Several hours later…
"…Is it really here?" Gloria asked, her golden eyes narrowing as she looked down at the pond, quiet, still, and far too ordinary to hide anything special.
"Yeah," Gray replied, folding his arms.
"We have to dive into it."
"Alright then."
Without hesitation, Gloria began unbuttoning her uniform jacket, setting it aside piece by piece until she was left wearing only a black bra and matching panties.
Her movements were calm and unbothered, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.
Gray blinked, briefly frozen by her casualness. He exhaled through his nose and said nothing, removing his shirt and shoes, keeping only his shorts.
"I'll follow your lead," Gloria said, glancing at him.
Gray gave a light nod, turned toward the pond, and dived in with a clean motion.
Splash!
The cold water swallowed him whole.
He kicked downward, scanning the dim blue depths before glancing back.
