The stark, shifting expanse of the Astral Plane stretched endlessly in all directions. Geometric structures floated in midair, their impossible angles casting deep, unsettling shadows. The ever-present white void pulsed with a rhythm neither Trench nor Darling could fully comprehend.
Darling adjusted his glasses, scanning the horizon. "This place is… unstable. Moreso than in our previous investigations"
Trench holstered his Service Weapon and stepped forward. "We don't have time to gawk, Darling. She's out here somewhere."
A ripple of energy surged through the air, causing the very ground beneath them to tremble. Distantly, they could hear Emily's voice—fragmented, distorted, as though it were being filtered through layers of reality.
"Help… something's… wrong."
Darling exchanged a glance with Trench. "She shouldn't be here. And whatever pulled her in is keeping her from leaving."
Trench exhaled sharply, eyes scanning their surroundings. The Astral Plane was unpredictable, and without proper training, even a parautilitarian like Emily could be in grave danger. "Then we get her out. Fast."
They moved quickly, traversing floating platforms and avoiding the jagged voids in space where reality itself seemed to fray. The air crackled with unseen forces, whispering thoughts that didn't belong to them.
As they approached a jagged, monolithic structure, the whispering grew louder. Darling winced, clutching his head. "It's… resonating at a different frequency than usual. This isn't normal."
Trench remained focused, pressing forward. As they rounded the corner of a floating platform, they finally saw her.
Emily hovered a few feet above the ground, surrounded by a shimmering field of blue light. Her body was rigid, eyes glowing with an unnatural luminescence. Strange symbols flickered around her in rapid succession, ancient glyphs neither of them recognized.
Darling hesitated. "This is bad."
Trench stepped closer, his voice firm but steady. "Emily. Can you hear me?"
Emily's head snapped toward them, but it wasn't entirely her. The glow in her eyes intensified, and when she spoke, her voice carried an echo, layered with something… other.
"You shouldn't be here."
The air around them shuddered, and then the ground cracked beneath their feet.
Trench instinctively reached for his weapon. "Darling, get ready. We're not alone."