After some moments of waiting, the lights in the nine orbs slowly dimmed and finally flickered, before dying out.
"Looks like the absorption process is over," Elish said aloud.
It was finally the moment of truth.
"What will it be, Astra?"
Elish waited for a few more moments until the cocoon of darkness stopped its pulsing and beating. The steady humming and glow of purple light around it ceased, and the cocoon stopped moving entirely. This meant that it had transferred all of the essence to Astra. The entire absorption process was over. Elish had to do this anyway. The sooner, the better.
"Pandora," he muttered, raising his hands in the direction of the cocoon.
"Return," he commanded, taking away the cocoon from Astra, who was within it.
The solidified purple womb immediately returned to its original gooey form and went back to the ring it came from, entering through a purple gate generated by Root.
