They turned back toward Ironhaven, the very place they had just fled. The city had been ravaged by the Calamity.

All that remained were shattered buildings and flames. The monster had devoured everything of worth and had grown as large as it could from this location. Now it was turning, its massive body shifting direction.

Maybe it would move south next. Or perhaps back toward Meridian. It could also head to other cities along the route, searching for more weapons, metal, and people to transform and incorporate.

Greg said, "It's moving on."

"Searching for the next target."

"How many cities are there between here and Meridian?" Elwen wanted to know.

"Seven big settlements," Tunner said softly. "Plus many smaller villages and outposts."

"If it hits them all like it did Ironhaven..." He didn't finish what he was saying.

They stood quietly and watched the Calamity walk away from the ruins of Ironhaven. The sun was starting to set, and the oranges and reds in the sky looked wrong after what they had seen.

Refugees kept coming over the mountain behind them. Each one had survived something that would haunt them for the rest of their lives.

Greg suddenly pulled out his communication crystal and said, "Marina."

"We need to get in touch with Marina. That thing is going south, and they're at Mistfall..."

He turned on the crystal and hoped it would work from this far away. Static crackled for a second, and then Marina's voice came through, worried but clear.

"Greg? Thank the gods that you're still alive. For the past hour, we've been trying to get in touch with you... again... I know... anyway! What's wrong?"

Greg said, "Ironhaven is gone," and it felt strange to say it. "The Calamity hit the city and completely destroyed it."

"We barely got away. Tunner is with us, but..." He looked at the Elite Knight, who was staring at the wall. "He's not doing well."

There was a pause on the other end. "What do you mean by gone...? Like the whole city was destroyed by it!?"

"Consumed," Greg said. "Every weapon, every piece of metal, and every person who worked with weapons."

"Everything mentioned contributed to its creation. It's bigger now, Marina. It's a lot bigger than before. And it's going south!"

"South... that means the thing is going for Mistfall," Marina said, her voice tight.

"We're here now, and I can't believe my eyes! The city is beautiful, and it was built around these giant waterfalls."

"We are meeting with Christoft tomorrow morning. But Greg, if that thing is coming this way..."

"Get out," Greg said right away. "Get out of Mistfall as soon as you can and find Christoft."

"Don't stay in the city. Don't wait for it to come. Just drive away with the carriage as fast as you can!"

Marina said, "We will."

"What about you now? Where are you headed?"

Greg looked at Lylia, Elwen, Hammy, and Tunner. They were a group of survivors from a destroyed city, bearing the weight of loss and failure.

He said, "We're going to keep going."

"Try to stay ahead of it. Give every settlement a warning. And in the end, we'll see you at Meridian."

"Assuming Meridian is still there when we get there."

"It will be," Marina said with fake confidence. "We'll make sure of it."

"Greg, be safe. I love you."

Greg said, "I love you too," and then he turned off the crystal.

The group was quiet again. The sun kept going down, and the shadows grew longer across the valley. The Calamity kept moving forward, an unstoppable force of destruction.

"What now?" Elwen asked in a low voice.

Greg didn't know what to say. They hadn't been able to stop the Calamity and couldn't save Ironhaven.

They also didn't stop hundreds, maybe thousands, of deaths. They could only keep going, keep warning people, and hope that somehow, somewhere, they would find a way to stop this monster before it ate everything.

But standing there on that mountain ridge, watching the last light fade from the sky and refugees cry for their lost homes, hope felt like a distant memory.

Tunner then said. "We need to alert Christoft ourselves..."

"Follow me, I know a passage that can lead us to Mistfall fast."

...

Three hundred miles to the west, the Eternal Engine carriage came to a stop at the gates of Mistfall. Marina was the first to get out and stretch after the long trip.

The city in front of them was exactly what Lylia had said it would be and more. Mistfall, which was built on several levels around a series of giant waterfalls, looked like it was glowing in the afternoon sun.

The city got its name from the constant mist that formed as water poured down in giant torrents. The sound of rushing water was calming, and rainbows danced in the spray.

"Beautiful," Seraphine said as she stepped outside the carriage to join Marina. "Almost peaceful enough to forget why we're here."

"Almost," Marina said, but her hand went to the communication crystal on her belt without her thinking about it.

Greg's last message was short and said they had arrived in Ironhaven and were meeting with Tunner. It had been hours since then, and she hadn't heard anything.

Bork drove the carriage to the right place for travelers and started to secure it. Felix came out next, and then Donetta, both of whom looked excited even though their mission was very serious.

"Holy moly! I felt like this is the real isekai place I've dreamed about!" Felix said. "City of water and secrets! I bet there are side quests all over the place!"

Mira appeared next to Marina and said, "This isn't a game." The spirit had been quiet on the way there, maybe because it could feel the group's stress.

"I know," Felix said, his excitement fading a little. "But we still have to find this Christoft guy and get him to help us, right?"

"We might as well enjoy where we are while we do it."

Marina had to agree with him. The city was beautiful, even though the Calamity cast a shadow over everything.

People walked around the streets without a care in the world, vendors shouted out their goods, and kids played in the mist near the lower falls. It was hard to believe that something as terrible as the Calamity could happen when everything was so calm.

"Based on what Lylia told us," Seraphine said as she looked at a small notebook, "Christoft Malcroft lives near the upper falls. There is an Elite Knight station there, just like the one Greg's group would have found in Ironhaven."

Marina made up her mind. "That's where we go."

"Stay together, everyone. We tell him what's going on, show him the proof we have, and get him to agree to come back to Meridian with us."

"Easy, right?"

Bork said, "This isn't easy at all," but he fell in line with the others.

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