Chapter 1815

He approached it.

"That’s impossible."

Scarlet looked at it.

"Please tell me we’re not going to open another mysterious door."

"We need to get back to the village," Serena said.

Jude reached for the handle.

Sol suddenly stepped in front of him.

"Wait."

"What now?"

"Listen."

They became silent.

At first, Jude heard only the faint humming of the underground chamber.

Then came a familiar sound.

A cooking pot being placed on a wooden table.

Footsteps.

Someone humming a little tune.

And then a woman’s voice.

"Jude? Are you coming? The food is getting cold."

Jude recognised it immediately.

It was Layla.

His hand fell away from the handle.

Serena looked at him.

"That sounds like her."

Sol shook his head.

"It’s not."

"How do you know?" Scarlet asked.

"Because she’s here."

He pointed towards the closed door at the end of the corridor.

The name LAYLA was still visible.

A soft knocking came from behind it.

Three times.

Then a pause.

Three more.

Jude stared at the door.

"Layla?"

"Jude," came the voice from behind it.

This time, it sounded tired.

"Please don’t listen to the one outside."

The voice from the wooden door spoke again.

"Jude? Why are you standing outside? Come in."

Sophie stepped backwards.

"We shouldn’t trust either voice."

"Agreed," Serena whispered.

Jude looked at Sol.

"What do we do?"

The boy glanced towards the silver leaf in Sophie’s hand.

"Show them the bird."

Jude frowned.

"What bird?"

Sol pointed to the small wooden bird still tucked into Jude’s pocket.

Jude took it out.

The little carving looked ordinary, with its crooked wings and uneven beak. Sol had made it during one of their quiet afternoons in the village.

"Put it near the door," Sol said.

Jude approached Layla’s door.

The knocking stopped.

He held the wooden bird close to the name.

For several seconds, nothing happened.

Then a tiny sound came from behind the door.

A gasp.

The name LAYLA shimmered.

And beneath it, another line appeared.

The one who remembers the garden.

Jude stared.

"What does that mean?"

A voice came from behind the door.

"Jude?"

He leaned closer.

"Tell me something only you would know."

Silence.

Then Layla answered.

"The bench beneath the old flowering tree."

Jude’s expression changed.

She continued.

"You promised you would repair it after the rain. You said you would make it comfortable enough for everyone to sit there without fighting over the best place."

A faint laugh came through the door.

"And you never did."

Despite everything, Jude almost smiled.

He remembered that conversation.

He remembered the afternoon they had sat beneath the tree, talking about the village and making plans for the coming weeks.

But he did not open the door.

"That’s not enough," he whispered.

"I know," Layla replied.

"Tell me something else."

Another pause.

"Do you remember when Sol tried to convince Scarlet that the rabbits were secretly stealing vegetables because they were working for him?"

Scarlet looked offended.

"He said he was going to make them his personal guards!"

"And what happened?" Layla asked.

Jude’s voice softened.

"You laughed so much that you dropped the basket."

"Yes."

A quiet silence followed.

Then Layla spoke again.

"I’m frightened, Jude."

His hand moved towards the handle.

Serena caught his wrist.

"Wait."

"She’s frightened."

"We don’t know what’s behind that door."

"It’s Layla."

"Or something that knows everything about her."

The words hurt, but Jude knew Serena was right.

He lowered his hand.

"Layla, where are you?"

"Somewhere beneath the house."

"Which house?"

"The first one."

"Can you come out?"

"No."

"Why?"

A long silence followed.

"Because there’s someone standing beside me."

Jude’s heart began to beat faster.

"Who?"

"I don’t know."

"Can you see them?"

"Yes."

"What do they look like?"

The answer came slowly.

"They look like me."

The corridor trembled.

The wooden door behind them rattled violently.

A cheerful voice called from the other side.

"Jude! You’re keeping everyone waiting!"

Then came another voice.

"Open the door, please."

Then another.

"Jude?"

And another.

"Jude, it’s cold outside."

The voices overlapped.

They were all familiar.

Susan.

Rose.

Natalie.

Zoey.

Lucy.

Stella.

Emma.

Grace.

And finally, Layla.

Every one of them calling his name.

Scarlet covered her ears.

"Make them stop!"

Sol stepped forward.

"Don’t answer."

The voices grew louder.

"Jude!"

"Come home!"

"Open the door!"

"We’re waiting!"

The brass handle began turning by itself.

Serena pulled Jude away.

"Back!"

The wooden door shook.

A thin line of golden light appeared around its edges.

Then, from somewhere far beyond it, came the sound of the central village bell.

One ring.

Two.

Three.

The voices stopped.

The handle became still.

A different voice spoke.

It was deep, distant and strangely calm.

"THE HOUSE IS READY."

The wooden door opened a fraction.

Through the little window, Jude saw a familiar room.

Their shared house.

The large wooden table stood in the middle. A fire burned in the hearth. Several plates were arranged neatly across the table.

And around it sat his wives.

All twelve.

They were smiling.

They looked completely ordinary.

Susan was pouring water into a cup. Rose was arranging some flowers. Natalie was speaking to Zoey. Lucy was laughing at something Emma had said.

Layla sat at the far end.

She looked directly at Jude.

Then she lifted her cup.

Jude moved closer.

The figure of Layla smiled.

"Come home."

Sol pulled him backwards.

"Don’t look!"

Jude turned towards the boy.

"What’s wrong?"

Sol pointed through the window.

"Look at their shadows."

Jude looked again.

The room was brightly lit by the fire.

The women were sitting around the table.

But none of them had shadows.

Instead, a single enormous shadow stretched across the floor behind them.

It had a long neck and an impossibly broad shape.

Its head was turned towards the window.

Watching Jude.

The figure of Layla stopped smiling.

Her face slowly became expressionless.

Then all twelve women turned towards the window at exactly the same time.

The enormous shadow rose behind them.