Chapter 21: Letters That Travel Without Wings
It was a cloudy afternoon, though not yet rainy. The air smelled like damp stone and tea leaves, with a faint trace of old paper—Abid had opened all his windows, letting the season speak into his room.
His drawing tablet rested on the desk, a half-finished sketch of a cover design waiting patiently. Next to it, a stack of printed pages sat in neat order: reader letters, all translated by the system, each one a message from the other world.
Abid reached for the topmost one and carefully unfolded it. The paper was old-fashioned—like parchment, but smoother—and the handwriting slanted with elegant care.
[Letter Translated – Origin: Elderwin Realm
From: Apprentice Scribe Aelia
To: Manga Creator Abid]
["Esteemed Creator,
I write to you with trembling fingers, for your story Whistle in the Dusk has stirred something deep within me. I read it aloud to my younger sister, and when I finished, she asked why I was crying. I could not explain it in simple words. But something in the way your hero stood quietly while the world forgot him—it reminded me of our father, who was taken in the war before she was born.
She drew a picture of the ending and asked me to send it. I hope it reaches you."]
Attached was a soft charcoal sketch of the final panel—Abid's character silhouetted against a fading sky, holding a carved wooden whistle.
He stared at it for a long moment.
Then he carefully placed the letter into a folder labeled "For Quiet Days."
[System Notice:
New Tag Unlocked – "Resonant Reader Correspondence"
Bonus XP: +300
Creative Trait Gained: Empathy Depth +2
Suggested Action: Compose reply letter or visual thank-you]
He opened a fresh file and began drawing slowly, quietly. A short thank-you comic, only four panels: A scribe receiving a letter, smiling, then looking out her window at the same sky where the whistle had once been blown.
He didn't rush it.
When he finished, the system shimmered with a warm pulse.
[Upload Complete – Response Art: "Whistle Echoes"
Emotional Value: 86/100
Personal Archive Saved – Reader Chain Activated
+1 to Elderwin Realm Connection Strength (Artisan Tier)]
The room grew still again.
Abid leaned back in his chair and looked around. The apartment, once cluttered with his own frustrations, now felt like a gentle workshop. Walls bore pinned sketches and sample manga covers, but also small tokens: a wooden button carved by a fan, a pressed flower from a story-reading event, a cloth bookmark with unfamiliar runes embroidered in sky-blue thread.
He had never met these people.
And yet, it felt like he had.
[System Alert:
New Feature Unlocked – "Memory Room"
Description: A virtual space accessible through the system where saved reader memories, gifts, and moments are archived.
Optional Action: Enter now?]
He hesitated—then nodded.
[Initiating Entry…]
The screen glowed, and a soft hum filled the room. Then, almost like a dream, the tablet's screen deepened, its borders fading, and Abid's surroundings shifted.
He stood in a virtual room—simple, wooden walls lined with shelves. Each shelf held tiny glowing tokens, shimmering softly like fireflies. There were books, sketches, even tiny illusion projections: one of a reader laughing, another of a village classroom holding up manga pages like sacred scrolls.
He stepped closer to one labeled "Liran – The Baker's Apprentice."
It pulsed at his touch, and a memory played:
A simple bakery kitchen. A young boy, flour on his nose, sat by candlelight reading Soup at the Edge of the Forest. His eyes watered, and then he smiled, mouthing a thank-you to someone unseen.
Abid swallowed.
This wasn't just art anymore.
It was part of people's lives.
[System Tip: You may leave an imprint—a recorded thought or drawing—on any memory for future rediscovery]
He drew a small soup bowl floating on a leaf, then added it to Liran's memory.
[Memory Updated – New Resonance Formed]
After a while, he stepped back and exited the room. The light returned to normal, and his apartment came back into view.
He sat down.
Not to work—just to feel the moment.
Somewhere, distant thunder rumbled. But inside, there was calm.
[System Passive Triggered: Serenity of Purpose
Creative Recovery Speed Increased for 48 Hours]
He checked the message queue again.
A new one had arrived just moments ago.
[Sender: Elderwin Archive Guild
Subject: First Cross-Realm Manga Club Formed]
[Dear Abid,
We are pleased to inform you that your works have inspired a group of young scholars, artisans, and merchants to form the first organized manga club in Elderwin. They call themselves "The Turning Page Society."
Their first meeting was held in a public library where Death Note was read in dramatic parts. Some members are already attempting to write their own manga-style stories based on local folklore.
We hope you might one day send a message to encourage them.]
A club.
An actual club.
He let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.
A long time ago, he'd drawn manga alone in his small room, hoping someone out there might care.
Now, another world's young minds were gathering under candlelight to read his work aloud.
He began drafting a short message:
"To the Turning Page Society,
Thank you for reading. Please keep sharing stories. The page only turns when someone is brave enough to write the next one."
Then, with a gentle smile, he hit send.
[Message Delivered
+50 Trust with Elderwin Archive Guild
Reader Anticipation Level Increased: +7%]
Night fell over Dhaka. The air was cool and clean.
Abid turned off the lights.
The screen stayed on a moment longer, displaying a soft image: a page turning, its edge glowing faintly, as though lit from both this world and another.