After he finished the tenth plate of steak, Christian finally slowed down, and only then did he notice something.
The meat was delicious, there was no doubt about that. But… it tasted better than usual.
From the flavor alone, he could tell it was still beef. Yet there was something more to it, a richer, deeper flavor hidden beneath. A subtle, almost intoxicating quality that normal beef had never possessed.
"You noticed?" Annabelle asked, tilting her head slightly. She had barely eaten a few bites herself, spending more time watching him than touching her food.
"Yes… what's the difference?"
"It's from one of the mutated cattle," she replied with a soft, affectionate smile.
And Christian immediately understood.
After The First Sign, it wasn't just humans and the world that had changed, everything had. Animals included.
Some had grown far more aggressive, making them difficult to raise or breed. But when money was involved… difficulties had a way of disappearing.
