I looked back at Dante, suspicion creeping into my tone. "What are you planning, old man?"
He met my gaze, his smirk deepening just enough to make it worse. "Nothing dangerous," he said. "Just… symbolic."
"Symbolic," I repeated, still holding the robe.
"Exactly," he said, eyes narrowing slightly. "That's the point. It's time certain people started recognizing what you are and what you represent."
I frowned. "And what's that supposed to mean?"
Dante didn't answer immediately. He just gestured to the rest of the room. Steve, Primus, and Anjee were all watching me now, each of them already wearing the same robe.
The air grew heavier, the silence between us tight like a stretched wire ready to snap.
Finally, Dante spoke again, his tone calm but carrying that annoying air of mystery he loved so much. "You'll understand when the time arrives. For now, just trust me."
