The first sign of the challenger came three days after Selena's resurrection—though time remained negotiable in the Ruined Realm, days measured more by the throne's pulsing heartbeat than by any celestial cycle. The revenants had settled into uneasy acceptance of their Broken Queen, had adjusted their worship to accommodate her weakness, had learned to serve authority that was powerful through damage rather than strength through wholeness.
But one revenant had not adjusted. Had not accepted. Had not bent to the naming that the others embraced.
