Back in the Astral Plane, Darling's team pressed forward cautiously, the Convergence Nexus towering before them like an intricate puzzle carved by an unseen hand. Darling's scanner continued to flash erratically, signaling disturbances growing stronger as they approached.
"Movement," Ashton reported, her voice sharp as her weapon trained on a distant shadow. The figure was indistinct, flickering between visibility and invisibility. "Permission to engage?"
Darling held up a hand. "No. Hold position. Let it make the first move."
The shadow seemed to pulse, expanding and contracting in time with the vibrations beneath their feet. Darling stepped closer, his curiosity outweighing his caution. "It's not attacking. It's… observing."
"Observing us or studying us?" Alexander asked, her voice tense.
"Does it matter?" Underhill interjected, her grip tightening on her equipment. "We shouldn't linger."
As if in response, the shadow suddenly solidified, forming an angular, humanoid shape. Its "face," if it could be called that, was a void of shifting light. It raised an appendage-like limb, and the air around the team crackled with energy.
"Ready emergency extraction," Darling ordered, his voice calm despite the tension. "Alexander, what's the tether status?"
"Holding, for now," she replied, her hands flying over her console. "But it's… strained."
Before Darling could respond, the entity spoke—not in words, but in a resonant vibration that resonated in their suits and minds alike. It was not a sound they heard but one they felt.
"This is new," Ashton murmured, her grip on her weapon tightening.
The entity's vibration intensified, and the Convergence Nexus pulsed violently. Darling stared at it, realization dawning on his face. "It's trying to communicate. We need to—"
A shockwave erupted from the Nexus, throwing the team backward. Their tethers pulled taut, dragging them back from the edge of the newly-formed abyss. The last thing Darling saw before the Plane dissolved into chaos was the entity stepping into the Nexus, merging with its shifting geometry.