The sun was rising over Williamsport. The sky was blue. The air was cool. The war was over. But the work had just begun.
Ethan stood on a hill. He looked out at the fields. He looked at the dead and the wounded. He looked at the soldiers who were celebrating. He felt a sense of pride. He felt a sense of relief. He felt a sense of sadness.
Callie stood beside him. She looked at Ethan. She saw the emotion in his eyes. She saw the weight of the war on his shoulders. She put her hand on his arm. "It's over," she said. "You can rest now."
Ethan nodded. "I know. But I can't rest. There's too much work to do. We need to help the wounded. We need to bury the dead. We need to help the people rebuild. We need to make sure that this never happens again."
Callie nodded. "Yes. There's a lot of work to do. But we'll do it together."
They walked down the hill. They joined the soldiers. They began to work. They helped the wounded. They buried the dead. They helped the people rebuild.
Along the way, they met a young boy. He was about ten years old. He was wearing tattered clothes. He was holding a small flag. He looked at Ethan. He looked at Callie. He smiled. "Thank you," he said. "Thank you for ending the war. Thank you for making America safe again."
Ethan smiled. He knelt down. He took the boy's hand. "You're welcome," he said. "We did it for you. We did it for all of the children. We did it for the future."
The boy nodded. He smiled. He ran away.
Ethan stood up. He looked at Callie. He saw the tears in her eyes. He saw the hope in her eyes.
He turned to the soldiers. He raised his hand. He shouted. "Men, the war is over. But our work is not. We need to help the people rebuild. We need to make sure that this never happens again. We need to make America a better place. Are you with me?"
The soldiers cheered. They raised their weapons. They shouted. "Yes!"
Ethan smiled. He turned to Meade. "Order the army to help the people. Order them to rebuild the towns and villages. Order them to help the wounded. Order them to bury the dead."
Meade nodded. "Yes, sir."
The Union army began to work. They helped the people rebuild. They built houses. They built schools. They built hospitals. They helped the wounded. They buried the dead.
Ethan and Callie walked around the town. They talked to the people. They listened to their stories. They helped them with their problems.
They met a woman whose husband had died in the war. She was crying. She was holding a picture of her husband. "He was a good man," she said. "He loved me. He loved our children. He loved America. He died for our freedom."
Ethan put his arm around her. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'm sorry for your loss. He was a hero. He will never be forgotten."
The woman nodded. She smiled. "Thank you. Thank you for remembering him."
Ethan and Callie continued to walk around the town. They continued to talk to the people. They continued to help them.
They met a man who had lost his leg in the war. He was sitting in a wheelchair. He was looking at the sky. "I thought my life was over," he said. "I thought I would never walk again. I thought I would never be able to work again. But then you came. You helped me. You gave me hope."
Ethan smiled. "You're a strong man," he said. "You'll walk again. You'll work again. You'll have a good life. We'll help you."
The man nodded. He smiled. "Thank you. Thank you for giving me hope."
Ethan and Callie continued to work. They continued to help the people. They continued to rebuild.
The days turned into weeks. The weeks turned into months. The town of Williamsport was rebuilt. The people were happy. The future was bright.
Ethan stood on a hill. He looked out at the town. He looked at the people. He looked at the future. He smiled. He knew that he had done the right thing. He knew that he had made a difference. He knew that he had helped to make America a better place.
He turned to Callie. "We did it," he said. "We helped the people. We rebuilt the town. We made America a better place."
Callie smiled. She hugged him. "Yes. We did it. We worked together. We made a difference."
They looked at the sky. They looked at the sun. They looked at the future. They knew that there were going to be more challenges. They knew that there were going to be more obstacles. But they also knew that they were going to be able to overcome them.
They smiled. They felt a sense of pride. They felt a sense of purpose.
The Aftermath had come.
The work of rebuilding had begun.
And the Voss Dynasty was now a symbol of hope.