Chapter 1821

Sol walked towards the spot.

He crouched and touched the soil.

Then he pulled something from beneath the earth.

A small wooden key.

Its handle was carved with a tree.

Jude approached.

"Is that the key to the first house?"

Sol nodded.

"Now we can find it."

Jude looked towards the northern forest.

"Then we go tomorrow."

Sol shook his head.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because it’s waiting tonight."

Jude looked at the sky.

The sun was beginning to set.

A strange grey cloud had appeared above the mountains.

It was moving against the wind.

Jude turned towards the others.

"We need to prepare. Nobody goes anywhere alone. We stay together tonight."

Susan nodded.

"We’ll gather everyone."

Serena began assigning the women to check the remaining houses and secure the walkways.

Sophie and Scarlet went to retrieve supplies from the storehouse. Rose and Natalie gathered blankets. Zoey and Lucy checked the animal pens, while Emma and Grace made sure the firepit was still usable.

Stella stayed beside Sol.

She gently brushed the dust from his hair.

"You’ve had a very difficult day."

Sol looked at her.

"I’m sorry."

Stella shook her head.

"You don’t need to apologise."

She smiled.

"Would you like something to eat?"

The boy nodded.

"Can I have bread?"

"Of course."

"And honey?"

Stella laughed softly.

"Of course."

"And two pieces?"

"Two pieces."

Sol looked towards Jude.

"Three?"

Jude finally smiled faintly.

"Two."

Sol sighed.

"Two and a half?"

Stella laughed again.

For a brief moment, the village felt almost normal.

But Jude couldn’t forget what had happened.

He kept looking towards the northern forest.

The oldest tree.

The first house.

The woman wearing Layla’s face.

And the child who looked like Sol.

As darkness fell, they gathered around the central firepit.

The fire burned brightly, casting warm light across their faces.

They counted everyone again.

Susan.

Rose.

Serena.

Layla was absent.

Natalie.

Zoey.

Lucy.

Stella.

Emma.

Grace.

Sophie.

Scarlet.

Jude.

Sol.

Twelve wives.

One husband.

One child.

But something about the count troubled Jude.

He counted again.

Susan, Rose, Serena, Natalie, Zoey, Lucy, Stella, Emma, Grace, Sophie and Scarlet.

Eleven.

There were only eleven women gathered around the fire.

Jude looked towards the houses.

"Where’s Layla?"

The women turned towards him.

For a moment, nobody answered.

Then Susan spoke.

"She’s with you."

Jude frowned.

"What?"

Susan pointed beside him.

Jude turned.

A woman was sitting on the wooden bench.

She was wearing a pale dress.

Her hands were folded in her lap.

Her hair fell gently over her shoulders.

It was Layla.

She looked exactly as she had before.

Jude stepped backwards.

"Who are you?"

The woman looked up.

"Jude?"

He couldn’t speak.

She smiled sadly.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Sol stood beside the fire.

His expression changed.

"Don’t move," he whispered.

The woman glanced at him.

Then she looked back at Jude.

"I’m tired."

Jude stared at her.

"Where did you come from?"

"From the house."

"Which house?"

She looked towards the empty space where their shared house had stood.

"Our house."

Jude’s heart began pounding.

He looked at Serena.

Serena was staring at the woman with the same fear.

Then the woman reached towards him.

"Sit beside me."

Jude didn’t move.

"Please."

Her voice was gentle.

Familiar.

And full of sadness.

"Just for a moment."

Jude looked down at her hands.

There was a small wooden bird resting in her palm.

The same bird Sol had carved.

But this one had a tiny silver mark beneath its wing.

Jude remembered the inscription.

The circle must remain complete.

He looked at Sol.

The boy was staring at the bird.

Then, very slowly, Sol shook his head.

Jude stepped away.

The woman lowered her hand.

Her expression changed.

Not into anger.

Into disappointment.

"Why won’t you remember me?"

Jude swallowed.

"I do remember you."

"No."

She looked at the others.

"They don’t."

The fire suddenly burned blue.

The women around it began turning towards her.

One by one, their expressions became blank.

Susan.

Rose.

Serena.

Natalie.

Zoey.

Lucy.

Stella.

Emma.

Grace.

Sophie.

Scarlet.

All twelve women were now staring at the figure on the bench.

Jude turned towards them.

"Don’t look at her!"

But nobody moved.

The woman stood.

Her pale dress stirred in a wind that did not touch anything else.

"It’s all right," she whispered.

Then she looked at Jude.

"You can still save me."

The fire went out.

Darkness swallowed the village.

A bell rang from the northern mountains.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

And in the darkness, Jude heard the woman whisper:

"Look behind you."

He turned.

A wooden door stood in the middle of the village.

It had not been there a moment earlier.

Its surface was covered in roots.

A small silver keyhole shone at its centre.

Jude reached into his pocket.

The wooden key was gone.

Sol was standing beside the door.

His hand rested against the wood.

"It’s here," he whispered.

"What is?"

"The first house."

The door slowly opened.

Beyond it was a forest beneath a sky filled with unfamiliar stars.

At the centre of the forest stood an enormous tree.

Its branches stretched across the darkness, and beneath its roots was a small wooden house.

A warm light glowed behind its windows.

Jude stepped towards it.

Then he stopped.

There were fourteen figures standing beneath the tree.

Thirteen were facing the house.

The fourteenth was facing Jude.

It was Layla.

She raised one hand.

And from behind her came a voice that sounded exactly like Sol.

"Jude, don’t come here."

Jude looked at the boy beside him.

Sol was still holding the door.

His face had gone completely pale.

The voice from the forest spoke again.

"Because the one standing beside you isn’t Sol."

Jude slowly turned towards the child.

Sol looked up at him.

For the first time since they had found him on the beach, the boy seemed genuinely frightened.

Then he whispered:

"Jude... whatever happens, don’t let me meet myself."

Jude looked at him with a confused face.