Chapter 1817

The wall behind them opened, revealing the staircase that had disappeared earlier.

This time, it led upwards.

A faint breeze carried the scent of grass and flowers.

They began climbing.

Jude kept the wooden key in his pocket and the little wooden bird in his hand.

Sol walked beside him, unusually quiet.

Serena helped Sophie, whose shoulder was still hurting. Scarlet kept looking back towards the darkness.

Nobody spoke much during the climb.

After several turns, they reached the familiar chamber with the circular hole.

The hole had closed.

The platform was gone.

The stone floor was smooth again.

But the room was not empty.

Someone had placed a small basket beside the entrance.

Inside were fresh vegetables, a folded blanket and a clay bowl.

Jude stopped.

"Who brought these?"

Scarlet approached the basket.

"They’re from the village."

Sophie examined the clay bowl.

"This is mine."

Jude looked at her.

"You made it?"

She nodded.

"It was the one I made yesterday."

The bowl was filled with fresh flowers.

White flowers.

The same flowers that grew near the western meadow.

Jude touched one of the petals.

It was still wet.

A small note lay beneath the basket.

Serena picked it up.

There were only six words.

You were gone for three days.

Nobody spoke.

Jude stared at the note.

"Three days?"

"We’ve only been underground for a few hours," Scarlet whispered.

Layla’s disappearance, the strange house, the voices, the doors...

Had all of it happened while the village continued without them?

Or had time moved differently beneath the mountain?

Jude looked towards the exit.

"Come on."

They hurried through the cave.

The afternoon sunlight struck their faces as they emerged.

The northern forest was quiet.

Birds sang in the trees.

A gentle breeze moved through the grass.

Everything looked normal.

Too normal.

Jude immediately searched the village.

The path towards the houses was empty.

No one was working in the gardens.

No one was crossing the wooden bridges.

The central firepit was cold.

"Where is everyone?" Sophie asked.

They hurried down the northern path.

As they approached the village, they saw movement near the storehouse.

A woman was carrying a basket.

Jude recognised her from a distance.

"Susan!"

She turned.

Her face brightened.

"Jude!"

She hurried towards them.

Rose appeared behind the storehouse.

Then Natalie.

Zoey and Lucy came from the garden.

Stella emerged from one of the treehouses, followed by Emma and Grace.

For a moment, Jude felt overwhelming relief.

They were all there.

All of them.

Except Layla.

And something else.

He counted them.

Susan.

Rose.

Natalie.

Zoey.

Lucy.

Stella.

Emma.

Grace.

Sophie.

Serena.

Scarlet.

There were eleven women standing before him.

He counted again.

Eleven.

"Where is Layla?" he asked.

The women exchanged glances.

Susan stepped forward.

"She’s inside."

Jude’s heart tightened.

"Inside where?"

Susan pointed towards the shared house.

"She was waiting for you."

Serena looked at Jude.

He looked back at her.

"That’s impossible."

Susan frowned.

"What’s impossible?"

Jude took a step towards the house.

"Who is inside?"

"Layla," Susan replied.

A faint smile appeared on her face.

"She came back this morning."

Jude stopped.

"Came back?"

Rose nodded.

"We found her near the eastern river."

"She was perfectly fine," Natalie added.

"She said she had simply lost her way," Zoey said.

Lucy smiled.

"And she has been helping Stella with the flowers."

Jude looked towards the house.

The front door stood open.

A familiar figure appeared in the doorway.

Layla.

She was wearing the same pale dress.

Her hair was neatly arranged.

Her face was calm.

And around her wrist was the pale cloth with the embroidered flower.

Jude’s fingers tightened around the wooden key.

Layla smiled.

"Jude."

He could not move.

She walked towards him.

"I was wondering when you would return."

Serena stepped closer to Jude.

"Where were you?"

Layla looked at her.

"Near the river. I told you."

"No," Serena said. "Where were you really?"

Layla’s smile faded slightly.

"I don’t understand."

Jude looked into her eyes.

He searched her face for something familiar.

Something that would tell him she was truly the woman he knew.

"Layla," he said quietly.

"Yes?"

"Do you remember the first time we found the northern cave?"

She nodded.

"Of course."

"What did you say when we found the circular platform?"

Layla smiled.

"I said it looked like something was missing."

Jude’s stomach tightened.

That was not what Layla had said.

He remembered her exact words.

She had said the platform looked like it was waiting for something.

He looked at Serena.

She had remembered too.

Layla noticed their expressions.

"What is it?"

Jude forced himself to remain calm.

"Nothing."

She stepped closer.

"Are you all right?"

He nodded.

Layla reached towards his hand.

He instinctively moved the wooden key behind his back.

Her eyes dropped towards his fingers.

For a brief moment, her smile disappeared.

Then she looked up again.

"Come inside," she said.

"I’ll come later."

"Why?"

"I need to speak with the others."

Layla glanced at the women.

"They’ve already told you everything."

Jude stared at her.

"What do you mean?"

She smiled again.

"You’ve been gone for three days, Jude. Surely you have questions."

He felt a chill.

Three days.

The note had said the same thing.

But Layla had spoken as though she knew exactly what had happened beneath the mountain.

He looked at her wrist.

The embroidered cloth was tied neatly around it.

The same cloth they had found inside the cave.

The same cloth that had been wrapped around the wooden key.

He looked at Sol.

The boy was standing a few steps behind him.

He was staring at Layla.

Layla looked down at him.

"Hello, Sol."

The boy did not answer.

She smiled.

"Did you miss me?"

Sol slowly shook his head.

Layla’s expression remained pleasant.

"That’s not very kind."

Sol stepped behind Jude.

Jude felt the boy’s hand clutch his shirt.

"Jude," he whispered.

"What?"

"Don’t let her inside."

Jude looked towards the shared house.

The front door was still open.