Chapter 1799

Jude pointed toward a small cabin near the edge of the village.

"This one is empty. It was built for guests, so you can stay there until we decide what would be best."

Sol examined the little house.

"Alone?"

"If you prefer. But everyone is nearby."

The boy looked toward the treehouses.

"Do people live up there?"

"Yes. Some of us prefer the houses among the trees."

"Why?"

"They’re peaceful. And they offer a good view of the forest."

Sol stared at the highest treehouse.

"Can I go there?"

"Perhaps another day. The walkways can be slippery after rain."

The child nodded.

They continued toward the eastern side of the village, where the vegetable gardens stretched between the trees.

Natalie was working near the vine supports. She looked up when she saw them.

"Is this the boy from the beach?"

"Yes. This is Sol."

Natalie smiled.

"Hello, Sol."

The child gave a small nod.

"Hello."

She showed him a basket of vegetables.

"These grow in our garden."

Sol looked at them.

"Do you eat them?"

"Yes," Natalie replied. "They’re quite good."

"Where do they come from?"

"The soil."

Sol looked at the earth.

For a moment, his expression changed.

He seemed to be listening to something.

Jude noticed.

"Everything all right?"

Sol looked up.

"Yes."

He walked away from the garden without another word.

Jude watched him for a moment before following.

By late afternoon, the boy had been given a clean set of clothes.

They were simple garments made from the island’s woven fabric, slightly too large for him but comfortable enough. Grace had also prepared a small blanket and a pillow for his new cabin.

Susan brought a bowl of warm food.

"Try to eat a little more tonight," she told him.

Sol nodded.

The women had decided that someone should stay nearby until they understood more about him. Rose suggested that they take turns checking on him, but Jude said there was no need to make the child feel watched.

"He needs to feel comfortable," he explained. "We can keep the cabin nearby and make sure he knows where everyone is."

Sophie agreed.

"We should also avoid overwhelming him with questions."

Layla, however, was still troubled.

"Something about this doesn’t make sense."

Jude looked at her.

"What do you mean?"

"He was found on a beach with no footprints, no boat, and no belongings. He doesn’t remember where he came from, and his clothes were completely unlike anything we know."

Serena nodded.

"And that strange line in the sand disappeared."

Jude looked at her.

"You noticed that too?"

"I thought I was imagining it."

Sophie glanced between them.

"What line?"

Jude explained what they had seen before carrying Sol away.

Layla listened carefully.

"A mark that disappeared without a trace?"

"Yes."

"Could the waves have erased it?"

"Not so quickly," Serena replied. "The water never reached that part of the beach."

A brief silence followed.

Rose looked toward the cabin where Sol was resting.

"Perhaps we should return tomorrow and examine the area more carefully."

Jude nodded.

"I’ll go with Serena and Sophie."

Scarlet, who had been listening from the side, raised her hand.

"I’ll come too."

"Of course you will," Rose said.

Scarlet ignored her.

Layla opened her journal.

"I’ll write down everything we know about him. Maybe something will become clearer later."

Jude looked toward the small cabin.

For now, the boy was safe.

That was what mattered.

Evening arrived quietly.

The village gathered around the central firepit for dinner, and Sol sat between Jude and Sophie. He ate a little more than he had at midday, though he still seemed distracted.

The conversation was deliberately light.

They discussed the storehouse roof, the flower garden, and the possibility of building a larger shelter near the firepit.

Sol listened without speaking.

At one point, Scarlet asked him whether he liked the wooden bird Stella had given him.

He nodded.

"Do you have toys where you came from?"

The boy looked at her.

"I don’t know."

Scarlet paused.

"That’s all right."

She offered him another piece of bread.

He accepted it.

After dinner, the others began preparing for the night. Susan and Emma cleared the tables, Grace covered the remaining food, and Stella collected the empty bowls.

Jude walked Sol to his cabin.

The little house stood beneath a large tree, close enough to the central firepit that the warm glow reached its doorway. It had a small bed, a wooden table, a chair, and a window facing the forest.

A lantern had been placed beside the bed.

Jude entered first and lit it.

"Is this comfortable?"

Sol looked around.

"Yes."

"Good. If you need anything, our cabin is just along that path."

The boy looked toward the doorway.

"Will you be there?"

"Yes."

"All night?"

Jude hesitated.

"I’ll be sleeping, but I’m nearby."

Sol lowered his eyes.

"Can you leave the door open?"

"Of course."

Jude adjusted the blanket on the bed and placed the wooden bird on the table.

"You can keep this here."

Sol picked it up.

"Thank you."

"Good night, Sol."

"Good night, Jude."

Jude stepped outside and left the door slightly open.

For a moment, he stood on the path, looking back at the little cabin.

Something about the child bothered him.

Not because Sol had done anything wrong.

It was something in his eyes, his silence, and the strange questions he asked.

Do all things grow if someone takes care of them?

Even if nobody remembers planting them?

Jude shook his head.

The boy had probably been through something frightening. It was only natural that he would behave strangely.

He returned to his cabin.

The night passed peacefully.

The lanterns were extinguished one by one, and the village settled into silence. The sound of the sea drifted faintly through the forest, while the wind moved gently between the branches.

Jude fell asleep later than usual.

He had spent much of the evening thinking about the beach and the strange mark in the sand.