Following the Uprising’s surrender in October 1944, Roman and other fighters march as prisoners of war through Warsaw’s ruins. The once-familiar city lies in complete destruction. During the march, Roman becomes protective of 15-year-old Sword, whose real name is Kacper. He lied about his age to join the uprising. Kacper now struggles with a severely injured foot that Roman suspects will eventually have to be amputated.

At the transit camp, conditions are harsh, with inadequate food rations and no blankets. Roman helps Kacper endure the circumstances while they await their fate. The next day, German guards force the prisoners toward waiting boxcars for transport to prisoner-of-war camps. The sight of the boxcars triggers a flashback for Roman, vividly recalling his family’s deportation to Treblinka during the ghetto liquidation. Terror overwhelms him as memories of his lost family flood back, yet he overcomes his fear and boards the train, refusing to abandon Kacper.

Emilia and her parents endure two weeks in the overcrowded Pruszków transit camp before Mateusz manages to bribe an official to secure their release. They undertake the journey on foot to Lodz, where they discover Uncle Piotr’s apartment occupied by strangers. With no other options, they move into his factory office and survive by gradually selling factory items and equipment.

In March 1945, Soviet troops enter Lodz, bringing new uncertainties. On Emilia’s 17th birthday, she becomes separated from Mateusz while at the market. Three drunken Soviet soldiers rape her in a nearby alley, leaving her traumatized. An elderly couple, Maria and Wiktor, discover Emilia and rescue her, taking her to their apartment for safety. Wiktor locates Mateusz and Truda, who are devastated when they learn what happened to their daughter.

Traumatized by the assault, Emilia withdraws completely for weeks, unable to process what happened. Truda finally confronts her daughter’s self-blame and insists that they must return to Warsaw to find work and seek out Sara to help Emilia begin healing. The journey by truck reveals a decimated city, but they find their apartment building damaged yet still habitable.

Emilia feels relief upon discovering that her mural remains intact. With assistance from their neighbor Mr. Wójcik, she enters the rubble-filled courtyard for the first time since their return. Remarkably, she discovers that the damaged apple tree still clings to life beneath the rubble. More significantly, buried beneath the tree, she finds a glass jar containing Matylda’s records of rescued Jewish children. Understanding that Sara must have buried the documents for safekeeping, Emilia carefully reburies the jar, recognizing its importance for reuniting families after the war.

The day after discovering the buried records, Emilia, Truda, and Mateusz make their way to the Franciscan orphanage on Hoża Street, which remains largely intact. They find Sara alive and working there, leading to an emotional reunion. Sara recounts her escape from a deportation train, while Emilia tells her about the discovered records hidden beneath the apple tree.

When Emilia finds herself alone with Sara, she learns the real reason why her parents sought out their friend: They suspect that she might be pregnant. Sara conducts a medical examination that confirms their fears: Emilia is approximately 12 weeks pregnant, a consequence of the assault by Soviet soldiers. Sara explains that this is not possible to change at this stage and arranges for Emilia to stay at a convent in Marki, where she can carry the baby to term in secret and arrange for an adoption.

Roman endures nearly a year of captivity at the Stalag XIII-D prisoner-of-war camp in Nuremberg, marking each passing day on his bunk frame. The camp’s liberation by American forces in April 1945 brings freedom but also news that Poland now lies under Soviet control. Despite offers of emigration to other countries, Roman refuses, determined to return to Emilia.

He remains with Kacper, whose foot is so severely injured that it must be amputated. Roman takes a job in the camp laundry to stay near his friend during the recovery period. Their bond deepens through shared hardship. After four months of waiting, the Red Cross successfully locates Kacper’s parents in Warsaw. In September 1945, with Kacper’s situation resolved, Roman finally prepares to return to Poland.

Sara expects the baby to come around Christmas, meaning that Emilia will need to stay at the convent for five months. Truda urges Emilia to come home, but she doesn’t want Roman to find her while she is pregnant. She takes comfort in the routines of the convent, studies to obtain her high-school diploma, and paints. Meanwhile, Warsaw slowly rebuilds. Emilia counts the days until she can be free of the baby, a reminder of the violence committed against her. She vows to put the baby up for adoption and never think of it again. She tells her parents that if Roman finds them, they should tell him the truth about her survival and her pregnancy but that she is not ready to see him yet.

Roman arrives at the apartment and receives a warm embrace from Mateusz, who confirms that Emilia is alive but absent. The reunion brings both joy and news when Mateusz reveals that Emilia was raped by Soviet soldiers, is now pregnant, and is staying elsewhere to recover from the trauma.

Mateusz forbids Roman from seeing her, fearing that his reaction would cause Emilia additional trauma. Roman is given Emilia’s room to stay in. There, he discovers her mural and is moved by her artistic preservation of Warsaw and their love. Roman writes Emilia a letter expressing his unwavering love and support despite what happened to her. Truda delivers the letter but returns with news that while Emilia accepted and read the letter, she sent no reply.

While living at the Franciscan convent in Marki, Emilia receives Roman’s steady stream of letters but feels emotionally unready to respond, though she is heartened by the clear expressions of love and support in the letters. When she feels the baby move for the first time, she is forced to confront the reality of her situation. The physical reminder of her pregnancy makes denial impossible.

She finds guidance from Sister Agnieszka, a nun who helps her process her trauma. Sara visits and shares stories about Truda’s long struggle with infertility, providing context for her mother’s reaction to the pregnancy. Emilia asks Truda and Mateusz if they will adopt the baby, seeing this as the best solution. After ensuring that Emilia is certain about her decision, Truda agrees to discuss the proposal with Mateusz. Emilia asks Truda not to tell Roman about their plan, as she wants to tell him herself.