Sera heard Micheal go and didn't look because looking meant taking her eyes off the gap and taking her eyes off the gap was not something she was going to do.
The third Aberrant came through while Michael was in the courtyard.
It approached low, beneath the usual approach height, which was unusual since the first two came in upright.
This one gauged the gap during its approach and entered in a crouch, staying below her axe line.
She noticed it too late, later than she should have, because the low entry angle caught her off guard, making her defensive stance at the wrong height.
It hit her shoulder.
It wasn't the blade but the body weight of the moving object that struck her on the left shoulder as it sped through the gap, causing her to spin sideways.
She went with the spin because it was faster than resisting, and she emerged from the rotation with the axe already repositioned.
Meanwhile, the Aberrant had lost contact and was past her, forcing it to turn back.
