Raphael didn't rush back.
He already knew where the real target was, and at Blood Frenzy speed, he could cover the distance in seconds. This was more interesting.
He watched the stalker's straw body contract like a sponge losing water, shrinking steadily until what remained on the rooftop was a palm-sized figure, its surface stained dark with blood. He reached for it.
Purple flame caught it before his fingers arrived. It burned fast, collapsed to black ash, and scattered on the wind.
"Single use. Disappointing."
He recognized the object. Even with a third of his memory gone, a significant portion of what remained concerned witches and their associated materials.
This was a proxy doll, straw was common, cloth and wood also appeared, which allowed the user to project themselves into the doll and act through it remotely, provided the necessary ritual conditions were met.
The intelligence was typically low and the movement stilted, which matched what he'd been chasing.
