The violet mist moved like a restless sea. Thick. Lamia dissolved into it again and again, reappearing a few meters away, barely avoiding each attack.
But she didn't counterattack. She couldn't.
A heel sliced through the air where her neck had been.
Another strike.
A spinning kick. Precise and lethal.
The white dress—now unrecognizable—fluttered, stained with black marks, dried blood, and tears. Flames began to crawl across the fabric, slowly consuming it.
And even so, Layla's zombie kept advancing. Running after her. Chasing her.
"...Layla..."
Lamia's voice trembled.
She couldn't stop seeing her. Not as a monster—but as her daughter. Her little girl.
Then, an explosion. A fireball struck the zombie's body, pushing it back slightly.
Another. And another.
"Lamia!"
Abby's voice. Beside her, Sophie extended seals that glowed in the air.
"Snap out of it, please!"
The seals flew. They exploded against Layla's body. A curtain of fire formed around her—but it wasn't enough.
