Void Zombie

Akata reproduce by implanting their parasitic larval offspring in humanoid hosts. These microscopic larvae cause an infection called void death, which functions as a disease. Those who perish from void death become void zombies. A void zombie looks like a walking rotting corpse, often with a bloated blue-gray “tongue”—the fanged tail of the parasitic larva inside—dangling from its broken skull where its lower jaw once was.
After a humanoid host dies from void death, the strongest of the akata larvae infesting the corpse worms its way to the host’s brain and undergoes a swift initial gestation within several hours. This accelerated growth causes the feeler-covered head of the oversized, tadpole-shaped parasite to latch onto the base of its victim’s brain and reenergize the dying organ, taking control and turning the host into a void zombie.
Akata larvae require a few weeks as a second gestation before undergoing the transformation into adult akatas. A void zombie bearing an akata larva ready to emerge seeks out a secluded area and vomits the akata’s offspring into a shallow hole or crevice. The void zombie then “dies,” toppling over the disgorged larva. A scant few hours later, a full-grown akata emerges, usually taking the rotting corpse of its former host as its first meal.