Inversion

The Medals Ceremony of the Elemental and Energetic Games is scheduled to start at 7PM. The stadium is the fullest it has been throughout the entire Games. Lasko and Milo begin the process of escorting the medals toward the stadium. Ahead of them, Asher and David guard the MVPs that will be presenting the medals. Gavin and "Freelancer" wait in the crowd at the stadium to watch Huxley and Damien receive their medals. Hudson begins announcing the closing ceremony at David's signal. In their viewing box, Vincent and Sam suddenly start to hear the rhythmic drumming that Brachium had heard earlier, but they don't know the source. In Death, Brachium's greatest fears are realized as the drumming reaches a fever pitch and a force deep in the river speaks, telling him that death has arrived. In the living world, an aperture tears open in the sky above the stadium. Shades, malevolent beings from the realm of death that drain humans of their lifeforce, begin pouring into the stadium through the portal. Chaos erupts. Gavin attempts to get the "Freelancer" to safety. Outside the stadium, Milo, David, Asher, and Lasko watch in horror, unsure of what's happening. David rushes to the control booth to find out what's happening. The people in the stadium attempt to escape onto the grounds as the shades begin their overwhelming assault on the helpless crowd. Some kind of interference disables long range communication and electronic signals in the Shades' proximity. At David's order, Milo escorts the MVPs to the safety of their van while Asher meets his Alpha in the control booth. David, Asher, and Hudson observe that the attacking force are Shades and try to make a plan before it's too late. Hudson suggests sealing the Ward, which might be able to hold them in place so they can't escape and ravage all of Dahlia and beyond. David is faced with the impossible decision to either reactivate the Ward and contain the outbreak but trap everyone in the stadium and surrounding grounds with them, or do nothing and allow the Shades to escape. He reactivates the Ward. As it prepares to seal, he rushes onto the grounds to defend anyone inside it that he can. Asher follows him in. Milo tries to follow them, but is seconds too late. The ward seals, trapping him outside and the others inside. Brachium realizes hopelessly that he was too late, and that the cause is lost. The river runs both ways tonight, with a floodtide of Shades pouring into the living world and the countless victims being taken by death.