Chapter 1838

The pool erupted. Water rose in a perfect column, twisting into the shape of a tree. Its branches spread across the ceiling, and its roots curled around the twelve chairs.

The third child emerged from the water.

He stood on the surface as if it were solid ground.

His pale cloth hung around him like a small robe.

He looked at Sol.

"You remembered."

Sol stepped backwards.

The child smiled.

"Now remember the rest."

The older Jude moved in front of him.

"No."

The third child raised his hand.

The roots tightened.

The twelve chairs began sliding towards the pool.

Jude grabbed the nearest one.

The chair marked LAYLA struck the floor.

A small silver object fell from beneath its seat.

A key.

Jude picked it up.

The moment his fingers closed around it, the pool stopped moving.

The third child looked at him.

For the first time, his expression changed.

"You found it."

Jude examined the key.

It was made of dark wood, with a silver crescent carved into its handle.

The same shape as Sol’s pendant.

The older Jude stared at it.

"Where did you get that?"

"From the chair."

"That key was supposed to be destroyed."

"Why?"

The older man looked towards the third child.

"Because it opens the room beneath the first house."

The child smiled.

"And now he has it."

The silver roots withdrew from the chairs.

The water settled.

Then the third child slowly stepped backwards.

His feet sank beneath the surface.

"Come find me," he said.

The water closed over his head.

The chamber became quiet.

Jude looked at the key.

"What’s the room beneath the first house?"

The older Jude shook his head.

"You don’t want to go there."

"I didn’t ask what I wanted."

The older man stared at him.

Then he said something that made Jude’s fingers tighten around the key.

"It’s where the first promise is kept."

Jude looked towards Sol.

The boy was staring at the pool.

"What’s the first promise?" he asked.

The older Jude took a long breath.

"To bring back the world that was lost."

Jude frowned.

"And what happens if we keep it?"

The older man looked at the twelve chairs.

"Everything that disappeared will return."

"Then why is that bad?"

The older man looked at him.

"Because the world that disappeared wasn’t empty when it fell."

A sudden noise came from the passage.

Footsteps.

Several people were running towards them.

"Jude!"

He recognised Sophie’s voice.

A moment later, Sophie appeared, followed by Serena, Layla and Scarlet.

They stopped at the entrance.

Sophie looked at Jude.

"Thank goodness!"

Serena hurried towards him.

"Are you all right?"

Jude nodded.

"What are you doing here?"

"We found the passage behind the old storehouse," Sophie explained. "It wasn’t there this morning."

Scarlet looked at the pool.

"What is that?"

"Something we don’t want to touch," Jude answered.

Layla approached the chairs.

Her eyes fell on the one with her name.

She reached out and touched its back.

"Why is my name here?"

Jude looked at her.

"We don’t know yet."

Layla examined the chair more closely.

Then she noticed the key in his hand.

Her expression changed.

"Where did you get that?"

"From the chair."

She stared at it.

"Jude, that’s mine."

He looked at her.

"What?"

She reached into the pocket of her dress.

Then she pulled out a small piece of wood.

A broken handle.

Jude looked between the two objects.

The silver crescent on the key fitted perfectly into the broken handle.

Layla placed the pieces together.

They joined.

A faint silver light travelled through the wood.

And the key began to hum.

Sophie stepped closer.

"What’s happening?"

Layla looked at Jude.

"I found this in the shared house."

"When?"

"Before you disappeared."

"Why didn’t you tell me?"

"Because I didn’t know what it was."

She turned the key over.

There were tiny letters carved into the handle.

Jude leaned closer.

THE FIRST HOUSE HAS TWO HEARTS.

Beneath the sentence was a small symbol.

Two circles joined by a line.

One circle was silver.

The other was dark.

Sol looked at it.

His expression changed.

"I’ve seen that."

"Where?" Jude asked.

The boy pointed towards the pool.

"Inside the cradle."

The older Jude stepped forward.

"That’s impossible."

Sol looked at him.

"It was on the blanket."

The older man stared at the symbol.

Then he slowly sat down on the floor.

"Of course."

Jude approached him.

"What?"

The older Jude looked towards the broken pillar, far beyond the chamber.

"The first house was never one house."

He touched the wooden floor.

"It had two hearts. One remembered everything that was lost. The other remembered everything that was never allowed to happen."

Jude looked at the key.

"And the children?"

The older man nodded.

"They were born from those two hearts."

The room seemed to grow colder.

Sol looked towards the pool.

"Which one am I?"

The older Jude closed his eyes.

"The one who was sent away."

"And my brother?"

"The one who remained."

Sol looked at the dark circle on the key.

Then at the silver one.

"Which heart belongs to me?"

The older Jude looked at him.

Neither circle moved.

Then the key turned in Layla’s hands.

The dark circle began glowing.

The silver one remained dark.

The older Jude stood abruptly.

"Put it down!"

Layla looked startled.

"What?"

"Put it down now!"

But it was too late.

The key slipped from her fingers.

It struck the floor.

A small crack appeared beneath it.

Silver light spread across the wooden boards, forming a perfect circle.

Then the circle opened.

A narrow staircase descended into darkness.

From below came the sound of a door unlocking.

Jude looked at the older man.

"Is that the room beneath the first house?"

The older Jude nodded.

His face had lost all colour.

"Yes."

The staircase began extending downwards.

One step.

Then another.

Then another.

Until it disappeared into the darkness.

At the bottom, a faint light appeared.