Chapter 103: Eight Meals and a Lie

The rest of the evening moved with a softness I didn’t expect, like time had decided to put on fuzzy socks and slow dance across the floor. Everything felt... calmer. Even the sky outside seemed to mirror the mood—quiet, low, and brooding.

The clouds had gathered with that heavy, moody look they wore right before a downpour—the kind that made you pause whatever you were doing and just listen. But the rain never came. Instead, the world held its breath and left behind a chilled breeze that crept in through the slightly cracked window, brushing against my skin like a sigh.

And in that strange serenity, Raven lived up to every single word she'd promised.

Dr. Raay, the therapist-chef, went to war in the kitchen.

About forty-six minutes later, she began parading in with food like she had a whole staff working overtime. I sat on my bed, initially too stunned to speak. One meal. Then two. Then five. She kept going.

She had become a magician, summoning dishes I hadn’t tasted in what felt like