Helena barely had time to react.

  A sudden crackling shock surged through her body.

  Her entire form jerked violently, muscles locking up as an intense electrical jolt ran through her.

  Her knees buckled, and she colpsed onto the mall floor, her newly made skirt fluttering as she hit the ground.

  Her fingers twitched, but she couldn’t lift them. her body refusing to respond.

  "What the hell do you think you’re doing, kid?"

  A guard stood over her, gripping a high-powered stun baton, its tip still sparking. He had a strong stance, his uniform slightly tattered from the chaos she had caused. His expression was a mix of frustration and adrenaline, like he had just taken down some wild animal.

  Helena gritted her teeth.

  She wanted to swear, to snap her fingers and turn him into a sponge or a cushion. anything. but her magic felt scattered.

  The guard pressed a radio to his mouth.

  "We got her," he said. "The kid’s down. What’s the pn?"

  A static-filled response crackled through.

  "Hold her there. We're on her way."

  That old bitch.

  Of course Madison would pull something like this.

  Helena growled internally, her eyes darting around, looking for a way out.

  Some time ter.

  Heavy footsteps approached. Multiple people. Not just Madison.

  Helena couldn’t move, but she could still see.

  A group of official-looking figures in bck suits and tactical gear surrounded her, their expressions tense.

  And then, Madison arrived with them.

  Her heels clicked against the floor as she stepped, fat arms crossed, her sharp blue eyes locked onto Helena with hate.

  "This is the girl" Madison said. She gestured toward Helena's body. "She’s the one responsible for all of this in the city. The transformations. Everything."

  One of the suited men frowned. "She doesn’t look like much."

  Helena wanted to bite back, but her muscles were still too bad to move.

  Madison scoffed. "Doesn't matter. She's dangerous. And y'all see what she did, don't you?"

  She crouched slightly, lowering herself to Helena’s level.

  "I tried reasoning with her. Tried to understand her motivations. But guess what? That didn’t work. Because she don't got any motivation."

  She grabbed Helena’s hair, forcing her to look directly into her face.

  "This brat doesn’t deserve to live."

  Helena gred, fury burning in her eyes.

  The suited figures exchanged gnces. One of them, a woman with slicked-back hair, spoke. "We need confirmation before taking extreme measures. Are you absolutely sure she's the cause?"

  Madison smiled darkly. "Oh, I’m sure. She’s been twisting people’s bodies like they’re her personal toys. Look around. The princesses, mermaids, cow women, all her doing. She thinks it’s funny."

  The woman in the suit sighed. "Then we’ll have to—"

  Lightning fshed through the mall’s ceiling.

  The sudden crack of energy sent a ripple through the air. The lights above flickered wildly.

  The agents tensed, hands hovering over weapons. Madison stiffened, eyes narrowing as she looked around.

  Helena, still unable to move, felt the shift. Magic. But not hers.

  Something else was coming. Then BOOM!

  The ceiling exploded inward, gss and debris raining down. The shockwave sent even the suited agents stumbling. A powerful, otherworldly force surged into the space.

  And from the dust, a silhouette emerged.

  A woman or at least, something shaped like one.

  Her long coat billowed, and her piercing silver hair glowed under the light lights.

  The moment Madison saw her, her confident smirk vanished.

  " Ohh please.. You’ve got to be kidding me."

  The woman’s gaze locked onto Helena.

  "So," she said, her voice smooth. "This is the little troublemaker."

  Helena tried to move, but her limbs were still stiff from the electric shock. She could barely even speak.

  The woman stepped closer, looking unimpressed. "You’ve caused quite the mess, haven’t you?"

  One of the agents recovered, raising a weapon. "Identify yourself!"

  The woman didn’t even gnce at him.

  With a simple wave of her hand

  The man froze, his body stiffening unnaturally before his entire form dissolved into a pile of blood and viscera.

  The other agents stepped back in arm.

  Helena’s heart pounded. Who was this?!

  The woman finally turned back to Madison, tilting her head. "And you," she said. "Still pying with her, Madison? Your body looks really anwful. Ugh."

  Madison’s expression darkened. "How do you know my name?"