Chie's stomach twisted with dread, but she forced herself to stay still.

  "Fine," she gritted out, the word feeling like it was dragged from her throat. "What do you want?"

  The Collector made a soft noise, something between a purr and an amused sigh, before answering:

  "First...I want one of your memories."

  The temperature dropped even further at that demand; Chie could practically see her breath in front of her now as if reality itself was reacting to what just got asked for…

  Chie's heart felt like it had stopped in her chest at the Collector's demand, her breath freezing inside her lungs as it sank in.

  "M-my...memory?" She repeated softly, her voice shaking slightly with a mixture of shock and fear at the thought of one of her precious memories, one of the things that defined who she was, being taken. "And what...would you even do with it?”

  The Collector let out another low chuckle, the tone almost mocking once again, as if amused that Chie even had to ask.

  "Oh, my dear...I collect memories. I take them, and keep them safe as a treasure in my collection."

  Chie winced at the thought: her own memories, her life, being turned into a trophy for the Collector to do whatever it pleased with like everything else it captured…

  "I take them all; the happy ones, the sad ones, the most precious and the most painful..." the Collector went on, the tone in its voice almost purring now as if it were a cat that caught a particularly helpless mouse to toy with.

  Chie's heart twisted with the thought of her deepest and happiest memories being taken, the memories that made her...her , now in the hands of a cruel, possessive, and heartless entity like the Collector…

  The Collector seemed to sense her inner conflict, her struggle to make a decision to give her memories away.

  "Oh, don't look so defeated," it crooned in a mockingly sympathetic tone, as if it almost relished the distress it was causing. "Just give me one of your precious memories, and I'll tell you everything about your dear friend Elara. One...little...memory. That's all I ask.”

  The Collector's voice dropped to a whisper, something almost tender in its cruelty.

  "Oh, but you will, my dear," it murmured, as if the question itself amused it. "Because deep down...you already know I'm right."

  A jar near Chie suddenly burst open with an icy crack, its contents swirling into a faint silhouette of Elara for just one fleeting second before dissolving again like smoke…

  "You want her back? Then pay the price.”

  Chie's breath caught, her heart clenching at the brief shadow of Elara's silhouette that appeared before disappearing again.

  She knew the Collector was right, she did want her back, for Alice's sake. She wanted her dear friend safe and sound...and to do that, she'd give anything.

  Slowly...Chie raised her chin, her voice still shaking slightly but laced with determination.

  "Very...very well," she managed to force the words out. "I—" She swallowed, forcing back her fear. "I'll give you one of my memories.”

  The Collector let out a low, pleased hum, like a predator who had just been handed its prey willingly.

  "Good choice," it purred, the air around them growing even heavier with anticipation. "Now...let's see what you'll give me."

  Chie felt her chest tighten as something inside her tugged, a sensation like an invisible thread being pulled from somewhere deep within her mind. The memory she chose flickered in front of her eyes for one last second before it was gone...absorbed into the darkness of the chamber like smoke sucked into a vacuum.

  And then?

  Silence.

  Until…

  “Elara?” The Collector mused idly after absorbing Chie’s memory completely now… “Ohhhh…she fought so hard.” It chuckled again darkly as if reliving some cruel amusement all over again right here and now too–

  Chie waited on edge for what came next…

  Chie's heart flinched at the Collector's words.

  "She...she fought?" she whispered, her voice shaking with both anticipation and dread at what that might mean. "What...what happened then?"

  The Collector's chuckle turned cold now...almost cruel.

  "Oh, that girl," it mused in a tone that bordered between impressed and mocking now. "She was fiery, a firecracker like I mentioned...but quite the fool too.”

  The Collector’s voice dripped with amusement, like it was savoring the memory.

  "Oh, she did fight, kicked and screamed like a wild thing," it mused, its tone laced with something almost nostalgic. "She tried to burn her way out...tried to tear through my traps..." A pause. "But in the end? She lost."

  Chie felt her stomach twist at that, Elara had fought so hard only for the Collector to just…take her anyway?

  "And now?" Chie pressed desperately despite herself; unable not ask what became of Elara after all this fighting and struggling…

  The Collector hummed again, the sound still holding that note of sadistic amusement. It was taking its time, almost enjoying making Chie wait to know the end of this dark story...

  "Now?" It repeated the question almost mockingly. "Well...after her little fight, she was quite exhausted, I must say. So...weak and helpless...like a little firefly caught in a glass jar." Its tone turned almost mocking now. "And you know what I do with fireflies?”

  The answer hit like a knife to the chest.

  "You...you keep them," Chie choked out, her heart aching with the realization of what the Collector was telling her. "You take them and lock them away..."

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  The Collector chuckled again in dark amusement.

  "That's right, my dear," it drawled, its tone dripping with cruel satisfaction. "I take and keep them...lock them in my collection, like a little treasure. And our dear Elara...well, she's quite the prize indeed.”

  Chie's breath hitched, her fists trembling at her sides, nails digging into her palms.

  "Show me," she demanded, voice cracking with desperation now. "If you took her...then let me see it."

  The Collector went silent for a moment...then burst into laughter, low and mocking like wind through dead trees.

  "Ohhh? You want to see?" It purred as the temperature dropped even further around them all; frost creeping up Chie’s arms where goosebumps had risen uncontrollably already–

  "Then look."

  A sudden flicker of movement in one of the nearby jars caught Chie’s eye, and there was Elara: floating motionless inside its glass prison…eyes open but unseeing...a perfect little doll locked away forever in darkness.

  Chie's breath stopped.

  Her legs nearly buckled at the sight, Elara, frozen mid-scream like a snapshot of pure terror. Her hands pressed against the glass from inside as if she'd fought to get out right up until...until it was too late.

  The Collector let out another pleased hum at Chie’s reaction, its voice oozing with satisfaction now:

  "Ahhh…see? Just another little treasure in my collection." It tilted its head slightly towards her again before adding– "And you could join her if you're not careful~"

  Chie's head whirled at the realization that Alice and Juniper were gone, the Collector's trap finally closing in fully now as its cold, dark chuckle filled the chamber.

  It took all of her courage to make herself meet the monster's gaze again now, but the fear and despair in her eyes spoke louder than any words ever could…

  "What...what will you do to me now?" she whispered in a shaking voice, a defeated, broken whisper now.

  It was all the Collector needed; a clear admission of defeat. The air in the room grew even colder as the Collector leaned forward a little more in satisfaction; its voice dripping with a smug sort of pleasure now.

  "Well… since you've been so very cooperative...I suppose I'll keep my end of the bargain. I'll tell you what happened to Elara after my trap finally closed around her…" it purred in a low, mocking tone, almost seeming to savor her anxiety as well.

  The Collector's voice dropped into a whisper, cold, deliberate, and thoroughly amused by Chie’s suffering.

  "Ohhhh? Did you think I was done with her?" It tilted its head slightly as if considering the question mockingly. "Elara was...special." A pause for dramatic effect before continuing: "I don't just collect my treasures…I break them too."

  Chie felt bile rise in her throat at those words, the implication horrifyingly clear now that this wasn’t over yet for Elara…not even close.

  And then came the worst part of all…

  “But don’t worry,” The Collector added cheerfully– “You’ll get to see it yourself soon enough.”

  Chie's stomach lurched at that ominous promise; the air in the chamber growing even colder as if feeding off her fear and horror now.

  She felt herself trembling again but forced herself to meet the Collector's gaze straight on, her voice catching in her throat as she asked:

  "See? See what? What's going to happen to Elara?”

  The Collector's grin widened, its voice dripping with a kind of sick, twisted anticipation.

  "Ohhhh...you'll see." It gestured lazily toward the jar holding Elara. "Watch closely now..."

  A slow crack began to spiderweb across the glass of Elara’s prison, like ice forming over water in reverse. The cracks spread with an eerie silence until finally…the entire jar shattered into nothing but dust around her frozen form inside.

  And then?

  Elara didn’t fall.

  No.

  She just...stopped existing.

  One second she was there; motionless and trapped–

  And then? Gone like smoke on wind–not even a trace left behind anymore at all...

  The Collector sighed happily as it watched Chie process what had just happened before adding casually:

  "See? No more fighting for dear little firefly~”

  Chie stood there frozen in shock, staring blankly where her friend once was moments ago…completely broken now by realization that this thing truly did not care about anything except its own cruel games after all…

  The Collector's eyes lit up with something dangerously close to glee at Chie’s trembling, broken demand.

  "Ohhh? Now that," it purred, voice thick with mocking delight as it leaned in closer, its form flickering like candlelight now. "...is the question I've been waiting for."

  A jar on a nearby shelf suddenly rattled violently before bursting open in a shower of glass shards, revealing Elara, mid-scream inside its prison…eyes wide and desperate as if she were still fighting even now...even after being trapped forever by this monster.

  The Collector chuckled darkly at her reaction; watching eagerly while gesturing lazily towards Elara's frozen horror show:

  "There you go~ That’s what happens when they lose their sparkle…”

  The sight of Elara, trapped in a moment in time forever as a terrified, broken puppet, crushed Chie's heart all over again. She felt tears prickle her eyes behind her glasses but blinked them back fiercely as she forced in a deep, trembling breath in a vain attempt to steady herself again before choking out:

  "Y-you...you monster. You heartless, vile monster, I—”

  The Collector's voice cut through her rage like a blade—cold, amused, and utterly unbothered by her fury.

  "Ohhh? Calling me names now?" It tilted its head mockingly as the temperature in the room plummeted again. "You think I care what you call me when you're standing here so...so helpless?"

  A flick of its wrist made another jar nearby burst open, this one revealing Juniper, frozen mid-scream too…her expression twisting between terror and defiance inside the glass prison.

  "See? Your little idol friend isn't faring any better either~”

  Chie's breath hitched at seeing Juniper trapped like this; horror dawning on her face completely before whispering shakily:

  "H-how did you do that...? She was just right here next to me...wait, what happened to ALICE?!”

  The Collector's voice dripped with cruel satisfaction, as if this was exactly the question it had been waiting for her to ask.

  "Oh...her. She simply…disappeared when you weren't looking~" It purred with mock concern; almost like it was trying to sound reassuring while delivering this horrifying news to the shaken girl.

  Something in those words sent a chill down Chie's spine as she slowly turned to find that, yes, Alice really was gone now.

  "Just kidding! I took her myself. She's Voidbound, you see. She's a special one. I sent her to the depths of Euphoria. I want to see her broken so badly~”

  Chie felt her eyes widen in horror as the Collector practically gloated about having taken the missing Alice–

  Her thoughts whirled as this new information sank in, imagining just what they might be doing to her while she stood here, trapped and helpless.

  "W-wait a minute," she finally managed to stutter out, "what did you mean by 'broken'? What are you going to do to her?!”

  The Collector's grin widened, its voice a whisper of pure, unadulterated cruelty.

  "Ohhhh? Worried about your little friend?" It leaned in closer, the temperature dropping so fast that Chie could see her breath fogging in front of her face. "Let me tell you something…Alice is already breaking. And it’s going to be so much fun watching her fall apart piece by piece~”

  A jar on a nearby shelf suddenly rattled violently before bursting open, revealing Alice, mid-scream inside its prison…her eyes wide with terror as if she were still fighting even now inside glass prison there–

  "See? She hasn't stopped screaming since I took her."

  Chie's hands trembled at this revelation; horror dawning completely now while trying desperately not to cry from sheer despair over what was being done here right before very own eyes.

  The sight of Alice trapped and screaming in terror, helpless against this monster's sadistic games, was enough to make Chie feel sick to her stomach. The Collector's voice cut through her thoughts with a cruel chuckle again as if savoring her anguish.

  "Ohhhh? You've gone so quiet now…Cat got your tongue?" It cooed smugly before gesturing lazily towards the remaining, unbroken jar in the chamber, this one larger and more ornate than the rest.

  Chie's eyes darted to the last jar at the Collector's words, her heart nearly stopping when she realized what it might hold.

  The jar was larger and more ornate...like a cage for something special. Her eyes widened in realization as she looked back to the Collector again with a trembling voice:

  "What…what's in there…”

  With a flick of the Collector's wrist, the ornate jar exploded in a shower of glass shards, revealing Chie herself inside mid-scream…her expression twisted between terror and defiance.

  "Ohhhh? Look familiar?" It purred darkly before leaning closer again to whisper: "You're already mine."

  Chie stumbled back at that revelation; horror dawning on her completely now while trying desperately not to cry from sheer despair over what this thing had done already without telling anyone until now.

  And then came the worst part yet…

  “But don’t worry,” The Collector added cheerfully, “I’ll keep you company~”