Chapter 1807

The next morning, Jude woke to find the spare bed empty. The blanket was neatly folded. The wooden bird was gone. He sat up and looked around the cabin.

"Sol?"

No answer.

He stepped outside. The village was already awake. Susan was preparing breakfast, Rose was carrying vegetables from the storehouse, and Scarlet was arguing with Stella about the garden gate. Jude approached them.

"Has anyone seen Sol?"

Rose looked up.

"Wasn’t he with you?"

"He was sleeping in my cabin."

"Perhaps he’s at the garden."

Jude checked. The garden was empty. He walked toward the eastern farms.

Sol was nowhere to be found.

He asked Lucy and Zoey, who had just returned from the western path. They hadn’t seen him. Sophie joined him near the central firepit.

"What’s wrong?"

"Sol is missing."

Her expression changed.

"When did you last see him?"

"Last night."

They began searching the nearby cabins and treehouses. Rose checked the storehouse. Susan looked around the cooking shelter. Serena searched the western path, while Natalie and Emma checked the gardens.

Layla went toward the northern trail. Jude and Sophie searched the area near Sol’s cabin. The door was open. Inside, the little bed was untouched. The wooden bird was not there. Jude looked toward the window. It was open. A cold feeling settled in his stomach.

"Do you think he went outside?"

Sophie nodded.

"Perhaps he wanted to explore."

"Without telling anyone?"

They stepped out and examined the ground.

There were no footprints near the cabin.

Jude frowned.

Then he noticed something on the wooden doorstep.

A small piece of paper.

He picked it up.

It had been folded twice.

He opened it.

There was only one sentence written on it.

The mountain is calling me.

Jude stared at the words.

Sophie read them over his shoulder.

"That’s Sol’s handwriting?"

"I don’t know."

They hurried toward the northern path.

The others were already gathering near the edge of the forest when Jude arrived.

Layla held her journal.

"I found something."

She showed him a series of small marks on the ground. They were faint, almost invisible beneath the fallen leaves, but they appeared to lead toward the mountain.

"Footprints?" Jude asked.

Layla shook her head.

"Not exactly. The ground is disturbed, but I can’t tell what made them."

Serena pointed toward the trail.

"They lead toward the cave."

Jude looked at the others.

"Stay together. We don’t know what’s happening."

They followed the marks.

The forest seemed unusually quiet.

No birds called from the branches. No small animals moved through the undergrowth. Even the wind seemed to have stopped.

As they approached the rocky clearing, the air grew colder.

The cave entrance was visible between the hanging vines.

Jude stopped.

The vines had been pushed aside.

Someone had entered.

"Sol," Sophie whispered.

Jude hurried forward.

Inside, the cave was dark.

They lit their torches and moved into the passage. The familiar carvings on the walls seemed darker than before, and the air carried a faint smell of wet stone.

They reached the chamber.

The circular depression in the stone platform was glowing.

A pale light pulsed from its centre.

Jude looked around.

"Sol?"

A small voice answered from somewhere deeper inside.

"Jude?"

He turned.

"Sol!"

The voice came again.

This time, it sounded frightened.

"I’m here!"

Jude rushed toward the far wall.

There, behind the stone platform, a narrow passage had opened.

It had not been there the previous day.

The opening descended steeply into darkness.

Sophie grabbed Jude’s arm.

"Wait. We don’t know where that leads."

"Sol is down there."

"We need to be careful."

A faint cry came from below.

"Jude!"

He looked at Sophie.

Then he took the torch and stepped into the passage.

The others followed.

The tunnel was narrow and uneven. Its walls were covered with strange markings, and the floor sloped downward. The deeper they went, the colder the air became.

After several minutes, they reached a wider chamber.

A deep circular hole occupied its centre.

It was almost perfectly round, with smooth stone walls descending into complete darkness. A narrow ledge ran around its edge, but there was no visible bottom.

Jude stepped closer.

"Sol?"

A small voice came from below.

"I’m here!"

Jude leaned over the edge.

"Where are you?"

"Down here!"

He held the torch outward, trying to illuminate the darkness.

For a brief moment, he saw something move far below.

Then a small hand appeared, gripping a narrow crack in the stone wall.

"Sol!"

The boy’s face emerged beneath it.

He was clinging to the wall, several metres below the ledge.

"Jude!"

"Don’t move! We’re coming!"

Jude looked around desperately.

A narrow rope lay near the wall, partly buried beneath loose stones.

He grabbed it.

"Serena, help me secure this!"

She hurried forward.

Sophie held the other end while Jude tied it around a thick stone pillar. He tested the knot and began lowering the rope.

"Sol! Can you reach it?"

The boy looked upward.

"I can’t!"

"Try to move closer!"

"I can’t!"

His hand slipped slightly.

Jude’s heart tightened.

"Hold on!"

The boy looked up.

"I can’t hold on anymore!"

A crack suddenly spread across the stone beneath his hand.

Jude leaned farther over the edge.

"Sol, listen to me! Look at me!"

The boy raised his head.

For a moment, their eyes met.

Then the stone broke away.

Sol fell.

His small figure disappeared into the darkness.

"SOL!"

Jude threw himself toward the edge, reaching desperately for the boy.

A faint scream echoed from far below.

Then came a tremendous crash.

The entire chamber shook.

Dust poured from the ceiling, and the torchlight flickered violently.

Sophie grabbed Jude’s shoulder and pulled him back as the ledge began to fracture.

"Jude! Get away from the edge!"

He struggled against her.

"Sol! SOL!"

There was no answer.

Only darkness.

Then, from somewhere deep beneath them, a small voice whispered:

"Jude..."

Everyone froze.

The voice came again.

But this time, it wasn’t frightened.

It sounded almost amused.

"Come down."

And beneath their feet, something enormous began to move.