The vibrations in the Research Sector were subtle at first, but as the seconds passed, they grew into a dissonant hum that seemed to pulse through the very walls of the Oldest House. Technicians scrambled to silence the alarms blaring across the control panels. Dr. Darling stormed into the lab, his coat flaring behind him, his face a mask of controlled panic.

"Report," he barked, his voice cutting through the chaos.

A junior technician turned, her fingers trembling as they hovered over the console. "Dr. Darling, the Astral Plane… it's destabilizing. We're registering anomalies across all monitored sectors."

Darling's eyes darted to the central screen, where a live feed of the Plane displayed a maelstrom of black and white. Jagged structures twisted unnaturally, forming and collapsing in an endless loop. In the center of the disturbance, the entity—the one they had encountered during the first expedition—hovered like a dark star, its tendrils lashing out as if trying to pierce the Plane's fabric.

"It's growing stronger," Darling murmured, his mind racing. "Where's Director Trench?"

"He's on his way," the technician replied.

No sooner had the words left her lips than the door to the lab slammed open. Trench strode in, his face set in grim determination.

"Darling," he began without preamble, "explain."

"The entity is destabilizing the Plane," Darling replied, pointing at the display. "It's interacting with the Plane's fundamental structure in ways we didn't anticipate. If this continues, the effects could bleed into our reality."

Trench's eyes narrowed. "What kind of effects?"

Darling hesitated, but the Director's glare pushed him to answer. "Spatial anomalies, time dilation, potentially even… complete dimensional collapse."

The weight of the words hung in the air like a thundercloud. Trench turned his gaze back to the screen, his jaw tightening. "Options?"

"We need to re-enter the Plane," Darling said, his voice steady despite the enormity of his proposal. "We need to establish a containment field around the entity before its influence spreads further. But the risk…"

"No choice," Trench interrupted. "If this thing breaks through to our side, the consequences are unacceptable. Assemble your team. Prepare for immediate deployment."

Darling nodded, already turning toward the preparations. But as he moved, Trench grabbed his arm. The Director's eyes burned with an intensity that stopped Darling in his tracks.

"You're certain this can be contained?" Trench demanded.

Darling hesitated, then gave a single, resolute nod. "It has to be."

Trench released his grip, his gaze shifting back to the screen. The Astral Plane's chaos seemed almost alive, its tendrils of madness reaching closer, both to the Oldest House and to the Board's ominous triangular form, with every passing second.

"Then make it happen," Trench said, his voice low and commanding. "Before it's too late."

In the staging area, Darling's team assembled with mechanical efficiency. The tension in the air was palpable, but the Bureau's operatives were nothing if not professionals. Rangers checked their weapons and tether systems, while technicians ran final diagnostics on the reinforced Astral Suits.

"Listen up," Darling called, addressing the team. "This mission is unlike anything we've faced before. The entity we're dealing with is not bound by our understanding of physics or logic. Stay close to your anchors, and remember: the Plane is as dangerous as the entity itself. Trust your instincts, and trust your gear."

Agent Ashton, standing at the front of the group, gave a curt nod. "We've got your back, Doc. Let's make this count."

Darling offered a faint smile, the words a small but vital reassurance.

The gateway to the Astral Plane activated with a hum that resonated deep within their bones. The light intensified, flooding the room as the team stepped forward. The last thing they saw before the transition was Director Trench, standing in the shadows, his expression unreadable.

As the team disappeared into the Plane, Trench lit another cigarette, the smoke curling upward like a question mark in the dim light.

"Don't let me down, Darling," he murmured to the empty room. "Don't let any of us down."