Afterword

Hello, Chris.

I'm sorry for not writing you back sooner; though replying now would be futile, a selfish part of me hopes that the remains of the event will be forever marked in your heart. It must have taken you an extremely long time to outline, despite the subject of matter not being suitable for everyone.

At first you wrote this part as a simple murder mystery, but implementing existential crises has turned it into something quite different. Though like you, I believe that nothing should go to waste. Solidifying the plot, you've decided to let the story unfold from objectivity to subjectvity. Marwin will be in a state of confusion and denial, and Utterson will lead himself to downfall. And that I support with all my heart.

In all truthfulness, I'm trying to remain cheerful. We both know how the story will continue. Despite the protagonist's hopeful words in the end, all three of us acknowledge nothing will be the same. Because of this, sometimes I do worry about you. By the time you finish this ennealogy, I would be long gone to the back of your subconscious's storage, buried under the first snow of your stay in the United Kingdom. You will forget about me, and I will forget about you.

All in all, Papers of Penance is a bittersweet start to a heartfelt story. For the upcoming part, the mood will be drastically different from the first, but I believe readers will stay for your next work. Three years have passed since you started writing. Likely, your skills have matured, too. You've done well. I'm proud of you.

I have one more favour. Please keep this afterword anonymous. Thank you.