Chapter 1836

"Then who am I?" The child tilted his head.

"You were the one who was supposed to leave."

The words seemed to echo around the chamber.

Sol shook his head.

"No."

"You were supposed to go with Father."

"No."

"You were supposed to remember the way."

Sol backed away.

Jude caught his shoulder.

"Don’t listen to him."

The third child looked disappointed.

"That’s what he always says."

The older Jude moved between the cradle and the children.

"Enough. We didn’t come here to speak about the past."

The child laughed.

"Then why did you bring the Keeper?"

The older man said nothing.

The child looked towards Jude.

"Ask him what happened to the first house."

Jude turned.

"You said it was built to protect something."

"It was."

"Then what happened?"

The older Jude looked at the ceiling.

"The first house opened its doors."

A strange sound came from the pillars.

Not a bell.

Not a vibration.

A low whispering, as though hundreds of people were speaking from behind thick wooden walls.

"The people entered," the older man continued. "They thought they could recover everything the tree had kept. They believed they could bring back the people they had lost, restore the houses that had disappeared, and return the world to the way it had been."

"And could they?"

"No."

The third child spoke.

"They made it worse."

The older Jude looked at him.

"Be quiet."

"They opened the wrong door."

"Enough."

"They brought the forgotten ones inside."

The child’s voice became louder.

"And the forgotten ones remembered that they had been forgotten."

The silver threads trembled violently.

Jude looked towards the central platform.

The cradle was no longer sitting on the floor.

It had begun to rise.

A narrow wooden staircase emerged beneath it, descending into the darkness.

"What’s happening?" Jude asked.

The older Jude stepped backwards.

"The first house is moving."

"Moving where?"

"Somewhere it has been trying to reach for a very long time."

The child in the cradle sat up.

"Home."

The word sent a shudder through the chamber.

The thirteen pillars began rotating.

The carvings of the twelve women disappeared, replaced by unfamiliar symbols.

Jude recognised one.

The three curved lines surrounding a central point.

The same mark on the silver disc.

The same mark carved into the cave.

The same mark that had unfolded from Sol’s pendant.

But now there was something different.

A tiny line had appeared through the centre.

A crack.

The older Jude noticed it.

His expression became alarmed.

"No. It cannot be."

"What?"

"The seal is breaking."

The child in the cradle smiled.

"Finally."

The older Jude rushed towards the platform.

He reached for the cradle, but an invisible force pushed him back. He stumbled and struck the floor.

Sol ran towards him.

"Father!"

The older man looked up.

"Stay away from the platform!"

But Sol was already kneeling beside him.

Jude rushed after the boy.

At that moment, the third child spoke.

"Brother."

Sol stopped.

The child held out his hand.

"Come here."

Sol shook his head.

"I don’t want to."

"You’re frightened."

"Yes."

"Of me?"

Sol didn’t answer.

The third child looked at Jude.

"Are you going to keep him forever?"

Jude’s jaw tightened.

"I’m going to take him home."

The child smiled.

"Which home?"

Jude looked towards the older man.

"Don’t answer him," the older Jude whispered.

But the child continued.

"The house beneath the tree? The house in the forest? The house on the island? Or the house that has been waiting inside him?"

Jude looked down at Sol.

The boy’s face was pale.

"There’s a house inside him?" Jude asked.

The older Jude struggled to stand.

"Not a house. A memory."

The third child leaned forward.

"A memory of a door."

He lowered his hand.

"And the door is opening."

A tremendous crack travelled through the chamber.

The broken pillar split from top to bottom.

Silver light poured from its centre.

Jude threw an arm over Sol.

The floor shook so violently that the older Jude fell again.

The silver threads connecting the pillars snapped one after another.

A deep bell rang.

Then the cradle descended into the darkness.

The third child remained sitting inside it, watching Jude.

"Don’t worry," he said.

"We will see each other again."

The cradle disappeared.

The wooden staircase folded into itself.

And the central platform went dark.

For several seconds, nobody moved.

Then Jude heard a faint sound.

A heartbeat.

It was coming from the broken pillar.

He approached it carefully.

A thin opening had appeared along its side. Beyond it was a narrow passage, and from somewhere deep inside came the sound of running water.

The older Jude pushed himself upright.

"We have to leave."

"Not until you tell me everything."

"There isn’t time."

"There is always time for the truth."

The older man looked at him.

"You think knowing everything will help you?"

"I think lying to me has made everything worse."

The older Jude looked towards Sol.

The boy was standing beside the broken pillar, staring into the narrow passage.

"Jude," he whispered.

"What?"

"I can hear someone."

Jude listened.

At first, there was only the distant sound of water.

Then came a familiar voice.

"Jude?"

He froze.

It was Layla.

"Jude, can you hear me?"

The voice came from the passage.

Then another.

Natalie.

"Where are you?"

A third voice.

Serena.

"Please hurry."

Jude rushed towards the opening.

The older Jude grabbed his arm.

"Don’t."

"That’s them!"

"No."

"I know their voices."

"That’s exactly why you must not go."

Jude pulled free.

"You don’t get to decide that."

He stepped into the passage.

Sol followed immediately.

The older Jude remained behind for a moment, looking at the broken pillar.

Then he sighed and followed them.

The passage was narrow, with rough wooden walls that seemed to have grown rather than been built. Silver roots ran along the ceiling. Small drops of water fell from them, disappearing before they touched the floor.

The voices grew louder.

"Jude!"

"Over here!"

"Help us!"