Everything happened in slow motion. Aurelia could see the blazing white streak of the meteoric arrow crossing the ruined interior office space of the Order of Hermes' sanctum. It passed the stout and heavily armored yordle, the all-too-pale figure of Serrah Delany. She saw it graze the angelic wings of Alan van Allen. She tried to move, to escape what was coming, but her limbs didn't want to move fast enough. For the first time her super heavy armor weighed upon her. The bolt hit, shattering pieces of the orichalcyon plate, driving shards into her chest as it lifted her off her feet. Feeling weightless, Aurelia was carried backwards into the makeshift metal barrier she had erected across the prison vault door. The wind was knocked out of her as she smashed into it, the shining crystal sword knocked from her hand and the golden helm thrown from her head. Darkness enveloped her.

    "Hey sis. You gotta get up." Aurelia awoke to a gray hazy space, filled with the shadows of the world around her. To the face of her sister Sylvia, framed as it was with the thick raven locks she had in life. Sylvia had been what Aurelia wasn't; beautiful, tall, popular.
    To Aurelia's right stood her mother, from whom she inherited her own platinum blonde hair; Astrid, too, was a tall and statuesque woman. Astrid reached down with her hand to take Aurelia's. "It's not yet time for you, my wee bairn." The familiar Scottish accent brought tears to Aurelia as she was helped to her feet.
    Then she saw that her father Cooper was there too, with his chiseled face that had been softened around the edges by middle age and dark hair with flecks of gray. He put his hands on Aurelia's shoulders and smiled. "We're proud of you, Aura. But-"
    Aurelia started crying as she hugged all three of the ghosts. She felt her mother's hand stroke her short hair. "We have to go, sis." She heard her elder sister say.
    Then Cooper- "But we'll be watching you grow up."
    "Our hearts bursting with pride at the fine woman you're becoming." came her mother's voice.
    A voice intruded in the deathly space, speaking forcefully and without ambiguity. She had heard it once before, two years ago. "I am your sword. When cast in the name of truth and justice, you are not guilty."

    Aurelia opened her eyes suddenly, finding the lunargent arrow clutched in her hand as though she had yanked it from her chest, taking a deep gasping breath.