In the aftermath of Dante's declaration, as his storm settled into a new equilibrium and Selena's flame burned steadily within him, something shifted in the void. The space between thrones, which had been their sanctuary and prison and home all at once, began to respond to what they had become—what he had become, what she had become within him, what they were together in this unprecedented synthesis.
Dante felt it first as a pulling sensation, not from outside but from within. It was Selena's essence stirring, not with distress but with purpose, with intention, with the same determination that had driven her to sing the first verse even knowing it would cost her individual existence. She was moving within him, not leaving but rather organizing herself, finding optimal positions, preparing for something he didn't yet understand.
And then he felt her begin to manifest.
