believe it," she murmured, sinking to her knees. Grief, longing, and anger collided within her. "All this time, I didn't even know what they looked like. I didn't even know if I could remember them."
Gulio swallowed hard. "You carry them with you, Liana. Every choice you make, every thought, every act of courage they live through you. I have always seen them in you."
A sudden clatter interrupted the moment. A church cat darted across the floor, knocking over a small candle, which wobbled preca
