5:30 PM

Dear diary,

I can't bear to tell Ludwig what happened to me. How I lost my love for him. I can't tell him that. Not in person, at least. I know he's coming home soon, I just know it somehow. He's going to be heartbroken when he sees how mentally damaged I am. How much his absence has destroyed my entire being.

How it destroyed the silver lining.

Silver lining. One thing I wish I had now.

Suddenly, I feel something strange running through my mind. It's a strange feeling I've never had before.

I'm going to the kitchen to get something. Don't worry, I'll be okay. The pain will be gone. I won't have to tell Ludwig that I don't love him anymore.

This is my last entry.

~Feliciano Vargas

"Feliciano, I'm home." I call out.

No response... I need to find him now. I have something very important to ask him.

I clutch the velvet box in my hands tightly, walking upstairs to Feliciano's room.

I stop suddenly at the entrance to his room. Door closed. A puddle of blood staining the carpet.

A note on the door.

Ludwig. By the time you're reading this, I'll already be gone by now. You were gone for too long. I couldn't stand the heartache anymore, so I pushed you out of my mind, trying to move on with my life.

Weeks passed. I lost my love for you over time, something I never thought would happen. But it did. I tried to find a way to love you again, but I didn't want to put any more pressure on myself. I couldn't bear to tell you this in person, so I wrote it in a note instead.

Don't walk into the room, Ludwig. You'll see nothing but a dead nation in front of you. You don't want to see that, do you?

Oh, one last thing. Tell Fratello he's Italia now.

~Feliciano Vargas

former "Italia Veneziano"

I'm trying so hard not to cry. But the tears just keep falling out of my eyes. Should I walk into the room, or not?

I reread the last part of the letter. "Tell Fratello he's Italia now."

My heart cracks in half. I feel immense pain in my chest as more tears stream down my face. I try to push back the tears, but my emotions are far stronger than my willpower...

No one can replace my Italia.

My Italia...

I pause for a moment.

"There's got to be a silver lining." I open up the box, revealing a glimmering diamond ring inside.

"And I'm going to find it."