The morning sun glinted off the blood-soaked sand, the sea''s rhythmic roar blending with Litty''s ragged breaths. Her gaze locked onto the five Dunemauls emerging from the waves, each towering over her with malice gleaming in their abyssal eyes. Their grotesque forms glistened with sea spray, muscles rippling beneath scarred, scaled skin.


    The air grew heavy with an oppressive bloodlust that hit her like a physical force, her chest tightening under its weight. The lead Dunemaul,rger and more menacing than the rest, stepped forward, its shark-like maw parting in a guttural roar that shook the ground beneath her feet. The others followed suit, their cries a cacophony of rage and vengeance.


    Litty forced herself to her feet, gripping her twin swords with renewed determination. Retreat was no longer an option; they would outrun her before she could even reach the cordoned-off ropes. Her aura red brightly, casting a vivid green glow across her weapons. She shifted into a defensive stance, her des angled and ready, her body trembling not with fear but anticipation.


    "For mother," she whispered again, her voice steely with resolve.


    The lead Dunemaul gestured with its massive w, and the four others surged forward like a tidal wave of fury. Sand sprayed in all directions as they charged, their massive forms a blur of ws, fins, and serrated teeth.


    Litty moved.


    She sidestepped the first Dunemaul''s swipe, her swords shing in an arc that cleaved deep into its side. The creature bellowed in pain, staggering back, but another lunged at her from the left. She ducked just in time, the ws narrowly missing her head. Spinning on her heel, she drove one de upward, piercing the beast''s arm, while the other sword struck its leg, forcing it to kneel.


    The third and fourth Dunemauls came at her simultaneously, one from behind and the other from the right. Litty''s instincts kicked in, her aura zing brighter as she twisted her body, parrying the attack from behind while shing across the fourth''s chest. Her movements were fluid, almost a dance, as she wove between the monstrous predators, her swords singing with each strike.


    For a fleeting moment, it seemed she could hold her own.


    But the Dunemauls were relentless, their attacks bing more coordinated, as though driven by a shared, malevolent mind. A heavy tail struck her side, sending her tumbling across the sand. She gasped, the wind knocked from her lungs, but there was no time to recover.


    ws raked across her arm, tearing through her leather sleeve and leaving bloody gashes. Another blow caught her leg, and she stumbled, barely blocking a strike aimed for her chest. Pain red in her ribs as one of the creatures mmed her into the ground, the force leaving her dazed.


    She gritted her teeth, swinging her swords wildly to keep the beasts at bay, but her strength waned with each passing second. Dozens of blows rained down on her, her aura flickering like a dying me.


    The lead Dunemaul watched from a distance, its cold, abyssal gaze unyielding. It snarled, stepping closer as if savoring the inevitable end.


    Litty''s vision blurred, her body trembling as exhaustion and pain threatened to im her. Her grip on her swords ckened, and she fell to one knee. The Dunemauls circled her like vultures, their guttural growls echoing her impending doom.


    Then, the world exploded.


    Blinding shes of light erupted in every direction, a kaleidoscope of colors that burned the eyes of the advancing Dunemauls. The creatures roared in confusion, staggering back as smoke and fire filled the air. Litty''s heart skipped a beat as she recognized the distinct alchemical smell.


    Through the haze, a figure descended from the sky, her silhouette outlined against the morning sun.


    Yue.


    Her mothernded gracefully on the bloodied sand, the flowing fabric of her cloak billowing in the sea breeze. Between her fingers, vials of vibrant elixirs glimmered like jewels, their contents swirling with vtile energy.


    "Touching my daughter," Yue said, her voice cold as steel, "was your final mistake."


    Her gaze swept over the Dunemauls with an intensity that froze them in ce. Then, she turned to Litty, her expression softening for a moment. Yue knelt, uncorking a vial of radiant green liquid and handing it to her daughter.


    "Drink this, Litty," she said firmly.


    Litty hesitated, her hands trembling, but Yue''s piercing gaze left no room for argument. She downed the elixir, warmth flooding her veins as her wounds knit themselves shut and her strength surged back tenfold. Her aura red to life once more, stronger and more vibrant than ever.


    Yue rose, her stance poised and elegant, vials ready in one hand while the other gripped a slender dagger etched with runes. "Now get up," shemanded. "We end this together."


    The Dunemauls roared, snapping out of their stupor. They charged, a wall of fury intent on obliterating the mother-daughter duo.


    But Yue was already moving. With a flick of her wrist, she hurled a vial at the lead Dunemaul. The ss shattered on impact, releasing a burst of fire that engulfed the creature, its screams echoing across the beach.


    Litty, her newfound strength coursing through her, leaped into action. Her des zed with green energy as she shed with the nearest Dunemaul. Each strike was precise, driven by an unyielding determination as she worked in tandem with her mother.


    Yue danced around the battlefield, her movements graceful yet deadly. Each vial she threw brought devastation—a cascade of ice immobilized one Dunemaul, while another was consumed by acid that ate through its scales.


    Together, they overwhelmed the remaining beasts, their attacks relentless and coordinated. Litty''s des tore through sinew and bone, while Yue''s alchemical concoctions wreaked havoc from a distance. One by one, the Dunemauls fell, their monstrous forms copsing into lifeless heaps on the blood-soaked sand.


    The final creature let out a strangled roar as Yue''s dagger found its throat, silencing it for good. The beach grew quiet, save for the crashing waves and Litty''s ragged breaths.


    Yue turned to her daughter, dropping thest empty vial as she rushed forward. She pulled Litty into a tight embrace, her voice trembling with emotion. "Never again, Litty. Never do something this reckless without me. We''re a team, always."


    Tears pricked at Litty''s eyes as she clung to her mother. "I''m sorry," she whispered. "I just… I wanted to help you, to be strong for you."


    Yue pulled back, cupping her daughter''s face. "You are strong, but never forget that you don''t have to face these battles alone."


    As the adrenaline faded, Litty''s gaze drifted across the beach. Her brows furrowed as she noticed something peculiar—a line of skulls partially buried in the sand, their hollow sockets staring nkly at the sea.


    "Mother," she said cautiously, pointing toward the grim sight. "Why are there skulls here? It looks like… some kind of ritual."


    Yue''s expression darkened, her sharp eyes narrowing as she studied the scene. "I don''t know," she admitted, her voice low and tense. "But we''ll find out."


    The uneasy silence that followed was broken only by the crash of waves and the distant cry of gulls. The two women stood side by side, their victory overshadowed by the unsettling mystery before them.


    What had truly drawn the Dunemauls here? And who—or what—was behind the macabre disy of skulls?


    The answers waited, hidden beneath the shifting sands of ckwater Beach.