Chapter 1865

The older Jude closed his eyes.

The child continued.

"But when the first Keeper became afraid, he changed it."

Jude stared at the older man.

"Is that true?"

The older Jude did not answer.

The child looked towards the table.

The thirteen plates began to tremble.

The cups cracked.

The silver threads around the chairs tightened.

The child spoke again.

"He changed it because he wanted everyone to stay."

A deep rumble travelled through the house.

"And when the tree tried to let them go, he locked the door."

The older Jude suddenly raised his hand.

The smallest child vanished.

The eyeless bird fell to the floor.

Jude rushed towards the spot where the boy had been.

"What did you do?"

The older Jude looked at him.

"I saved us."

"You took him!"

"He doesn’t belong here."

"Neither do you!"

The older Jude stared.

Jude moved towards him.

"Tell me what you changed."

The older Jude remained silent.

Then the fourth Sol spoke.

"He changed the last word."

Jude turned.

"What last word?"

The child looked towards the window.

Outside, the village was visible.

The sun was setting.

The houses were standing in their proper places.

The orchard was still.

The river flowed normally.

Everything appeared peaceful.

But there was something strange about the sky.

The stars were already visible.

And among them was a new constellation.

A small wooden door.

The fourth Sol pointed towards it.

"The first promise was that nobody would ever be kept."

Jude looked at the older man.

"And he changed it to?"

The older Jude finally answered.

"Nobody would ever be lost."

The words sounded ordinary.

But the house reacted as though he had spoken a forbidden name.

Every chair moved.

Every door slammed.

The windows turned black.

And from somewhere beneath the floor came a voice.

Not the enormous voice from outside.

Not the voice behind the nameless door.

Not the voice of any Jude.

It was the voice of a little child.

A child who had been waiting in the dark.

"Then why am I still here?"

The older Jude went pale.

The fourth Sol whispered, "Oh no."

Jude turned towards the floor.

A small wooden hatch appeared beneath the dining table.

It had no handle.

Only a tiny inscription.

THE PLACE WHERE THE FIRST PROMISE WAS CHANGED.

Jude knelt.

The hatch opened.

Below it was a staircase descending into darkness.

A soft light flickered at the bottom.

And someone was sitting on the lowest step.

A little boy.

He looked exactly like Jude.

He was holding a wooden bird with eyes.

He raised his head.

"Hello," he said.

Jude stared.

The boy smiled.

"Do you remember what you called me?"

The older Jude moved towards the hatch.

"Don’t answer him."

The little boy looked at Jude.

"You used to call me your brother."

Jude felt the room tilt.

The four Sols slowly turned towards the hatch.

The wives stood up.

And the boy at the bottom of the staircase lifted the wooden bird.

Its eyes opened.

Inside it, a tiny silver light began to glow.

Then the boy said:

"I’m not the one you left behind."

He paused.

"I’m the one you left outside."

The hatch began to close.

But before it shut, Jude heard one final sentence.

A sentence that made the older Jude fall to his knees.

"Father is still waiting beyond the door."

Then the hatch slammed shut.

And every clock in the house began ticking backwards.

The clocks were ticking backwards.

Jude stood motionless in the middle of the dining room, listening to the strange rhythm. Every tick seemed to pull something away from the house. The flames in the lamps shrank towards their wicks. The cups on the table slowly filled themselves with liquid, then emptied, then filled again. The shadows of the chairs moved towards the windows, even though nothing else was moving.

The older Jude remained on his knees beside the hatch.

Nobody spoke.

Then, from beneath the floor, came three soft knocks.

The older Jude covered his ears.

"Don’t answer," he whispered.

Jude looked down at him.

"You know who is down there."

The older man did not respond.

"You know that child."

"Please."

"Who is he?"

The older Jude slowly lifted his head.

His eyes looked tired.

"Someone I should never have left."

Jude stepped towards the hatch.

The older man grabbed his wrist.

"You cannot go down there."

"Why?"

"Because the staircase doesn’t lead to a place."

"Then where does it lead?"

The older Jude looked towards the windows.

"It leads to the moment before the first promise."

A clock struck.

Its hands moved backwards.

The sound echoed through the house, followed by a faint whisper.

"Father?"

The older Jude released Jude’s wrist.

The whisper came again.

"Father, are you there?"

The fourth Sol stepped away from the table.

"That’s him."

Jude turned towards the child.

"You know him?"

Sol nodded.

"He used to call me Brother."

The other three children looked at one another.

The first Sol slowly approached the hatch.

"He called me that too."

The second Sol shook his head.

"No. He called me that."

The third Sol stared at the floor.

"He called all of us that."

The older Jude closed his eyes.

"Stop."

But the children continued.

"He said we would play together."

"He said we would see the sea."

"He said we would have a house."

"He said we would never be separated."

The fourth Sol looked at the older man.

"Why did you leave him?"

The older Jude’s face tightened.

"I didn’t leave him."

The voice beneath the floor laughed softly.

It was a child’s laugh, but it sounded strangely distant.

"That’s not what you told me."

The older Jude stood abruptly.

"Enough!"

Every clock stopped.

The entire house became silent.

Then the front door opened.

Jude turned.

Beyond it was the village.

The firepit was burning.

The wooden houses stood in their familiar places.

The gardens were full of flowers.

A gentle breeze moved through the orchard.