The first sign that something had fundamentally changed came during breakfast.
I was sitting across from Dante at Victoria's kitchen table, trying to work my way through a stack of pancakes that looked amazing but tasted like cardboard. My appetite still hadn't fully returned since waking up from the spirit realm.
"You don't have to force yourself to eat," Dante said without looking up from his own plate.
I paused with my fork halfway to my mouth. "I didn't say anything."
"You didn't have to. You're practically broadcasting your thoughts about how the food tastes like..." He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes snapping up to meet mine. "Like cardboard."
We stared at each other for a long moment.
"That's not normal, is it?" I asked carefully.
"Definitely not normal."
I set down my fork a
