Chapter 1806

Back at the village, Sol was sitting beside the flower garden.

Stella was showing him how to carve simple patterns into a piece of wood. He had made a small crooked line and was trying to turn it into the shape of a leaf.

"Very good," Stella said.

Sol looked at his work.

"It’s not straight."

"Leaves aren’t always straight."

He smiled.

Scarlet arrived carrying a bundle of branches.

"Are you ready to build our gate?"

Sol looked up.

"Yes!"

They began arranging the pieces beside the garden. Scarlet explained how the two posts would stand, while Stella marked the correct measurements.

Sol watched carefully.

Then he pointed toward the northern forest.

"Is Jude coming back?"

"Yes," Scarlet answered.

"When?"

"Soon."

Sol looked toward the trees again.

A few moments later, the sound of footsteps came along the path.

Jude and the others had returned.

Sol stood immediately.

"Jude!"

He hurried toward him.

Jude stopped and placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder.

"Hello. Have you been busy?"

Sol nodded.

"We’re building a gate."

"Are you?"

Scarlet called from behind him.

"He’s an excellent worker."

Stella looked at the crooked wooden piece.

"He’s learning."

Jude smiled.

"That’s good."

Sol studied his face.

"Did you find anything?"

Jude paused.

"Yes."

"What?"

"A cave."

The boy’s expression changed.

Only for a moment.

Then he looked down.

"Was it dark?"

"Very."

"Did you go inside?"

"Yes."

Sol nodded slowly.

"Did you see the room?"

Jude stared at him.

"What room?"

Sol said nothing.

Sophie stepped forward.

"Sol, have you been inside that cave before?"

The boy looked at her.

"I don’t remember."

Jude crouched so that they were at eye level.

"Sol, there’s something important we need to understand. If you know anything about the cave or the mountain, you can tell us."

The child looked at him for a long moment.

Then he smiled.

"I know."

He returned to the garden.

Jude remained where he was.

Sophie approached him quietly.

"He knew about the room."

"Yes."

"And he won’t tell us."

Jude looked toward the northern mountain.

The cloud around its summit had grown thicker.

For the rest of the afternoon, the village carried on as usual. The garden gate was assembled, the storehouse roof was measured, and the evening meal was prepared.

Sol laughed with Scarlet, helped Stella arrange the wooden markers, and sat beside Grace while she finished another clay pot.

He seemed like an ordinary child enjoying an ordinary day.

But Jude couldn’t stop thinking about the cave.

Or the drawing of the small figure standing beside the mountain.

That evening, after dinner, Sol asked if he could sleep in Jude’s cabin.

He didn’t explain why.

He simply stood near the doorway, holding the wooden bird.

Jude looked at him.

"Are you frightened?"

Sol shook his head.

"Then why?"

"It’s quieter there."

Jude glanced toward Sophie.

She gave a small nod.

"All right," he said. "You can sleep in the spare bed."

Sol smiled.

"Thank you."

They prepared the small bed near the window. Jude placed a folded blanket on it, and Sol set his wooden bird on the bedside table.

He climbed beneath the blanket and looked around the cabin.

"Jude?"

"Yes?"

"Have you lived here for a long time?"

"Yes."

"Do you like it?"

Jude sat on the edge of his own bed.

"I do."

"Why?"

He thought for a moment.

"Because it’s home. We built it together. We made the gardens, the paths, the bridges, and the houses. We worked hard to make this place comfortable."

Sol looked toward the window.

"Do you think a place becomes a home because people live there?"

"Partly."

"What else?"

"Because they care about it. Because they make memories there. Because they have people they want to return to."

Sol was quiet.

Then he asked:

"Would you stay in a place even if it was hiding something from you?"

Jude looked at him.

"Why do you ask?"

Sol turned onto his side.

"Just wondering."

Jude pulled the blanket over him.

"Every place has secrets. That doesn’t mean we should stop caring about it."

Sol nodded.

"Good night, Jude."

"Good night."

Jude extinguished the lantern and settled into bed.

Outside, the wind moved softly through the trees.

The village was silent.

For a long time, Sol lay perfectly still beneath his blanket.

Then he sat up.

He looked toward the window.

Beyond the trees, the northern mountain stood beneath the moonlight.

A thin line of pale light appeared near its base.

Sol watched it.

His expression changed.

For the first time that evening, he seemed genuinely troubled.

He slipped out of bed, carefully avoiding the floorboards that creaked, and approached the window.

The light grew brighter.

Then it vanished.

Sol returned to the bed.

He lay down and closed his eyes.

The next morning, Jude woke to find the spare bed empty.

The blanket was neatly folded.

The wooden bird was gone.

He sat up and looked around the cabin.

"Sol?"

No answer.

He stepped outside.

The village was already awake. Susan was preparing breakfast, Rose was carrying vegetables from the storehouse, and Scarlet was arguing with Stella about the garden gate.

Jude approached them.

"Has anyone seen Sol?"

Rose looked up.

"Wasn’t he with you?"

"He was sleeping in my cabin."

"Perhaps he’s at the garden."

Jude checked.

The garden was empty.

He walked toward the eastern farms.

No Sol.

He asked Lucy and Zoey, who had just returned from the western path.

They hadn’t seen him.

Sophie joined him near the central firepit.

"What’s wrong?"

"Sol is missing."

Her expression changed.

"When did you last see him?"

"Last night."

They began searching the nearby cabins and treehouses.

Rose checked the storehouse. Susan looked around the cooking shelter. Serena searched the western path, while Natalie and Emma checked the gardens.

Layla went toward the northern trail.

Jude and Sophie searched the area near Sol’s cabin.

The door was open.

Inside, the little bed was untouched.

The wooden bird was not there.