The floor of the Chamber of Bones gave way beneath them without warning, the ancient stone crumbling like sand as the marrow depths exacted one final revenge for Selena's defiance. There was no time to spread wings, no time to summon grace or transformed essence—only the sudden, stomach-lurching sensation of falling as the world dropped away beneath their feet.
They plunged through darkness for what felt like hours compressed into seconds, still clinging to each other, Dante's arms wrapped protectively around Selena even as she tried to shield him with her singed wings. The air rushing past them grew warmer, then hot, then humid with moisture that tasted of minerals and ancient things dissolved in suspension. And then, with a impact that drove all the air from their lungs, they hit the surface.
Except it wasn't water.
