Chapter 1841

"Who?" Jude asked.

The child looked towards the empty window.

"A person who didn’t belong to any world."

The older Jude’s expression changed.

"That’s enough."

The child ignored him.

"He brought a seed."

The chamber became very quiet.

"He planted it in the dark. The tree grew. Then it made a world. It made rivers and mountains, forests and animals. It made houses for people who had nowhere else to go."

The child looked towards Jude.

"And then the tree learned to remember."

A low vibration travelled through the floor.

The child smiled sadly.

"That’s when everything went wrong."

Jude stepped closer.

"What happened?"

The child looked towards Sol.

"Someone made a promise."

Sol whispered:

"What promise?"

The child answered.

"That nobody would ever be lost again."

The words seemed to travel through the walls.

The twelve chairs in the chamber began moving.

One by one, they turned towards the doorway.

Jude looked at the older man.

"Who made the promise?"

The older Jude took a long breath.

"The first Keeper."

"Who was that?"

The older man looked directly at Jude.

"You."

Jude stared at him.

The child on the bed nodded.

"He looked like you."

The older Jude shook his head.

"He was not me."

"But he was your first memory," the child replied.

The older man closed his eyes.

Jude felt a strange pressure behind his forehead.

A faint image appeared in his mind.

A vast tree.

A dark sky.

A small room.

A man standing beside a window.

And a voice whispering:

I will never lose anyone again.

The image disappeared.

Jude touched his forehead.

"What was that?"

The older Jude looked at him.

"The first promise."

The child stood from the bed.

"And now the house wants it fulfilled."

The door began closing.

Sol rushed towards it.

"Wait!"

The child held out his hand.

Sol reached for him.

Their fingers almost touched.

Then the older Jude shouted:

"NO!"

He grabbed Sol and pulled him backwards.

The child disappeared behind the door.

It slammed shut.

A tremendous vibration shook the chamber.

The twelve chairs broke apart.

The wooden walls cracked.

And the golden light vanished.

Jude looked at the older man.

"What have you done?"

The older Jude was holding Sol tightly.

"Kept him alive."

"You just stopped him from reaching his brother!"

"I stopped him from reaching the thing wearing his brother’s memories."

Sol struggled free.

"That’s him!"

The older Jude shook his head.

"No."

"You know him!"

"I knew him."

Sol stepped back.

The boy’s eyes were full of anger now.

"You left him."

The older Jude looked as though the words had struck him.

"Yes."

"And now you won’t let me see him."

"Because I cannot lose you again."

Sol stared at him.

Then he looked at Jude.

"Can we go home?"

Jude nodded.

"Yes."

The older Jude looked towards the ceiling.

"Not yet."

Jude turned.

"Why?"

A deep sound came from above.

It was the sound of wood bending.

Then came footsteps.

Many footsteps.

The older Jude raised his head.

"They have found the room."

"Who?"

He didn’t answer.

The ceiling split open.

A wooden staircase descended from above.

And along it came twelve figures.

They looked like Jude’s wives.

Susan.

Rose.

Serena.

Layla.

Natalie.

Zoey.

Lucy.

Stella.

Emma.

Grace.

Sophie.

Scarlet.

They walked slowly, holding small lanterns.

But something was wrong.

Their clothes were old-fashioned, their hair was arranged differently, and their faces were too still.

They stopped at the bottom of the staircase.

The first figure, who looked like Susan, stepped forward.

"Keeper."

Jude moved in front of the real women.

"Who are you?"

The figure tilted her head.

"We are the first promises."

The second spoke.

"We are the ones who stayed."

The third smiled.

"We are the ones who were remembered."

The fourth looked towards Layla.

"And we are the ones who were replaced."

The real Layla stepped backwards.

The twelve figures began spreading across the chamber.

Jude counted them.

Twelve.

But then he noticed something.

There was a thirteenth shadow on the wall.

It stood behind the figures, much taller than the others.

The shadow raised its hand.

The twelve figures stopped moving.

A voice came from the ceiling.

"Bring the Keeper to the table."

The older Jude stepped forward.

"No."

The shadow tilted its head.

"Bring the child."

"No."

The shadow’s hand lowered.

A wooden thread dropped from the ceiling.

It wrapped around the older Jude’s wrist.

He tried to pull away, but the thread tightened.

Then another thread appeared.

And another.

Soon the older man was surrounded by silver strands.

Jude rushed towards him.

"Hold on!"

The older Jude shook his head.

"Don’t touch them!"

The threads pulled him upwards.

Sol screamed.

"Father!"

The older Jude looked down.

For one brief moment, his expression became peaceful.

"Remember what I told you."

Sol reached towards him.

"What?"

"Never open the door alone."

The threads pulled tighter.

Then the older Jude disappeared into the ceiling.

The twelve figures bowed.

And the shadow spoke.

"Now there is only one father."

Jude looked at the first Sol.

The boy was staring at the empty space above them.

Then the shadow slowly turned towards Jude.

"You."

A long silence followed.

Jude felt the women gathering behind him.

He raised the wooden key.

"I’m not your father."

The shadow laughed.

"Not yet."

The twelve figures began walking towards him.

Jude stepped backwards.

"Everyone, stay together!"

Serena grabbed Layla’s hand.

Sophie and Scarlet moved to either side of Jude.

Natalie pulled Sol behind her.

The first figure approached.

She looked exactly like Susan.

But her eyes were empty.

"Keeper," she said softly.

Jude raised the key.

The figure stopped.

Her face changed.

For a moment, she looked frightened.

Then she whispered:

"Don’t let the house seat us."

Jude stared.

"What?"

The figure looked towards the twelve chairs.

"Don’t let it remember us."

Then her face returned to its blank expression.

She continued walking.

Jude looked at the chairs.

The broken pieces were beginning to reassemble.