Chapter 1862

The child beside Jude stepped backwards.

Jude moved in front of him.

"No."

The voice seemed to consider the answer.

Then it spoke again.

"Give me the one who left."

Jude felt the child’s fingers tighten around his sleeve.

"No," Jude repeated.

The enormous hand moved closer.

"Then give me the one who remembers."

A sudden flash of silver light filled the room.

The window slammed shut.

The child fell backwards.

Jude caught him.

For several seconds, neither spoke.

Then the child looked up.

"You shouldn’t have answered."

"Would you rather I gave you to it?"

The child lowered his eyes.

"No."

"Then stop telling me what I shouldn’t do."

The child almost smiled.

But the expression disappeared quickly.

A knock sounded from the door.

Jude turned.

The door had not been there before.

It was a simple wooden door, with no handle and no markings.

Three knocks came from the other side.

Then a familiar voice spoke.

"Jude?"

Susan.

Jude rushed towards it.

The child grabbed his arm.

"Wait."

"It’s Susan."

"Maybe."

Jude turned.

"Are you going to say that every time I hear someone I love?"

The child looked towards the door.

"No."

"Then let me open it."

The child hesitated.

Then he stepped aside.

Jude placed his hand against the door.

It was warm.

He opened it.

On the other side stood Susan, Rose, Serena, Layla, Natalie, Zoey, Lucy, Stella, Emma, Grace, Sophie and Scarlet.

All twelve were together.

They looked exhausted, but unharmed.

Susan stepped forward.

"Jude!"

She embraced him.

For a moment, Jude closed his eyes.

The familiar warmth, the sound of her voice, the sight of the others gathered behind her—it was enough to make the impossible events of the last few moments feel distant.

Then Susan pulled away.

"What happened?"

Jude looked at the child beside him.

"It’s a long story."

Rose glanced into the room.

"Who’s that?"

The child lowered his head.

"Sol."

The women exchanged glances.

Natalie stepped closer.

"Which Sol?"

The child looked up.

"I’m Sol."

Scarlet studied him.

"You look different."

The child touched his hair.

"Do I?"

"Not your appearance," she said. "Something else."

Sophie looked around the room.

"Where are we?"

Jude turned towards the window.

"The room before the first house."

Serena’s expression changed.

"You found it?"

"I think it found me."

Layla stepped inside.

Her eyes immediately settled on the child.

"Have we met?"

The boy stared at her.

Then he nodded.

"Before."

Layla frowned.

"Before what?"

"Before you were Layla."

A silence fell.

Jude looked towards the woman.

"Do you remember anything?"

Layla shook her head.

"No."

The child walked towards her.

"You used to sing."

Layla’s face softened.

"What did I sing?"

The boy opened his mouth.

But no sound came.

He looked confused.

Then frightened.

"I can’t remember."

Layla gently knelt.

"That’s all right."

The child stared at her.

"Are you angry?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because you don’t have to remember everything to be allowed to stay."

The boy looked at her for a long time.

Then he slowly nodded.

Something changed in the room.

A small silver leaf appeared on the floor beside the bed.

It had not been there before.

Jude picked it up.

A symbol was engraved on its surface.

Three curved lines surrounding a point.

Beneath it was a second symbol.

A small tree.

And beneath the tree was a word.

RELEASE.

The moment Jude read it, the leaf warmed in his hand.

The child stepped backwards.

"Where did you get that?"

"It appeared."

"Put it down."

"Why?"

"Because that’s not a symbol from the first house."

Jude looked at the engraving.

"What is it?"

The child stared at the leaf.

"It’s from the place outside."

Everyone went quiet.

The enormous hand.

The voice.

The darkness.

The thing that had been trying to enter the island.

Jude looked towards the window.

"Is it connected to that?"

The child nodded.

"It’s a mark."

"Of what?"

"An opening."

The floor beneath them vibrated.

A distant bell rang.

Then another.

The women turned towards the door.

Through the open doorway, Jude could see the corridor stretching into darkness.

At its far end stood the silver-haired older Jude.

He was leaning against the wall, one hand pressed to his side.

The third Sol stood beside him.

Both were looking towards the room.

The older Jude raised his hand.

"Come here," he called.

Jude stared.

"What happened to you?"

"Not enough time."

"Where have you been?"

"Under the mountain."

Jude looked towards the third child.

"Are you all right?"

The boy nodded.

Then he looked at the child beside Jude.

The two stared at each other.

The older Jude stepped into the room.

His eyes immediately settled on the silver leaf.

"Where did you find that?"

"Here."

He took a step closer.

"Give it to me."

Jude held it out, but did not release it.

"Tell me what it does."

The older Jude glanced towards the window.

"It opens the room."

"We’re already in the room."

"No."

He looked at the child.

"This is only the memory of the room."

Jude stared.

"Then where is the real one?"

The older Jude pointed towards the ceiling.

"Above us."

Everyone looked up.

The wooden ceiling began to dissolve.

The little room vanished.

They were standing beneath an enormous tree.

Its trunk rose beyond sight.

Its roots spread through the ground like enormous wooden roads.

Small doors were built into the roots.

Some were open.

Some were sealed.

Some were so old that their wood had become indistinguishable from the tree itself.

The sky above was filled with stars.

But they were not arranged like stars in an ordinary sky.

They formed words.

Names.

Promises.

Dates.

Fragments of conversations.

Jude looked up.

One group of stars formed the name SUSAN.

Another formed ROSE.

Then SERENA.

LAYLA.

NATALIE.

ZOEY.

LUCY.

STELLA.

EMMA.

GRACE.

SOPHIE.

SCARLET.

And finally, JUDE.

But beneath his name was another line.

FIRST KEEPER — UNCONFIRMED.

The older Jude looked at it.

"That’s new."

Jude turned.