They emerged into the Chamber of Bones transformed, both by their binding and by the weight of the vow they'd just made. The ancient space felt different now, less oppressive and more reverent, as though the carved memories in the walls recognized what Selena and Dante carried—not just their own rebellion, but the continuation of that ancient queen's flame, buried but never extinguished.
Dante's feet touched solid ground for the first time since the ash-court had manifested, and the moment he did, he felt it. The chains around his soul pulsed with sudden intensity, burning cold and bright as they sensed his presence in a realm more aligned with the cosmic order than the depths below. Here, where reality was more structured, more governed by the laws they'd been rebelling against, the chains had more purchase, more power.
And they were angry.
