Chapter 120: To Whom It May Concern

To whom it may concern,

Once, there was a book. A leatherbound volume in which I shared my experiences of accidentally traveling from Earth to a strange other world called the Oikoumene, on a planet I call Antichthon.

In that book, I divulged theories about what this world might be, how I came to be here, and why. But something happened. The book was lost. I do not know if it was stolen, destroyed, or simply misplaced, but I find it imperative to write this letter, if only out of foolish, misplaced hope.

No denizens of the Oikoumene, to my knowledge, can read English letters. Thus, I write knowing full well that no one is likely to read my words. But so long as this letter exists, a spark of hope can still smolder in me. I treasure that spark because my soul has become filled with darkness. My name is Benjamin Holmes, an "ethoul," from Earth.