The invasion began on a Tuesday.
I was at The Crossing when the first rift opened—a tear in reality above Jackson Square, spilling creatures that had no business existing in our world. They were smaller than Void Stalkers, faster, more numerous. Swarmers, I called them, because they moved like locusts.
[ALERT: DIMENSIONAL BREACH — MULTIPLE]
[Location: Jackson Square, Lafayette Cemetery, St. Louis Cathedral]
[Creature type: Swarmers (class 3)]
[Threat level: MODERATE (individually), HIGH (collectively)]
[Recommendation: Deploy all available forces]
I was out the door before the System finished speaking.
The Quarter was chaos. Tourists screamed, running in every direction. Supernaturals fought in the streets—vampires tearing through swarmers, wolves ripping them apart, witches casting barriers to contain the breaches.
I found Klaus at the center of it, his hybrid features fully manifested, blood soaking his clothes.
"They just appeared," he said, not slowing his assault. "No warning. No pattern."
"They're testing us. Probing for weaknesses." I joined the fight, my Stage 4 power making short work of the creatures. "This isn't the main invasion. It's reconnaissance."
"Then we need to show them we're not weak."
We fought for three hours, pushing the swarmers back, sealing the rifts one by one. By the time the last creature dissolved, the Quarter was scarred but standing.
[CASUALTY REPORT]
— Vampires: 12 dead, 28 wounded
— Wolves: 5 dead, 15 wounded
— Witches: 3 dead, 9 wounded
— Humans: 47 dead (collateral)
— Swarmers eliminated: 300+
[Defensive assessment: SUCCESSFUL, but costly]
[Next wave: PREDICTED within 72 hours]
I stood in Jackson Square, surrounded by rubble and blood, and felt the weight of what was coming.
This was just the beginning.
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