The shadowy<span style="font-style: italic">things</span>that had coiled themselves about the woman immediatley released her at the arrival of the unwanted intruder. They turned to face her and as waves of heat and life-force enery shot out toward the creatures they absorbed both energies as a black hole absorbs and destroys light. Krista could see that whatever these shadowy forms were they felt fundamentally<span style="font-style: italic">wrong</span>. Their bodies were a constantly shifting, only vaguely humanoid mass of anti-light. They started towards Krista and as they did so the woman, soaked in blood, rose herself to a standing position and spread out her arms.<br/><br/>The woman's body began to glow. Her skin took on a translucent quality as light-energy leaked out of her in multiple rays. Her features began to shift becoming indistinct. At first the energy pouring out of her seemed without purpose but then it concentrated itself into a single beam that launched itself at the two creatures. They had almost reached Krista when the beam hit them full-force. The light-energy engulfed them and they writhed and strugged inside it, before collapsing into a single point of darkness that blinked out of existance.<br/><br/>The woman collapsed. Her clothing had been seared from her. Her flesh was twisted and raw. Her hair had gone and her facial feautures seemed like badly moulded clay. She spoke and her voice was a painful croak.<br/><br/>"Cloister bell woke me..." She crawled slowly toward Krista. "Had to stop them... all my regeneration energy used up... out of time. Have to get to him.... Undo the effects of the chamelion arch." She outstretched her hand, an Envelope fell onto the ground in front of Krista. "The city. Find Him. Give him the key. Open the watch. He needs to be himself again. They... are... coming..."<br/><br/>She twitched twice and then lay still, her breathing ceased.