Chapter 1870

Jude recognised all twelve wives.

And the thirteenth person was himself.

Not one of the copies.

Not the older Jude.

Not the younger Jude.

It was Jude as he remembered himself before all the strange events began.

He was sitting on the wooden bench, listening to Serena telling a story.

Susan was serving food.

Rose was laughing with Emma.

Scarlet was arguing with Sophie about something near the cooking pots.

Layla sat beside Jude.

Everything was ordinary.

Everything was peaceful.

Jude felt a sudden ache in his chest.

He had not realised how much he missed an ordinary evening.

The woman watched him.

"You could return to that."

Jude remained silent.

"You could forget the mountain. Forget the first house. Forget the children. Forget every door you have opened."

The village became brighter.

"You could live here."

The Jude in the memory turned towards him.

He looked directly at the real Jude.

Then he smiled.

"Come and sit."

Jude did not move.

The memory-Layla rested her hand on the other Jude’s shoulder.

"Dinner is getting cold."

The woman wearing Layla’s face spoke softly.

"You have spent so much time searching for answers. What if the answer is that you were never meant to search?"

Jude looked at the firepit.

Then at the women.

Then at the version of himself sitting beside Layla.

"Why are you showing me this?"

"Because you are tired."

Jude said nothing.

"Because you want to go home."

The woman moved closer.

"And because you are beginning to understand that the truth may cost you more than you are willing to lose."

The smallest Sol stepped between them.

"Don’t listen."

The woman looked down at him.

"You have no place here."

The child raised his chin.

"I was here before you."

Her smile disappeared.

For the first time, Jude noticed something unusual about the child’s appearance.

The silver light around him was not coming from his skin.

It was coming from something beneath it.

A tiny mark rested over his heart.

Two circles.

One silver.

One dark.

The symbol from the wooden key.

The woman stared at it.

"You shouldn’t be able to carry both."

The child looked at her.

"You shouldn’t have left one behind."

The hall trembled.

The village memory flickered.

Jude looked between them.

"What are you talking about?"

The child turned towards him.

"Remember the two hearts?"

Jude nodded slowly.

"One remembers everything lost. The other remembers everything that never happened."

The child touched his chest.

"They were not supposed to be separated."

The woman stepped back.

"Be quiet."

The child continued.

"They made me from one."

He pointed towards the darkness behind the woman.

"And they made him from the other."

Jude looked towards the man standing in the doorway.

The man with his face.

The man smiled faintly.

"Now we are getting somewhere."

The child shook his head.

"No. You are still lying."

The man’s expression remained calm.

"Am I?"

"You said you were the first."

"I was."

"You said you made the first promise."

"I did."

"You said you were my father."

The man looked at him.

The child continued.

"But you weren’t the one who held me when I was afraid."

The man fell silent.

The woman in Layla’s face turned towards the child.

"Do not confuse the Keeper."

"I’m not confused."

The child looked at Jude.

"I know who held me."

Jude knelt.

"Who?"

The child hesitated.

Then he pointed at Jude.

"You did."

Jude stared at him.

"But I wasn’t there."

The child shook his head.

"You were."

"When?"

"Before you became Jude."

The words settled over the chamber.

Jude felt a familiar pressure behind his eyes.

A memory tried to rise.

A small room.

A wooden floor.

A window that showed nothing.

A child sitting alone.

A second child standing beside a door.

And a voice promising that they would never be separated.

Then the memory disappeared.

Jude held his forehead.

The woman stepped forward.

"Stop trying to remember."

The man in the doorway looked at him.

"Let him remember."

The two figures stared at one another.

For a moment, their faces seemed to change.

The woman wore Layla’s face.

The man wore Jude’s.

But behind both of them, Jude saw something older.

Something that had existed before either face.

The four Sols moved closer together.

The first whispered, "It’s starting."

The second looked towards the tree.

"The roots are moving."

The third stared at the woman.

"She is afraid."

The fourth looked at the man.

"So is he."

Jude stood.

"Both of you are going to tell me the truth."

The woman gave a small smile.

"You have already heard it."

"No. I’ve heard stories. I’ve heard promises. I’ve heard different versions of the same events from people who seem to know everything except what actually happened."

The man looked amused.

"And what would you like to know?"

Jude pointed towards the child.

"Who is he?"

The man answered first.

"The first child."

The woman shook her head.

"He is the child who remained."

The man continued.

"He was born from the first heart."

The woman said, "He was born from the second."

The man looked at her.

"You always did enjoy changing the order."

"And you always enjoyed pretending there was an order."

Jude raised his voice.

"Stop!"

The hall became silent.

He looked at the child.

"Who are you?"

The boy swallowed.

"I don’t know."

Jude crouched beside him.

"That’s all right."

"I remember being here."

"Where?"

"In the room."

"What room?"

The boy looked towards the woman.

"The room before the first house."

Jude nodded.

"And what happened there?"

The child stared at the floor.

"There were two of us."

The other Sols went still.

"Two children?"

The boy nodded.

"One wanted to leave. One wanted to stay."

Jude remembered the earlier story.

"If one of us leaves, the other must follow."

The child looked up.

"Yes."

"Which one were you?"

The boy hesitated.

"I was both."

Jude frowned.

"What?"

"I wanted to leave. I wanted to stay. I wanted the door to open, but I was afraid of what would happen when it did."