Deep within the shadowy recesses of the unclaimed lands, the demons huddled in their usual state of gloom. The cavern, their favorite hangout, pulsed faintly with the dim, moody light that matched their personalities perfectly. But today, something was different. A sound—a terrible sound—had been echoing from the distant lands.

  Laughter.

  The demons squirmed, claws scratching against stone as the echoes grew louder. A particularly spiky demon named Grar slammed his fist on a jagged boulder. “What is that?” he snarled, his voice like a rockslide.

  Velkor, the self-appointed brains of the operation, crossed his gangly arms, his jagged jaw twitching. “That’s joy,” he said, spitting the word like it burned. “The humans are doing it again—laughing. It’s messing up everything!”

  Another demon, thin as a shadow and just as jittery, raised a trembling claw. “Uh… what if we laughed too? I mean, if it’s making them so strong, maybe it could, uh, work for us?”

  The room fell silent. Then Grar burst out laughing—a deep, guttural noise that sounded more like a gargling volcano. “Us? Laugh? That’s ridiculous!”

  But Velkor, ever the opportunist, rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “No… no, wait. This might actually work. If joy gives them strength, why shouldn’t it work for us? We’ll be unstoppable!”

  Grar frowned. “But… we’re demons. We don’t do ‘happy.’”

  Velkor’s lips curled into a sinister grin. “Then we’ll fake it now laugh! We’re masters of deception, aren’t we? How hard can it be to laugh?”

  The demons exchanged skeptical looks but grudgingly agreed. After all, if it meant gaining power, they were willing to try anything.

  “All right, everyone!” Velkor barked, climbing onto a jagged rock to address the group. “Let’s start small. A chuckle, maybe a snicker. Something joy-adjacent. Grar, you go first.”

  Grar scowled, his massive shoulders slumping. “Fine.” He sucked in a breath and let out a noise that sounded like a boulder being dragged across a chalkboard.

  Velkor winced. “Uh… not quite. Try again, but, you know, less ‘terrifying death’ and more… ‘funny death.’”

  Grar tried again. This time it sounded like a rusty door hinge.

  “Better,” Velkor said, though his eye twitched. “Next! You there—shadowy one. Show us your best laugh!”

  The thin demon stepped forward, wringing his claws nervously. “Okay, uh… here goes…” He opened his mouth, and the sound that emerged was somewhere between a hiccup and a shriek. The others recoiled.

  “Stop, stop, STOP!” Velkor groaned, pressing his claws to his temples. “This is a disaster!”

  “Maybe we’re overthinking it,” Grar grumbled. “Why don’t we just copy what the humans are doing?”

  Velkor’s eyes lit up. “Brilliant! What do they laugh about? Someone tell a joke!”

  The room went silent again. Then one demon cleared his throat. “Uh… why don’t skeletons fight each other?”

  The demons leaned in, intrigued.

  “Because… they don’t have the guts!”

  There was a beat of silence. Then Grar let out a laugh that sounded like a rockslide, shadowy one wheezed like a deflating balloon, and Velkor snorted so hard he nearly fell off his rock. For a moment, it seemed to be working. The dim light in the cavern flickered brighter.

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  But then something strange happened. The laughter began to sour. The flickering light dimmed even further, and the air grew heavier.

  Velkor frowned, his grin faltering. “Wait… why does this feel wrong?”

  Grar scratched his head. “Maybe because we don’t actually think it’s funny?”

  Velkor growled, pacing. “No, no, no! It has to work. We’re laughing, aren’t we? Isn’t that the whole point?”

  Another demon raised a tentative claw. “Uh… I think their joy comes from… you know… that Father guy?”

  The room fell into stunned silence. Velkor’s eyes narrowed into slits. “Blasphemy! We don’t need Him to feel joy! We’ll… we’ll create our own joy! A better joy! Demon joy!”

  The demons all nodded enthusiastically, though none of them had any idea what “demon joy” might look like.

  “Fine,” Velkor declared. “We’ll just keep laughing until it works!”

  And so they tried. Forced chuckles, exaggerated guffaws, and poorly delivered jokes filled the cavern. But the harder they tried, the worse it got. Their laughter twisted into something unnatural, echoing back at them like a taunt. Instead of gaining strength, they felt drained, like the light they sought to imitate was mocking them.

  Velkor slumped onto his jagged throne, exhausted. “This is useless,” he muttered. “Joy doesn’t belong to us.”

  Grar leaned against the wall, sighing. “So, what now?”

  Velkor’s eyes burned with frustration. “If we can’t steal their joy, we’ll destroy it. Let them laugh. We’ll find a way to turn it into their greatest sorrow.”

  The demons muttered in agreement, their cockiness returning as they plotted new schemes. But deep down, a flicker of doubt remained. They could fake laughter, twist it, and mock it, but they could never truly understand it.

  Far above, the woriors’ laughter rang out again, pure and unyielding, a melody that no shadow could touch.

  “I’m telling you,” Shep said, gesturing dramatically, “if Starlight prances any harder, she’s going to start a unicorn dance-off.”

  Kaiah smirked, patting Starlight’s neck. “You’re just jealous because Brontes moves like a rock with legs.”

  “Hey, rocks are reliable!” Shep shot back.

  Before Kaiah could respond, an unnatural sound cut through the air. It was laughter, but twisted—jarring and wrong. The group halted, their animals shifting uneasily. From the shadows ahead, a group of demons emerged, their grotesque forms contorted into mock grins.

  Velkor stepped forward, spreading his arms theatrically. “Ah, travelers! Welcome to our domain of joy!” His forced laughter rang out, echoed by the others in a cacophony of hollow cackles.

  Shep tilted his head, frowning. “What… is that?”

  “Looks like they’re trying to laugh,” Kaiah said, barely containing her grin.

  Eli raised an eyebrow. “Are they… attacking us with laughter?”

  Velkor grinned wider, his jagged teeth gleaming. “Yes! Behold the power of our mockery! We have studied the art of joy, and I have prepared a most devastating weapon. Observe!” He cleared his throat dramatically. “Why don’t skeletons fight each other?”

  The group blinked. Adam tilted his head curiously, his grip tightening on his staff. “Why?” he asked calmly.

  Velkor’s grin stretched wider. “Because… they don’t have the guts!” He threw his head back in a cackle so theatrical it bordered on ridiculous.

  Kaiah’s jaw dropped in disbelief. “Is he… trying to tell jokes?”

  Shep snorted, barely containing his laughter. “I think so! And, honestly? It’s kind of impressive how bad it is.”

  Adam, ever composed, chuckled softly. “Velkor, do you think joy can be conjured through mockery and forced humor?”

  Velkor’s grin faltered slightly. “Well… it worked on my minions.” He gestured to the other demons, who were desperately trying to stifle coughs that vaguely resembled laughter. “And it will work on you, too!”

  Adam stepped forward, his expression calm but full of warmth. “You misunderstand. Joy is not a tool to manipulate—it’s a gift. It comes from love, from the Father. You can’t create it with hollow jokes or mockery.”

  Velkor hissed, his pride stung. “We’ll see about that! Minions, laugh harder!”

  The demons broke into another round of wheezing and cackling, their grotesque attempts only adding to the absurdity of the scene. Shep leaned over to Kaiah, grinning. “You know, this might actually be the funniest thing they’ve done.”

  Kaiah rolled her eyes, but a smile tugged at her lips. “I almost feel bad for them. Almost.”

  Adam raised his staff, light bursting forth to surround the group. Their genuine laughter rang out—pure, unrestrained, and powerful. The birds above joined in song, and the vivid colors around them pulsed brighter, as if creation itself responded to their joy.

  Velkor stumbled back, his grin twisting into a grimace. “Stop it! It burns!” he screeched, his earlier bravado crumbling.

  Shep couldn’t resist. “Hey, Velkor, here’s a better one for you: what do you call a demon who can’t laugh properly? A grin reaper!”

  Kaiah groaned, but her laughter betrayed her amusement. Velkor, meanwhile, covered his ears, screeching, “Retreat! RETREAT!”

  The demons fled, their shadows shrinking as they disappeared into the distance. The group’s laughter continued to echo long after the last demon vanished.

  Kaiah shook her head, still chuckling. “That has to be the most ridiculous attack we’ve ever faced.”

  Adam smiled, his gaze on the radiant horizon. “Let it remind us: joy is not a weapon—it’s a gift of the Father. And no shadow can stand against it.”