Mellisa wakes up from a dream. Its one she's been having for some time. She's walking to the club, past the girl with the shaved head giving out fliers. A man stops at a door, then turns and walks down the street. In the dream she remembers him walking into the doorway instead. It never really makes sense when she is awake but in her dreams she is convinced he did something to change what happened. Somehow he walked into the building then decided that he actually walked down the street.
As Mellisa walks to work, past the girl passing fliers at the corner, a bum sitting on the corner calls out to her. “Seeker!”
The man is wearing a coat with a hood that obscures his features completely. “You must stop the Demon El. Seek the lore of the Clockwork Sage.”
She tries to avoid him walking down the street. He continues to shout out to her, “The gunman will help you! Protect the shadow child from the El's master! Flee the hounds of the El!!”
With that he suddenly stops. When she turns around there is only a shapeless pile of clothing. No one else seems to have noticed anything strange.
She continues on to the nightclub. As she's on stage, she notices invisible figures noticeable only by their coats and hats coming in. No one notice them but they seem to be focused on her. Eventually after the show they come for her, forcing her to flee into the night.
Eventually she reaches the elevated train and sees a great worm of steel and light rattling overhead, growling in its rages. It shakes against the rails that bind it. As it screams past, she sees lines of light are chained to the rails, caging the EL into the loop. Strands of light lead on further into the city.
The invisible things catch up to her but angels of fire fly down to drive them off. Continuing to follow the strand of light she finds her way into a clockmaker's shop. Inside an angel of clockwork works on a mysterious device. He regards her and directs her to a scroll. A gold pen lies next to it. The scroll is covered in lists of names. She adds her name to the list.
She finds herself in a clock shop being handed a cuckoo clock by an old man. Taking it home, she struggles to explain the events to her boss, child and most of all herself. In the days that follow she finds herself seeing things. Lines of energy in the air and along rail lines. Auras around people and objects. And sparkles in her own aura. Eventually she notices a well dressed Hispanic man with those same sparkles watching her from the street. He introduces himself as Red Knight and gently invites her to learn more about her abilities.
The next few months are filled with training and explanation. Now using the name Valkyrie, she is tested and then trained in martial arts, magic and strategy. She joins another new recruit Colt. Though they become friends, Colt leaves for the Silver Ladder. After training she is sent to aid the Exile, Cicero, in his work. She helps guard his sanctum and his personal projects. She also learns the art of Geomancy from him.