The four women blinked.
Then, as if struck by the same thought at once, their expressions changed.
In the next instant, their bodies dissolved.
Stone stilled. Flame folded. Currents unraveled. Water dispersed.
They returned to their elemental states almost reflexively.
Their storage rings had been left on the stone edge beforehand. Anything carrying energy would not have survived the Abyss, and so now, they had no immediate way to retrieve clothing.
For a brief moment, only the quiet presence of their elements remained.
Then Marina's voice flowed out.
"My Prince," she said gently, "it would be best… if you looked elsewhere first."
Lucien blinked.
Then the realization arrived.
"Oh."
The smile on his face vanished immediately.
For the first time since entering the Abyss—
Lucien looked slightly embarrassed.
The Abyss behind him remained still.
The four newly ascended Celestials were not.
...
To their credit—
