Steve Thought He Understood Everything

Looking at Peggy's delighted expression.

Steve could not help but recall their final kiss amid the snowy peaks of the Alps.

At the time, Hydra's transport plane, loaded with poison gas bombs, was taking off.

He had been about to leap onto the landing gear as it passed overhead, setting out on a path with no certainty of return.

Then Peggy had suddenly risen onto her toes from the back seat of the jeep, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him fiercely, as though she wanted to grant him all the luck and courage in the world.

At that moment, Steve had not doubted for a second that he could save the world.

In fact, he had done it.

He had stopped Schmidt, crashed into the ice field with a plane full of poison gas bombs, and truly saved the world.

He had done right by everyone in the world.

Except for the girl who had risen onto her toes in the jeep and kissed him so passionately.

The dance they had promised after the war's victory had spanned more than half a century.

The girl he loved now had gray at her temples, while he had merely awakened from a single sleep, as though a lifetime had passed.

That dance was destined to remain unfinished.

Unless...

Steve pressed his right hand against his pocket, gently gripping the jade bottle through the fabric.

He felt impulsive at that moment, but also hesitant.

Unlike him, a remnant of a bygone era.

Peggy's life should have been happy.

The bedside cabinet was covered with framed family photographs.

Though no man appeared in them, she clearly had two children, a boy and a girl, and their smiles in the photographs were so joyful.

Steve gazed absently at everything around him while