Cold wind swept across the Greyhaven square.
Four Laments stood at the edge of the fog.
Their bodies tall and thin like shadows forced into reality.
But now something changed.
The fire from the blacksmith's forge burned brighter.
The woman stood in front of the forge.
The large iron hammer was in her hand.
Its metal glowed red.
Like a heart beating within fire.
Rowan grinned small.
"Alright."
"I really like this person now."
The woman did not answer.
Her eyes only fixed on the creature before them.
She spoke softly.
"You don't look like something that can be forged."
Elias stood several steps behind her.
The small book was still open in his hands.
He could still feel something moving in the air.
The words he had read earlier had not truly disappeared.
As if the world itself was still listening to them.
The woman spoke again.
"My name is Mara."
Rowan answered quickly.
"Rowan."
He pointed behind him.
"The wandering preacher is Elias."
Mara turned slightly.
"Preacher?"
Elias shook his head slowly.
"Just a wanderer."
Mara smiled thinly.
"A wanderer who carries words that can ignite fire."
She looked back at the Lament.
"Good enough."
At that moment—
the first Lament moved.
The creature lunged out of the fog.
Its steps fast and unnatural.
Its long arms swept through the air.
But Mara did not retreat.
She stepped forward.
The large hammer in her hand moved.
Not fast.
Not dramatic.
But when that hammer fell—
fire from the forge leaped like a small dragon.
The metal hammer struck the ground.
And sparks of fire spread into the air.
But those sparks did not extinguish.
The fire remained alive in the air.
Small embers gathered.
Joined together.
And transformed into something like a chain of fire that shot toward the Lament.
Rowan fell silent.
"Alright…"
"That's interesting."
The chain of fire slammed into the Lament's body.
And for the first time—
the creature screamed.
Not a sound that could be heard with ears.
But everyone felt it in their chests.
Like an echo of sorrow that suddenly shattered.
The shadow body of the Lament burned.
The fire did not spread like ordinary fire.
It clung to the creature like something alive.
The Lament retreated several steps.
Fog around it swirled wildly.
Rowan stared with wide eyes.
"We really hurt it."
Elias looked at Mara.
He finally understood something.
The carpenter created.
The blacksmith forged.
Both were creators.
But in different ways.
And the Gospel answered the way they saw the world.
Mara spun her hammer in her hand.
The fire in the metal grew brighter.
"It doesn't like heat."
The other Laments began to move.
Three creatures emerged from the fog.
Now they surrounded the square.
Rowan raised his sword again.
"Yes."
"Of course it wouldn't be that easy."
The old carpenter stood near Elias.
He was still weak.
But his hammer began to glow again.
The small light reappeared.
Elias looked at them all.
The carpenter.
The blacksmith.
A cynical mercenary like Rowan.
And a small child who could feel hope.
Greyhaven turned out not to be completely dead.
There was still a small ember in this city.
And perhaps—
that was enough.
Mara raised her hammer once more.
Fire from the forge billowed high.
The metal hammer now burned like a small sun.
She said briefly.
"Alright."
"Now let's see if despair can be burned."
She ran toward the first Lament.
The hammer fell.
And when the fire-filled metal struck the shadow body—
great light exploded in the middle of the square.
Fog was torn apart.
Snow melted in the air.
And for the first time since the fog came—
Greyhaven saw light that fought darkness.
But when that light faded—
everyone realized something more terrifying.
Fog outside the city began to move.
Not just one direction.
But from all directions.
As if the entire world outside Greyhaven was awakening.
And something far greater than four Laments was watching them.