Nyx was leading Fjord up to his designated bedroom, gesturing to the open door before them. "This is your chamber," she said calmly, about to turn around and take her leave before suddenly...

  BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!

  A massive explosion went off in the room next to Fjord's, a bright flash of red and blue nearly blinding Nyx and the new Cabal member.

  "...The Animal Dealer again," Nyx huffed nonchalantly as if this is the hundredth time this has happened this week.

  Fjord winced, then looked at Nyx in disbelief.

  "...You're kidding."

  Nyx sighed. "No, I'm not. She blows up her own chambers almost weekly, at this point, we just put more wards to contain the damage."

  Fjord stared at her for a long moment, as if trying to tell if she was joking or not.

  Finally, after a beat of incredibly awkward silence, he just said slowly: "...And no one has tried to lock her in a room without any explosives yet?”

  Nyx gave him a look that said "You think we haven't thought of that before?"

  She pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing in aggravation.

  "Of course we have. The minute she's put in a room where she has no access to bombs, she either breaks the door down or blows a hole through the wall to get another stash.”

  "I mean...what does she even do?"

  "Soul experimentation.”

  Fjord's eyes bulged.

  "...You're joking!"

  "...I swear to the Goddesses, I wish I was. Experimenting with souls is what she does, day in and day out.”

  Fjord's expression was one of pure befuddlement.

  "...Why?? She just randomly thought, 'Hey, guess I'll mess with souls on Monday?'"

  Nyx rubbed her temples. "I haven't the slightest clue. She's never been very cooperative and never once told us why she's doing this. All she cares about are her experiments.”

  Fjord's bewilderment seemed to only grow.

  "...So you're just letting her do this because...?"

  Nyx gave a tired huff. "Because as long as she's doing her experiments, she's usually content and doesn't cause too much trouble. We just monitor her and keep her from getting her hands on more...questionable ingredients.”

  Fjord ran a hand through his hair, looking utterly incredulous now.

  "...And by 'questionable ingredients', you mean...?"

  Nyx's expression darkened. "...You don't want to know."

  "Oh yes I do."

  Fjord knocked on The Animal Dealer's door with no warning, immediately getting a 'come in!' from inside. Fjord went inside…

  ...And immediately wished he hadn't.

  The air in the room was thick with the stench of blood and chemicals, and Fjord was pretty sure there were bones hanging somewhere on the wall.

  The Animal Dealer was hunched over something on a metal table in the middle of the room, her back to the open door.

  She called out without looking up: "What?"

  "I'm the new recruit," Fjord replied.

  The Animal Dealer paused whatever work she'd been doing and stood up straight, very slowly turning to face him.

  The mature woman took her sweet-ass time, sizing him up from head to toe before her eyes landed back on his face.

  "You look..." she mused aloud, her tone strangely thoughtful. "...Unfamiliar.”

  Fjord kept his expression neutral, refusing to let her see how utterly freaked out he was by her workspace (and now by her as well.)

  He just crossed his arms, meeting her gaze directly with a defiant tilt to his chin.

  "I'm new here," he replied bluntly, trying to sound as unbothered as possible.

  The Animal Dealer's mouth quirked into what could very faintly qualify as a smirk. "...A 'newbie', huh...?”

  Fjord nodded once, very deliberately keeping his expression unreadable.

  The Animal Dealer's smirk didn't fade, though her eyes seemed to sharpen slightly as she stepped closer to him.

  She walked over to his side at a slow, measured pace, like a cat cornering a mouse.

  "...And how old are you, 'newbie'?" she asked, almost tauntingly.

  "27. You?"

  The Animal Dealer's smirk widened, just a fraction.

  "27?" she repeated, her tone laced with something unreadable.

  She stepped closer again, this time tilting her head like she was studying him. "...Funny age. As for my age...take a wild guess."

  Fjord just crossed his arms, refusing to back down now.

  "30."

  The Animal Dealer actually chuckled at that. "Try adding ten, newbie."

  The corner of Fjord's lips ticked up at that, not because he was unnerved, but because he knew she probably expected him to be uncomfortable by now.

  "Forty-seven?" he countered, his voice carefully dry.

  The Animal Dealer's eyes sparkled with amusement now.

  "Older, even."

  Fjord's eyebrows twitched in mild surprise, but he still kept his own expression as impassive as possible.

  ...He took another wild guess, trying to sound perfectly indifferent as he did.

  "I say...forty-nine."

  The Animal Dealer’s smirk froze for half a second, then she let out an abrupt bark of laughter. "You're good," she admitted gruffly, as if surprised by his response.

  She leaned in closer now, resting one hand on the table beside him like she was sizing him up all over again.

  Then suddenly:

  "You know what? You can stay."

  He raised an eyebrow but didn't ask for clarification, because honestly? He wasn’t sure if that was good or bad yet.

  The Animal Dealer's gaze lingered on him for another moment before she turned on her heel, walking over to her workspace and beginning to sort through the strange instruments on the metal table.

  And now Fjord actually found himself giving in to the urge to stare in open disbelief at what was going on around him.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  There were, for lack of a better phrase, body parts scattered everywhere. Bones lined the wall and vials of blood and chemicals lined almost every free surface. And...was that a human skull??

  The Animal Dealer noticed his gaze and paused, turning back to him with a faintly amused expression.

  "Problem?" she asked, as if it were completely normal for someone to have just walked into this kind of mess.

  Fjord didn't flinch, he simply tilted his head slightly and replied: "...Is that an actual human skull or a really detailed prop?"

  She stared at him for a long moment...then let out another sharp laugh.

  "Real."

  He exhaled through his nose, like he was mildly disappointed but also somehow unsurprised. "And does Nyx know you're keeping trophies in here?"

  Her smirk returned instantly.

  "Of course not."

  Fjord's expression remained perfectly unreadable, but internally?

  He was already making a mental note to lock his door tonight.

  The Animal Dealer watched him for another beat before turning back to her work, waving a dismissive hand in his direction.

  "You can go now."

  But then she paused and added casually: "...Unless you're curious about my research?"

  Fjord just gave her the flattest stare imaginable.

  "No thanks."

  Fjord's expression remained perfectly unreadable, but internally?

  He was already making a mental note to lock his door tonight.

  The Animal Dealer watched him for another beat before turning back to her work, waving a dismissive hand in his direction.

  "You can go now."

  But then she paused and added casually: "...Unless you're curious about my research?"

  Fjord nodded quickly. "Indeed I am.”

  ...That got her attention. The Animal Dealer stopped her work again and turned to face him with an extremely intrigued expression now.

  She leaned back against the table and gestured for him to come closer, waiting for him to approach her before continuing.

  He took a few cautious steps forward, stopping just a safe distance away from where she stood.

  Her smirk had been replaced by a look of almost giddy fascination now.

  "Do you want to know a secret?"

  Fjord's lips twitched slightly.

  "...Go on.”

  The Animal Dealer's smirk only widened at his response, and this time there was a slightly sinister edge to the look in her eyes.

  "Come here."

  ...He couldn't quite contain his sudden hesitation, but he obeyed the command despite it and came closer. He crossed his arms, not quite comfortable, but still refusing to show cowardice.

  The Animal Dealer leaned in closely then, dropping her tone to a low whisper.

  "Closer"

  He raised an eyebrow but leaned in as well, almost completely closing the distance between them.

  The Animal Dealer didn't move away at all, just stayed perfectly still now, their faces just a few breaths apart. Fjord fought the sudden urge to pull away, this close, her gaze seemed to pin him to the spot, and he found himself almost holding his breath.

  She was looking at him with something that was almost hunger.

  "Do you know what I research?"

  He exhaled slowly, his own voice lowered to the same tone now.

  "...No.”

  The Animal Dealer's smirk deepened almost uncomfortably now, and her eyes almost seemed to glitter in the faint light. Her gaze flicked to the rest of the room, then back to his face,

  "Take a guess."

  Fjord's expression stayed carefully neutral, but a faint sense of dread was starting to churn up in his gut now.

  ...He'd had a feeling that his answer to this question was very important.

  "...Souls," he ventured carefully.

  The Animal Dealer let out a low, delighted chuckle, like he'd just told the funniest joke she'd ever heard.

  "Ohhhh no." She leaned in even closer now, her voice dropping to a whisper so soft it was almost lost in the hum of machinery around them. "I study what souls become when they're torn from bodies and left...unfinished."

  Fjord's jaw tensed slightly, but he didn’t move an inch.

  She watched his reaction like it was some kind of fascinating experiment before adding:

  "And you? You have one that’s been screaming for attention lately, don't you?"

  His eyes sharpened instantly at that, because how did she know?

  But all he said was: "...Define 'screaming'."

  Her grin turned razor-sharp.

  "That's my line~!"

  Fjord kept his guard up now, the sense of uneasiness growing as the conversation took an even more unsettling turn. He'd felt like there was something strange about this woman from the moment he walked in, but now? Now she was almost making his blood run cold.

  Still, he was nothing if not incredibly stubborn, so he raised an eyebrow in challenge and tilted his head just slightly:

  "Go on," he said coolly, his tone still carefully neutral.

  The Animal Dealer didn't miss the flicker of determination in his voice, and if anything it only seemed to excite her.

  She smirked faintly, leaning in even closer now, nearly pressing up against him.

  "Have you ever heard of a Jaded Soul?"

  ...He could actually feel her breath ghosting over his skin now. He was almost certain his heart was beating noticeably faster now, too, but he forced himself to stay completely still.

  "...No," he replied quietly.

  The Animal Dealer chuckled again, but this time the sound was a lot more sinister, like the purr of a predator who'd just found its prey.

  "Jaded Souls are very special souls," she continued, her gaze locked on his now. There was no trace of humor in her voice. "Very special. And very dangerous."

  Fjord's expression still remained neutral, but the dread he'd been trying to suppress was now churning in his gut like a nest full of snakes.

  He tried to control his breathing, hoping his heartbeat would slow down before she realized how much this conversation was rattling him.

  "...I see," he said quietly, refusing to let his gaze waver from hers. "Go on.”

  The Animal Dealer's grin turned feral at his response, like she was savoring every second of this.

  "They're souls that have had their original essence dissolved after prolonged mental, emotional, and spiritual trauma," she whispered, her voice now dropping into something almost hypnotic. "Trapped in bodies they no longer synchronize with. Bodies that...move without them."

  Fjord actually felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up now, but he still didn’t pull away.

  She watched him carefully for a reaction before continuing:

  "And your soul? It’s screaming louder than most."

  His jaw tightened slightly, but otherwise, he stayed completely still.

  "...Screaming?”

  The Animal Dealer chuckled softly, her gaze never leaving his.

  "Oh yes," she replied, her voice dropping almost to a purr now. "You can almost...feel it, can't you?"

  She suddenly placed one hand on his chest, not violently, but a gesture that still made his heart skip a beat. He almost flinched away, but held himself back at the last moment.

  She smirked faintly now, pressing the hand on his chest just slightly, feeling the subtle increase in his heart rate. Then, she did it: she got ahold of Fjord's soul and amplified his spiritual energy to its absolute maximum. The end result? An outburst of aura that flooded the entire HQ and then some. The most powerful aura any of the Cabal members have ever felt. It was enough to render all members unconscious, except for Nyx, Kaz, Vilho, Sylvie, Cassie, and The Animal Dealer herself. For those who weren't knocked out, Fjord's memories flashed through their minds as their bodies remained immobile, the memories being experienced from his POV:

  One by one, they watched Fjord's entire life play out like a movie. All the bullying, abuse, discrimination, the loss, everything that had ever caused him so much pain and anguish, his own parents betraying him without any hesitation. He'd thought it was over. He'd thought he was finally free.

  ...But the pain had only just begun.

  The memories changed suddenly, going to a time where Fjord thought he'd found peace with a new group.

  He'd found a "safe haven" with a group of people, a place where it seemed like all his hopes were coming true.

  ...And then, unexpectedly, things started to shift…

  The memories continued: The group was slowly changing. They were becoming more distant, more...suspicious of him. His friends who'd once been so close started pulling away, leaving him feeling more and more alone. He was certain something was going on, that they were keeping secrets from him.

  The memories shifted again: He finally confronted the group, demanding that they tell him the truth.

  ...And the truth was worse than he could've possibly imagined.

  They didn't care. They never had. Their friendship had been a lie, a way to get him to lower his guard. They'd never meant any of their kind words or promises to ever stay true. He was just a tool that, once used, they could throw away without a second thought.

  Fjord felt his chest tightening, the memories stirring up a familiar feeling. Anger. That anger made everyone that wasn't The Animal Dealer feel sick to their stomachs with the amount of spiritual pressure being experienced, as if gravity tripled suddenly.

  The Animal Dealer’s smirk didn’t falter, if anything, it widened, her amusement only growing as she watched him reel.

  "Ohhh," she purred, tilting her head like a predator circling wounded prey. "That's not all."

  And then, without warning, the memories shifted again.

  Now they were showing something different: Fjord standing alone in the middle of a battlefield soaked in blood and fire. A voice behind him spoke words he couldn't quite hear over the roaring inferno around them...

  Then came another flash, a glimpse of his own reflection staring back at him from some dark mirror… but with eyes that weren’t quite human anymore.

  His breath hitched audibly now, and this time? The Animal Dealer let out a soft chuckle as if she'd just won some silent game between them both...

  "Still think you're ready to see your own soul?"

  Fjord’s entire body went rigid, his breath hitching in his throat as the realization hit him like a physical blow.

  He hadn’t been himself since that night.

  The memories played on, his movements becoming unnaturally precise, his strength surging beyond human limits when provoked. His own hands had done things he couldn't even remember committing, things that left blood on walls and silence in their wake. And yet...he still moved forward without question because it was easier than stopping to ask why.

  Nyx watched from where she stood frozen nearby; her expression was unreadable except for the slightest tightening around her eyes.

  Sylvie let out an amused hum from behind them all: "Ohhhh~ Now we're getting somewhere!"

  But Fjord? He barely heard any of it anymore.

  His voice came out low and strained when he finally spoke:

  "...Who am I?"

  The Animal Dealer was loving every second of this.

  She leaned in close to him again, letting her hand drop to his chest now, and his heart rate hitched again when her fingers brushed against his skin. He was trying so hard to look stoic and unbothered...but she knew she was getting to him.

  She kept her voice a low whisper, her expression almost too close to his now:

  "You really want to know, hm?"

  Fjord didn't trust his voice at this point, so he just gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. He refused to meet her gaze, his eyes locked on a spot on the floor now, but that didn't matter, his heartbeat was already pounding under her palm.

  The Animal Dealer didn't bother to hide her smirk now, he was terrified, and they both knew it.

  And yet...he hadn't tried to pull away yet.