Drenov was thrown off kilter as soon as he passed the threshold of the portal.

He glanced back and saw the portal snap closed, cutting him off from his family.

Drenov ignored that line of thought and instead on his current situation with how he felt heavier than before and the soft ground, like stepping on a pillow. He thought it was mud for a moment, but it wasn't anything that simple.

The floor was made of a transparent iridescent silk that sank slightly to Drenov and the dragonoid's steps but never ripped or stretched despite how thin and weak it looked.

Drenov eyed the space for a chance to get away from the two. If I fail and piss this bitch off. I don't know how sadistic she'll be even if I don't run.

The building was a mausoleum with 12 obsidian tombs lining one side in-between pillars that had strange emblems with symbols above them. He could recognize a few of them, a deer with jagged antlers, a ape of some kind, and a worm.

On the other was 12 hatchs in the shape of tombs with blank emblems above them. All of the hatchs had a large lock on them except for one. That looks like my only option.

The walls fluttered in the wind, throwing Drenov off. Wind?

His gaze turned down to see the mausoleum they were in was floating in the sky overlooking a massive mountainous forest with shimmering lakes and rivers littering the landscape that was being Rearrange like the world underneath them was a jigsaw puzzle. What the...

Drenov could only look at the place under him for a couple of seconds before he was yanked forward.

At the far end of the long structure was a 5 meter tall bird cage with golden vines intertwined with the silver bars containing a verdant flame that crashed against the walls in rage, wanting to be freed but somehow contained despite the gaps in the cage.

Drenov stared at the green fire with budding terror. His SOUL was screaming at him to stay as far away from that fire as possible.

"What is that?!" Drenov couldn't help but let the question out due to his revulsion to the starving flame, not expecting the collector to answer.

Phukaloz chuckled at the soon to be tool with sadistic pleasure at the process they've done hundreds of times before. "Just a shedding fire. It does wonders at getting rid of memories, so we can make a personality slate for a type of monster, but it needs some memories to do the good stuff, You need something to make something, right? You're the last one for 23 to be done."

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"And you abducted me for that?!" Drenov was absolutely sick of the demons attitude and scanned the dragonoid to find something to exploit or use to get out of the dragonoid's grasp.

His eyes locked onto the gap in the dragonoid's scales made by Nicole with ben as the collector continued. "Of course! The most prominent animal in your memory and something else is used l

Drenov, not waiting for her to finish, forced his fingers into the fresh wound, and with an unnatural feat of strength ripped a scale off.

The dragonoid let go, letting out a discordant and ear wrenching scream made of over a dozen voices layered on top of each other begging for release that broke Drenov's eardrums and annoyed Phukaloz, who looked over to see her catch him running to the hatch.

Her entire demeanor changed when he grabbed the handle, and rage and confusion filled her face. "What in the abyss are you doing?!"

Drenov didn't hear her as he wrenched open the hatch to see a deep void that called to be filled and flipped her off as he jumped in. "Hope you get in so mech trouble for this!"

Phukaloz rushed to grab the man, but as he fully entered the hatch, it slammed shut and rose to match the other tombs.

The blank emblem burned brightly, inscribing itself with the symbol of a bear. Phukaloz stared at the tomb, shadowy tendrils whipped around her in a fit of rage. "What's got the oh so mighty collector so mad?"

Phukaloz turned around to see a tall, lanky man in a bright red suit vest that made him look like a circus master. A ring covered in eyes hovered over where his eyes would. His grin full of shark teeth gave the impression of someone who knew your secrets and would use it against you if he found it enjoyable.

Phukaloz held back the urge to hiss at the man as the tendrils receded back and clung to her skin like tattoos, ready to be used at a moments notice. "Observer Jeskanyo... What do you need sir?"

Jeskanyo peered behind Phukaloz at the bear tomb and back to her with a small smile. "Just making sure everything was going smoothly~ but you seem upset? Did something happen with the star bear nexus?"

Fuck! Did he see everything? The collector internally panicked as she tried to come up with the proper thing to say to appease her superior. "No sir, just an uncooperative personality slate."

"Really? I thought I said to get willing subject's for this foor especially this nexus, we need smart bears with actual intelligence." The eyes on the ring squinted, all of them focused on Phukaloz.

"H-he was sir, just hesitated at the end!" Phukaloz sweated as she spat out the excuse, internally cursing the one who put her in this situation.

Jakanyo smile widened as he created a doorway in space and spoke aloud before he stepped through. "That's good ootherwise would be used to fuel that fire you love so much."

Phukalov let out a long, frustrated sigh as soon as the observer left and kicked the kneeling dragonoid with enough force to send it flying into the silk walls.

Ignoring the whimpering dragonoid, she glared at the land below her while grinding her teeth. I'll flay his skin off his still living body when I find him!