Chapter 1: Between Pages and Silence

The city was loud, but Riku’s room was quiet.

Outside the window, students laughed, lights blinked across buildings, and the sound of late-night traffic hummed like static. But inside, Riku sat still, hunched over his desk, the glow of his phone the only light. The pages of his assignment lay forgotten under his elbow. His hoodie sleeves were stretched past his hands — a small comfort on nights like this.

Loneliness wasn’t new to him. It visited like clockwork after sunset.

No family nearby. Few friends. Conversations that started with “hey” and ended before they could grow. His world felt like a paused game—stuck between levels, watching others play on.

Scrolling through his reading app was the only thing that calmed the ache. Fantasy novels, mostly. Stories where people mattered. Where even the quietest boy could become the hero.

That’s when he found it.

A novel he hadn’t seen before.

"When the World Opens Its Door: A Cool MC Meets a Transported Stranger."

The cover was odd — a man in a suit standing under pink petals, a boy reading a glowing book. It felt familiar. Too familiar.

Without thinking, he tapped Read.

Story Within the Story: The Novel Rik Reads

A powerful, composed man named Kael rules over an academy-like realm filled with mysteries, discipline, and secrets. One day, a stranger appears — a boy who doesn’t belong, who fell into their world from another.

That boy is unsure, quiet, often overwhelmed.

But he is kind. And slowly, Kael begins to change.

Back in his room, Rik smiled wistfully.

“If only… I could live in a world like that. Where people would just... accept me.”

And just as he finished the line —

the room trembled.

Light burst from the screen.

And Rik was gone.

...ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ...

Chapter 2: Into the Ink

Darkness.

Then cold.

Then a strange feeling of weightlessness, as though Rik had become part of the wind.

His eyes snapped open.

He was no longer in his room.

Instead of walls, there were trees — tall, ancient ones, with trunks as wide as buildings and leaves glowing faintly like fireflies. Moonlight trickled through the branches, lighting the mossy ground beneath his feet.

Where… am I?

He stood slowly, his legs unsteady. His hoodie and jeans were still the same, but everything else had changed.

Just the sound of night creatures, and the faint shimmer of glowing petals drifting from above.

Suddenly, a voice rang out—sharp and commanding.

"Who are you?"

•Who would that person? To know about please read Episode 2.

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Title: Inkbound Hearts

Author: Unknown by Ink

Genre: Bromance, Fantasy, Self-Discovery

Author's Note:

Hey there, dear reader!

First of all — thank you so much for reading Episode 1 of Inkbound Hearts.

This story means a lot to me. I'm just a newbie writer, learning and growing as I go, and honestly… hitting “publish” took a lot of courage.

If you enjoyed even a small part of this chapter, it would mean the world to me if you left a comment, a vote, or even just a few words of encouragement. I read every single message, and it keeps me going more than you can imagine.

Rik's journey is only just beginning — and so is mine.

So let’s walk this story together, one page at a time.

With gratitude,

— Unknown by Ink

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