Chapter 1804

The boy opened it. Inside were the little clay bowl Grace had helped him make, the wooden bird, and a small piece of bread.

Jude smiled.

"Planning a journey?"

Sol nodded.

"To the beach."

Jude was surprised.

"You remember the beach?"

"Yes."

"Do you remember anything about how you arrived there?"

Sol looked down at the bundle.

"No."

Jude studied his face.

"That’s all right. You can come with us, but you’ll need to stay close."

Sol smiled.

"I will."

The group left shortly after breakfast.

Sophie and Serena carried supplies, while Scarlet brought a small basket and Jude carried a rope. Sol walked between Jude and Sophie, occasionally stopping to examine plants along the path.

The forest was brighter than it had been the previous day. Sunlight streamed through the leaves, and the air was filled with birdsong.

Sol seemed delighted.

He pointed at a butterfly.

Then a small flower.

Then a strange pattern on the bark of a tree.

He asked so many questions that Scarlet eventually declared him the most curious person she had ever met.

"Is that a bad thing?" Sol asked.

"No. It means you’ll never be bored."

He seemed pleased.

They reached the beach before midday.

The sea was calm, and the mist had completely disappeared.

Jude examined the sand.

There were no strange lines this time.

No marks.

No footprints.

Nothing.

He walked toward the place where they had found Sol.

"Do you recognize this spot?" he asked.

The boy looked around.

"Yes."

"Do you remember anything?"

Sol stared at the water.

"I remember the sound."

"What sound?"

"The waves."

Jude waited.

"Anything else?"

Sol shook his head.

Sophie crouched beside him.

"Don’t worry. You don’t have to remember everything at once."

Sol nodded.

Scarlet wandered toward the rocks.

"There’s nothing here."

Serena examined the shoreline.

"Perhaps the tide washed everything away."

Jude walked along the beach, looking for anything unusual.

After several minutes, he noticed something near the base of a rock.

A small object was partially buried in the sand.

He crouched and brushed it clean.

It was a thin silver disc, about the size of a coin.

A symbol had been engraved on its surface.

Three curved lines surrounding a tiny point.

Jude froze.

It was identical to the mark he had found on the fallen tree.

"Sophie."

She approached.

"What is it?"

He showed her the disc.

Her expression changed.

"That’s the same symbol."

Serena came closer.

"Where did you find it?"

"Near this rock."

Scarlet looked at the object.

"Perhaps it belongs to Sol."

Jude turned toward the boy.

Sol was standing near the water, watching the waves.

"Sol?"

The child looked over.

Jude held up the silver disc.

"Have you seen this before?"

For the first time since they had found him, Sol appeared genuinely surprised.

He stared at the object.

Then he slowly walked toward Jude.

"Where did you find that?"

"Here, beneath the sand."

Sol looked at the symbol.

His expression became unreadable.

"Do you recognize it?" Sophie asked.

He didn’t answer.

Jude crouched to meet his eyes.

"Sol?"

The boy reached toward the disc.

His fingers stopped just short of touching it.

Then he whispered:

"Don’t take it."

Jude frowned.

"Why?"

Sol looked at him.

"Because it belongs to the mountain."

The words fell between them.

Scarlet glanced toward the distant northern peaks.

"What mountain?"

Sol pointed.

Not toward the nearest hill.

Not toward the familiar rocky path.

He pointed toward the tallest mountain in the northern range, the one whose summit remained hidden behind clouds even on the clearest days.

Jude looked in that direction.

"Why does it belong there?"

Sol lowered his hand.

"I don’t know."

But his expression suggested otherwise.

Before Jude could ask another question, a deep sound rolled through the beach.

It was faint at first.

A low vibration beneath their feet.

The sand trembled.

Sophie looked toward the sea.

"Did you feel that?"

Jude nodded.

The water near the shore began retreating.

Not gradually.

It pulled away from the beach in a single strange movement, exposing a wide stretch of wet sand and dark stones.

Serena stepped backward.

"That’s not normal."

The sound came again.

This time it seemed to rise from beneath the island itself.

Jude looked toward the northern mountain.

A thin line of dark birds suddenly burst from the forest and flew toward the southern coast.

Sol stood perfectly still.

The silver disc in Jude’s hand had become warm.

"Sol," Jude said carefully. "What’s happening?"

The boy looked at him.

"It’s waking up."

Then the sea rushed back.

A wave swept across the exposed sand, forcing them to retreat toward the rocks. Jude caught Sol by the shoulder and pulled him away from the water.

The wave broke against the shore and spread across the beach.

When it receded, the silver disc was gone.

Jude looked down at his empty hand.

"Where did it go?"

Nobody answered.

Sol was staring toward the mountain again.

They returned to the village in the afternoon.

Jude told the others what had happened, including the symbol, the strange movement of the sea, and Sol’s words.

Layla immediately opened her journal.

"Three curved lines around a central point," she repeated. "The same symbol you found on the fallen tree?"

"Yes."

She turned several pages.

"I’ve seen something similar before."

Jude leaned closer.

"Where?"

"In the drawings we made of the old markings near the northern caves."

She found the page and showed him a rough sketch.

The symbol was not identical, but the resemblance was unmistakable.

"Why didn’t you mention this earlier?" Serena asked.

"Because I wasn’t certain. The marks were incomplete."

Jude studied the drawing.

"Do you think the symbol is connected to the island?"

Layla nodded slowly.

"Perhaps."

Sol sat quietly beside Sophie.

He had not spoken since they returned.

Jude looked toward him.

"Are you feeling all right?"

The boy nodded.

"I’m tired."

Sophie placed a hand gently on his shoulder.

"Then you should rest."

Sol stood and walked toward his cabin.