Chapter 1814

"Who is that?" Serena whispered.

The woman slowly raised her head.

Even through the narrow opening, Jude could feel her gaze.

She was looking directly at him.

Then she smiled.

Layla turned towards her.

The woman’s lips moved.

No sound came through.

But Layla’s expression changed.

The happiness disappeared.

She looked frightened.

"Jude!"

He reached further.

"Take my hand!"

Layla ran towards him.

The opening began to close.

Jude pushed his arm through.

Their fingers touched.

He caught her hand.

For one brief second, he had her.

Serena grabbed Jude around the waist, helping him pull.

Sophie seized Serena.

Scarlet held Sophie.

Together, they pulled.

Layla was almost through.

Then the woman in the pale dress reached out.

She did not grab Layla.

She simply touched the wooden house behind her.

A deep bell rang.

The ground beneath Layla disappeared.

Jude felt her hand slip.

"No!"

He tightened his grip.

Layla looked directly into his eyes.

There was no fear in her face now.

Only sadness.

"I’m sorry," she whispered.

Her fingers slipped from his.

The opening slammed shut.

Jude was thrown backwards.

The silver leaf fell from his hand and struck the stone floor.

For several seconds, nobody moved.

Then Jude scrambled towards the wall.

"Layla!"

He struck it with both fists.

"LAYLA!"

Serena caught him.

"Jude, stop!"

"Let me go!"

"It’s closed!"

"OPEN IT!"

He pushed against the wall again.

Nothing happened.

The chamber remained silent.

Then, from somewhere behind the stone, came a faint sound.

Three knocks.

A pause.

Three more.

Jude pressed his forehead against the wall.

"Layla?"

No answer.

The silver lines slowly faded.

And the small wooden house engraved on the silver leaf disappeared.

Jude stood motionless.

He could not understand what had happened.

Only moments earlier, Layla had been beside them.

She had been examining the carvings, studying the strange writing, helping them understand the mountain.

Now she was gone.

Serena approached the wall and placed a hand against it.

"We’ll find her."

Jude didn’t answer.

"We’ll find another way."

He still didn’t answer.

Sophie looked towards the floor.

The silver leaf lay near her feet.

She picked it up carefully.

There was a new inscription on its surface.

Her eyes moved across the markings.

Then she looked at Jude.

"What does it say?" he asked.

Sophie hesitated.

"Read it."

Her voice trembled.

"It says..."

She looked down again.

"’The first house has claimed its keeper.’"

Jude closed his eyes.

"No."

The chamber trembled.

A low rumbling began beneath their feet.

The circular hole opened again.

This time, blue light poured out of it, illuminating every corner of the chamber.

Sol stepped towards the edge.

Jude caught his shoulder.

"Stay back."

The boy looked into the darkness.

"It’s not finished."

"What isn’t?"

Sol pointed down.

The blue light began forming a shape.

A figure.

A woman standing far below.

Jude moved closer.

For one impossible moment, he saw Layla.

She was standing on the circular platform, looking upwards.

Her hands were folded in front of her.

She seemed peaceful.

Then she raised her head.

And even from that impossible distance, Jude could see that she was crying.

"Layla!"

She lifted one hand.

The platform began to descend.

Jude rushed towards the edge.

"NO! WAIT!"

The blue light disappeared.

The hole closed.

And the chamber became dark again.

Jude stood there, unable to move.

Behind him, Serena quietly began to cry.

Sophie held the silver leaf against her chest.

Scarlet stared at the floor.

Sol looked at the wall.

Then he spoke.

"Jude?"

Jude turned slowly.

"What?"

The boy’s expression was different now.

He was no longer confused or frightened.

He looked as though he had remembered something important.

"There’s another house."

Jude stared at him.

"What?"

Sol pointed towards the northern wall.

A new symbol was appearing there.

It was not the three curved lines.

It was the outline of a wooden house beneath a tree.

And beneath it were fourteen circles.

Thirteen were filled.

The last one was empty.

Sol stepped closer.

"That’s where the others are."

Jude looked at him.

"Others?"

The boy nodded.

"The ones who were here before us."

"Who?"

Sol touched the symbol.

The stone wall opened.

Beyond it was a long corridor filled with pale light.

At its far end stood fourteen wooden doors.

Twelve were open.

One was closed.

And the final door had no handle.

Jude stared at the closed door.

A name slowly appeared across its surface.

LAYLA.

Then, from behind the door, came a soft voice.

"Jude?"

He took one step forward.

"Layla?"

The voice answered.

"Don’t open the door."

Jude stopped.

A second voice spoke from behind it.

It sounded exactly like Layla.

"Please, Jude. Open it."

Then a third voice emerged.

It was quieter.

Colder.

And it whispered:

"I’m the one who came back."

Sol grabbed Jude’s hand.

"Don’t let her out."

The fourteen doors began to shake.

One by one, the open doors slammed shut.

The lights went out.

And from behind Layla’s door came a final sentence.

"Jude... there’s already someone wearing my face in your village."

Jude stood frozen before the fourteen doors.

The last sentence continued to echo through the corridor.

There’s already someone wearing my face in your village.

He looked at Sol.

"What does that mean?"

Sol didn’t answer.

"Sol?"

The boy was staring at Layla’s door.

His fingers tightened around Jude’s hand.

"Don’t open it."

"I heard you."

"Promise me."

Jude looked at the name carved into the stone.

"That’s Layla."

Sol shook his head.

"Not all of her."

The words sent a chill through Jude.

Serena approached cautiously, keeping her lantern raised. Sophie and Scarlet followed, their expressions tense.

"Can we get back to the chamber?" Serena asked.

Jude looked towards the corridor behind them.

The passage had changed.

Where the entrance had been, there was now another wooden door.

It looked completely ordinary.

It was made of dark timber, with a brass handle and a small rectangular window.

Jude recognised it.

It was the front door of their shared house.