CHAPTER 88: COLLECTOR

Rauk’s eyes narrowed. "Then... dead bodies?"

She shook her head again. And in that moment, the cold settled into their bones.

"No," she said with flat indifference. "I kidnapped humans. That’s how we first worked together. I brought him living captives for his research."

Silence dropped like a hammer.

Taria felt her stomach twist. The image she’d built of Nyra shattered. That purr, once soothing, now sounded like a threat. And those green eyes... no longer soft.

"They were... evil people, right?" she asked, her voice a whisper. "Criminals?"

Rauk’s fists were clenched, and his expression was steel. He didn’t speak, just waited.

Nyra looked at them with something between indifference and challenge. "Who knows? Could’ve been anyone. Good. Bad. Doesn’t matter, as long as I was paid."

Taria stood up suddenly, her cloak swishing, steel plates clinking with rage. Her golden-yellow eyes burned.

"You’re evil!" she snapped.

"How could you do that?" Rauk added, his voice low and sharp, blue eyes blazing. His hand hovered near his sword.

Thalso had stopped stroking her fur and now held her still, maybe fearing what she might do but Nyra only stared at them, her face calm.

When they finally quieted, breathing heavily, she spoke dryly.

"Well? Will you stop pointing your weapon at me now? It makes me nervous, and I might do something regrettable."

Taria blinked, suddenly realizing she’d drawn her spear and aimed it straight at Nyra. She sat down abruptly, stuffing it away with a flush of guilt and confusion.

Nyra continued, unbothered.

"First, I regret what I did. Not all of it, some deserved to be used as lab rats. But yes, I regret parts of it. Would I do it again? Yes. I’d just be more selective about who I delivered. Or maybe I won’t, I’m powerful enough now not to do something things but reverse Is also the case."

"Second..." she added, her voice quieter, "I’ve paid for it."

That answer didn’t satisfy them. But it was clear she wouldn’t elaborate on what that payment was.

Thalso turned to Kaedros. "Why aren’t you angry?"

Kaedros shrugged. "We all must do what we must do. Especially if it’s between you and what will add to your power."

He meant it. He didn’t care about people Nyra killed long ago. If he’d been in her place, maybe he would’ve eaten them instead of turning them into research fodder.

Because hunger was also one of his greatest threats.

’..come to think of it...’ he mused ’...it’s been a while since I’ve had human meat..’

He sighed. I really shouldn’t be thinking about that now.

Nyra went on.

"He kept going for years. His empire grew. His poisons evolved. And then word started leaking, that he was working on a method to remove the Threshold entirely."

Her expression darkened again.

"I can’t say whether he was recruited or if he went willingly, but... it was around that time he joined them. The organization. The one you’ve already heard of."

Kaedros’s heart skipped.

"Joint Accord?"

Nyra nodded slowly. "Yes. He became one of them."

"Joint Accord," Kaedros whispered. The name felt foreign on his tongue, yet oddly familiar as if buried deep in some memory he’d never lived until he came to Throne of Ruinlight.

"Yes," Nyra said, her tone unusually quiet. "That very one. A very powerful organization. Far more powerful than any underworld empire. They had members in every corner of society, in the politics that ruled nations."

She paused, her eyes narrowing with a sharp glint.

"They were shrouded in mystery. Never moved unless provoked. The Nobles treated them like a band of glorified outlaws," she snorted softly, "but everyone with real power knew Joint Accord was the true hidden hand behind many world events."

"That was the organization our... friend joined," she continued. "And that’s when he truly began to flourish. His intelligence skyrocketed his status. Just through his mastery of poisons, he rose fast."

Nyra yawned and stretched, curling tighter into Thalso’s arms before going on.

"We still don’t know the full structure of Joint Accord but somehow he became one of the few publicly known members. And that made him terrifying."

"His grip on the underworld spread across the entire kingdom, across the continent, even. He was feared. But not because of his arcane power no, it was his influence. His reach. His wealth."

"And yet... that wasn’t enough for him. Not the kind of power he wanted."

"So he went back to the Threshold research?" Rauk asked, his tone already heavy with unease.

Nyra nodded. "And this time, with the full backing of Joint Accord, he made real progress."

"He used his influence to gather ancient artifacts and forgotten spellbooks. So many that the world gave him a new name."

She looked directly at Kaedros.

"The Collector."

Kaedros raised a brow. "Collector?" It didn’t sound intimidating. It sounded... average.

Nyra smirked, already reading his thoughts. "You think the name’s too mild? You’re wrong. That name strikes fear everywhere. The Collector is feared not because of how loud he roared but because of what he did in silence."

"He was always rational. That’s what made him terrifying. Always calculating. Always thinking of new ways to use people quietly."

"And once again, he began experimenting. This time, he funneled thousands into his research. So many that even the Nobles had to act. Forces were sent against him, but it only made him more subtle."

Nyra’s voice dropped an octave.

"Then he succeeded. He created something that would change everything, a medicine that worked against the Threshold."

They all gasped. So nature really could be bent?

Kaedros hadn’t believed it. He’d assumed the Collector was just another failure, like the others who chased after impossible advancement. But this....this was different.

"So he beat the natural limit?" Rauk asked, awe evident in his voice.

"Not entirely," Nyra admitted. "But enough. The medicine could raise someone’s potential, by a rank or two. Enough to allow further advancement. That breakthrough made him a legend. Changed history."

"And like most who gain something, he wanted more," Thalso growled softly.

Nyra nodded. "Exactly. And that’s when he made his final mistake, he turned his eyes to Bloodline abilities."

She let the words hang, heavy and thick with implication.

"The problem," she went on, "was that Bloodline traits were concentrated within Noble families. So when he started abducting or killing Nobles for his experiments, it sparked outrage. Massive retaliation followed."

"But by then... it was too late. He’d already succeeded. He lost almost everything, his wealth, his empire but he gained Bloodline powers. He saw that as a fair trade."

Kaedros’s eyes narrowed. "So you’re saying..."

"Yes," Nyra confirmed. "He’s the last known person who knows how to remove or manipulate, Bloodline abilities."

A beat passed.

Kaedros leaned forward, voice tight. "Where is he now?"

Nyra arched lazily. "The last known location of the Collector... was here. In Throne of Ruinlight ."

"What?!" Kaedros’s voice rose with panic. His eyes swept the room, as though expecting the Collector to emerge from the walls. "Here?! In this castle?!"

"How?!" Taria demanded. Her voice wasn’t shocked so much as furious.

"You’ve learned by now, haven’t you?" Nyra purred, fangs glinting. "Your world isn’t the only one. There are many. Collector fled his world... and ended up here. A mistake, because he was captured and imprisoned here."

They could only stare, reeling from the revelation.

Kaedros felt it again, that eerie pull of something far greater than himself. Of multiple worlds. He wanted to ask, how many were out there? What connected them? But no. Not now. He needed to focus.

"Numerous worlds," Taria murmured. It should’ve shocked her more but this castle had already torn her expectations to shreds.

"But how does this help us find him?" Rauk asked, pushing past the weight of the new truth.

"He escaped," Nyra said bluntly. "But he left behind some of his people, three or four of his most loyal subordinates. They might know where he went."

"Wait, escaped?" Rauk asked, voice hard. "How the hell does someone escape this castle?"

Thalso growled. "Because he didn’t do it alone. Joint Accord helped him."

Kaedros’s fists tightened. At least now there’s a lead. For the first time in years, there was direction, someone who might help remove his cursed Bloodline.

"So... we just need to find his subordinates? The ones left behind?" Taria said, already halfway to her feet. "Let’s go talk to them!"

"It’s not that simple," Thalso sighed.

Taria groaned. "What now? Just tell us where they are and we’ll go. Why all the drama?"

Thalso’s expression turned grim.

"They’re locked in the Dream Prison."