Work Text:
Summer, 19xx
Years ago, a secret alliance between ten college students of journalism with three professors from the colleges of Westalis and Ostania, with a project in mind, and the goal for the chapter of war to end.
The goal of the project is to publish a book that will be delivered to both countries. A book with compilations of poems, short stories, essays, and letters that were submitted by the students and the citizens who were willing to let their works be known, loved, and acknowledged by the world.
It also serves the purpose of letting the people who submitted their letters the chance for their loved ones to read their letters that were never sent due to the separation that the war did.
With the hard, long fight that these students and professors did to let the book be published, they won the battle in the end.
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Autumn, 19xx
It was the day after the examination period at Eden academy had ended. Children who lived in dormitories using the time in their hands to enjoy a day of freedom, teens and adults roaming the streets whilst covered in coats and elegant boots.
Twenty four year old Damian Desmond used the time he had to also roam the streets and to see if anything had changed within the outsides of the city. After all, he had been cooped inside his dorm room with piles of books eating up his desk during examination season. (Which also made Emile and Ewen worried about him sometimes.)
He decided to stop by a bookstore, with countless amounts of people infiltrating the place to buy the latest copies of certain books, let it be new ones or second hand ones. Stepping inside the bookstore, a certain little book caught his eye.
Oh.
It was that book that became the talk of the country for it was a compilation of written works from unknown people. It didn’t catch the eye of the citizens at first but it did after it became the talk amongst the college students of every university around Ostania.
Seeing one lone copy of that book sitting among the shelves and decided to grab the chance to read the book himself, Damian picked up the book then went to the cash register to purchase it.
“Oh! You’re a lucky one to pick that book up.” The cashier said, “You know that one was the last copy since we released it last monday.”
“Yeah…” Damian replied.
The cashier once again spoke with a smile then leaned in closer, “According to the rumours, that book was a compilation of written works by ostanian and westalian people and I kid you not, they are all amazing!”
Then the cashier continued, “But it is really true that in the letters section, there was this one letter from the last page that will literally bring you to tears, heck, that certain letter was the reason why this book became popular in the first place!”
As the cashier stuffed the small book inside the paper bag, Damian was left curious upon that letter in the last page.
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It was around six thirty pm when Damian decided it was the best time to read the book.
Opening the paper bag, the illustration of the front cover, which is a fishnet, greeted him firsthand, then he searched the contents of the book on which poem, short story, or letter was interesting to read before he hit the hay.
The conversation he had with the cashier a while ago came to mind and it re-ignited the flame of curiosity within him. Without a single thought, he flipped through the pages to find that infamous letter.
As he finally found the letter, it gave him a sense of familiarity that cannot be shaken. He started to read the contents of the letter with interest.
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To D,
It was around 19xx when I left without a word. No formal goodbyes nor letters were distributed about my sudden disappearance, my family and I left without a trace. No evidence of our existence was found. Everything about me and my family is all wiped up.
But you know, during those years I was with you and our friends, I was the happiest, but the times with papa and mama are still the cherry on top. Anyways, where was I? Oh yeah, the times I spent with our friends! It was part of my cherished memories when I was in Eden before I left without a trace.
Okay, let’s go back to the real deal. To tell you the truth, I’ve slowly developed feelings for you, I honestly don’t know when it started but it gradually grew slowly but then it blossomed when I finally found the grasp within that feeling. I guess this is what you felt for me before, back when we were in first grade. It was a wild ride of decisions and confusions but I slowly got back and found my answer.
I’ll tell you, I love you. For 4 years I’ve been in love with you, although it was upon a late notice and I never got the chance to tell you that before I left without a trace. I once tried to bury and forget it to oblivion, but it was strong to resist and so I decided to give in to the feeling, even though the chances of seeing you once again is low and it brings pain inside me.
Probably some years by now you have picked up this book upon some random shelf from a library or bought it from a bookstore and we still are oceans away from each other. You’re probably living the best time of your life where you’re doing something that you love, finally free from the chain of expectations your dad has set upon you. If that was the case then I am proud and happy for you.
I still would like to admit that up until now that I love you and I honestly still do. I do hope that someday our paths will cross again and we will live a life with happiness and shower you with familial and affectionate love, just like what my mama and papa did for me, up until now.
I hope that destiny would work out in our favour and make us meet again.
Sincerely yours, A.Forger
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Damian cannot process the entire situation upon him.
Droplets of tears staining his face and the book resting on his hands. He felt like the world around him was spinning.
The letter… The person it was addressed to….The person who wrote it…
It was Anya… Anya Forger…
The little girl who once held his heart into her hands… The same girl who left without a trace, seven years ago…
Everything was too difficult to take in for Damian, his body was shaking with the tears continuing to flow and the sounds of his choked sobs threatening to be free.
How could he not even control himself from crying over a letter that was addressed to him by his old first love…?
When Anya Forger was missing at the age of eighteen for over six years, the year when college students activists were rampant, pleading through rallies and written works that the war between Westalis and Ostania must end for the sake of peace and to end the suffering of the people.
Anya Forger was one of the activists and also one of the missing college students who were presumed to be kidnapped by the government. Damian knew all of this. After all, he helped the Forgers find their lost daughter with additional help from Becky Blackbell and from his friends.
And now with her letter published on a book, Damian can’t help but somewhat feel a ray of hope shine through that she might still be alive and breathing.
Maybe what Anya wrote in the letter might happen…
He’ll do everything to make destiny work between them and maybe…
May they meet once again.