Chapter 1873

When he reached the sand, he stopped.

He looked at Jude.

"You found me."

Jude stood slowly.

"Who are you?"

The boy smiled.

"You already know."

"Are you the one who was left behind?"

"No."

"The one who was left outside?"

The boy nodded.

"That’s what they called me."

"Who called you that?"

The child looked towards the first house.

"Father."

Jude felt a chill.

"Which father?"

The child looked directly at him.

"You."

The wooden bird fell from Jude’s hand.

The child picked it up.

He turned it over, examining the carved wings.

Then he looked at Jude.

"Did you bring the others?"

"What others?"

"My brothers."

Jude glanced towards the house.

The four Sols were visible in the windows.

The boy smiled.

"They are still there."

"Are you their brother?"

"Yes."

"Why are there so many of you?"

The child looked down at the bird.

"Because you kept asking the same question."

"What question?"

The boy raised his eyes.

"Which one should stay?"

Jude felt the beach move beneath him.

The child continued.

"You made one to remember the room. One to remember the tree. One to remember the door. One to remember the sea."

He paused.

"And one to remember me."

Jude stared at him.

"Who?"

The boy pointed towards the first house.

The fifth child in the window disappeared.

Then a figure emerged from the sea behind the boy.

It was another Jude.

But this one was wearing the clothes from the photograph.

He looked young.

His eyes were frightened.

He walked towards them, carrying a small wooden box.

The child turned.

"You brought it."

The young Jude nodded.

Then he handed the box to the boy.

The child placed the wooden bird inside.

The box opened by itself.

Inside lay a silver key.

A dark key.

And a small folded piece of paper.

Jude approached.

"What is that?"

The boy unfolded the paper.

It contained a drawing of two children standing before a door.

One child was holding the handle.

The other was standing behind him.

Above them were three words.

ONE MUST RETURN.

Jude looked at the children.

"Return where?"

The fifth child looked towards the sea.

Then towards the village.

Then towards Jude.

"Before the first promise."

The little wooden door in the sand began to open.

A soft golden light spilled out.

The child took Jude’s hand.

"Come with me."

Jude looked at the open door.

Then at the first house.

"Where does it lead?"

The child smiled.

"To the place where you first left me."

Jude hesitated.

The child squeezed his hand.

"You said you would come back."

"I know."

"You said you would bring me home."

"I know."

The child looked towards the village.

"Then bring me home."

Jude took a step towards the little door.

Suddenly, a voice thundered across the beach.

"JUDE! DON’T!"

He turned.

The silver-haired older Jude was running towards them from the village.

Behind him came Susan, Rose, Serena, Layla, Natalie, Zoey, Lucy, Stella, Emma, Grace, Sophie and Scarlet.

All twelve women were there.

They were running towards the beach.

But none of them was looking at Jude.

They were looking at the child.

Serena reached the front.

"Move away from him!"

Jude turned towards her.

"What’s happening?"

Serena stopped several steps away.

Her face was pale.

"That’s not the child we saw in the house."

The fifth child looked at her.

"Hello, Serena."

She froze.

He smiled.

"You still have the little stone I gave you."

Serena instinctively touched her pocket.

Her expression changed.

Jude looked at her.

"What stone?"

Serena slowly withdrew her hand.

A small silver stone rested in her palm.

She stared at it.

"I’ve never seen this before."

The child tilted his head.

"You have."

He looked at Jude.

"You gave it to her."

Jude shook his head.

"No, I didn’t."

The child smiled.

"Not yet."

The older Jude reached them.

He grabbed Jude’s shoulder and pulled him backwards.

"Get away from the door!"

Jude stumbled.

The little wooden door slammed shut.

The child remained beside it.

He did not look frightened.

He looked disappointed.

The older Jude stood between them.

"Don’t listen to him."

The child looked up.

"You always say that."

"Because you always lie."

The boy’s expression became serious.

"Then tell him the truth."

The older Jude said nothing.

The child looked at Jude.

"Ask him what happened to the first child."

Jude turned.

The older man looked towards the sea.

"Not here."

"Tell me."

"Jude—"

"What happened to the first child?"

The older Jude’s silence was answer enough to make the women exchange uneasy glances.

Then Layla stepped forward.

"Tell him."

The older man looked at her.

For a moment, he seemed surprised.

Layla approached him.

"We have all followed you through this. We have listened to your warnings. We have trusted you when you said there were things we couldn’t understand yet."

She glanced towards the child.

"But you keep deciding what we are allowed to know."

Susan moved beside her.

Rose followed.

One by one, the others gathered around Jude.

The older man looked at them.

"You don’t understand what you’re asking."

Sophie folded her arms.

"Then explain it."

The older Jude looked at the child.

"He was the first."

Jude waited.

"The first child born in the room before the house."

The child nodded.

The older man continued.

"He wanted to leave. His brother wanted to stay. They made a promise to follow one another."

Jude remembered the story.

"And then?"

"The door opened."

The older Jude’s voice became quiet.

"One child left."

The child looked at him.

"And one was left outside."

The older Jude closed his eyes.

"Yes."

Jude felt his chest tighten.

"Which one?"

The older Jude looked at him.

"The one standing before us."

The women fell silent.

The child smiled faintly.

"You see?"

Jude stared at the older man.

"You left him outside?"

"I tried to bring him back."

"That’s not what I asked."

The older Jude’s eyes filled with something Jude could not identify.