The house vanished.
Not physically.
But within the perception of Elias Vale, the world of wood and candlelight faded like a distant memory.
In its place stretched an endless ocean of black water.
The Sea of Dreams.
Silver mist rolled across its surface like drifting clouds. The sky above held no sun, no moon—only scattered stars that flickered like thoughts trying to form.
Behind Elias floated the circular doorway that connected the dream realm to the waking world.
Through its faint opening he could still see the interior of Jonas Calder's house.
The fisherman sat collapsed in his chair, clutching his head and breathing heavily.
His mind was struggling to hold the gateway open.
But Elias's attention was not on the doorway.
It was on the ocean.
The water shifted slowly.
A shadow beneath the surface moved.
Massive.
Ancient.
Curious.
The voice that had spoken earlier echoed again across the dark sea.
"So you truly can see this place."
The water trembled.
The shadow beneath the ocean rose slightly closer to the surface.
Not enough to fully reveal itself.
Just enough that the scale of the creature became clearer.
It was enormous.
Miles of dark shape stretched beneath the water like a living continent.
Limbs coiled and uncoiled slowly beneath the waves, their movements distorting the silver mist that floated above the sea.
Dozens of eyes opened across its body.
Each one glowing faintly like a distant star.
All of them staring directly at Elias.
The voice spoke again.
"You are not afraid."
Elias stood calmly at the edge of the dream-ocean.
"I've encountered worse things."
A low rumble rolled across the water.
It took Elias a moment to realize the sound was laughter.
"How interesting."
The creature shifted again.
One enormous limb rose slightly from the ocean before sinking back beneath the surface.
"You are far smaller than I expected."
Elias tilted his head slightly.
"And yet you still decided to speak with me."
"Yes."
The creature's eyes flickered with quiet amusement.
"Because I have been watching you."
Elias remained silent.
That confirmed his earlier suspicion.
The destruction of the parasite beneath Greyhaven had sent ripples through the Sea of Dreams.
Entities that lived here would inevitably notice.
The creature beneath the water studied him carefully.
"You are marked."
Elias raised an eyebrow slightly.
"I'm aware."
"You carry the attention of The Lucid One."
The creature's voice deepened slightly.
"That alone makes you interesting."
Elias considered the entity before him.
It was powerful.
Not nearly as vast as the Old God whose dreams created this ocean.
But far older than anything that belonged in the waking world.
Something ancient.
Something that had lived inside the Sea of Dreams for countless ages.
"Who are you?" Elias asked calmly.
The water rippled again.
"I have been called many things."
The creature shifted closer to the surface.
More of its shape became visible now.
Segments of its body twisted through impossible angles.
Some parts resembled limbs.
Others resembled wings made of shadow.
But none of its form followed the rules of normal geometry.
"I am known among dream-walkers as the Collector of Echoes."
Elias nodded slightly.
"That name suggests you gather memories."
"Correct."
The entity's eyes glimmered faintly.
"Dreams are full of echoes."
"Fragments of memory."
"Forgotten thoughts."
"Unfinished desires."
The water stirred slowly beneath it.
"I collect them."
Elias studied the creature more carefully now.
"Yes," he said.
"That explains the whispers."
The Collector laughed softly.
"Humans leak thoughts when they sleep."
"Your species is remarkably careless with its dreams."
Elias folded his hands behind his back.
"And you reached into one of those dreams."
"Yes."
"Jonas Calder."
The entity nodded slowly.
"His mind was weak."
"That made him useful."
The dream ocean shifted again as the creature moved slightly closer to the doorway.
"But he was not the one I wished to speak with."
All of its eyes focused on Elias.
"You were."
Behind Elias the circular doorway flickered briefly.
Jonas's mind was weakening.
They did not have unlimited time.
Elias decided to move the conversation forward.
"Why?"
The Collector tilted its massive head.
"Because your name has begun appearing within the dream tides."
Elias remained silent.
The creature continued.
"Every time a human sleeps, fragments of their thoughts drift into the Sea of Dreams."
"Rumors."
"Fears."
"Stories."
Its eyes glowed brighter.
"And recently… your name has appeared within many of them."
Elias understood immediately.
The events in Greyhaven had already begun spreading.
Rumors always traveled quickly in small towns.
Even faster through dreams.
The Collector spoke again.
"You destroyed a parasite."
"Yes."
"That is unusual."
Elias said nothing.
The creature's voice carried a faint hint of amusement.
"Most humans would have died."
"Many have."
"But you survived."
The ocean darkened slightly as the creature shifted again.
"And more importantly…"
It leaned closer to the doorway.
"You fed upon it."
Elias's gaze sharpened slightly.
"You're observant."
"I collect echoes."
The creature's eyes flickered again.
"I saw the moment it happened."
The dream-ocean rippled.
"Silver threads entering your mind."
"Your connection to The Lucid One growing stronger."
Elias remained calm.
But internally, he filed away the information.
If this entity could observe such events from the dream realm…
Then others might be able to as well.
That meant his actions were no longer completely hidden.
The Collector continued speaking.
"Your existence has begun creating disturbances within the dream sea."
Elias spoke again.
"I assume that concerns you."
The creature laughed.
"No."
"Quite the opposite."
The ocean rippled with quiet excitement.
"I find it fascinating."
Elias tilted his head slightly.
"Why?"
"Because the dream realm has been stagnant for a very long time."
The creature's voice lowered slightly.
"The Old Gods sleep."
"Their dreams drift endlessly across the ocean."
"But nothing truly new has appeared in centuries."
Its many eyes fixed on Elias.
"Until you."
The air around them grew heavier.
The doorway flickered again behind Elias.
Jonas groaned weakly inside the house.
His mind was close to collapsing under the pressure of the connection.
The Collector noticed.
"So fragile," it murmured.
"Human minds were never designed to hold doors open like this."
Elias glanced briefly toward the doorway.
Then back at the creature.
"So if this conversation ends soon, what exactly did you want to say?"
The Collector was silent for a moment.
Then it spoke slowly.
"I want to observe you."
Elias raised an eyebrow.
"You already are."
"Yes."
"But I want permission."
Elias almost laughed.
"You're asking a human for permission to watch them?"
"Yes."
The creature sounded completely serious.
"Because watching without permission tends to upset beings like The Lucid One."
Elias understood.
The Collector did not want to provoke the Old God's attention.
Which meant his connection to the Lucid One carried more weight than he had realized.
"So what do I gain from this arrangement?" Elias asked.
The creature's eyes gleamed.
"Information."
The ocean rippled again.
"I have lived within the Sea of Dreams since before your civilizations learned to write."
"I have seen countless minds."
"Countless nightmares."
"Countless secrets."
Its voice lowered slightly.
"And I know things your kind has forgotten."
Elias remained silent.
The offer was tempting.
Information from a being this old could be extremely valuable.
But trusting a dream predator was dangerous.
The Collector seemed to sense his hesitation.
"You don't trust me."
"Correct."
The creature laughed again.
"Excellent."
"Blind trust is boring."
The doorway behind Elias flickered violently now.
Jonas gasped in pain inside the house.
The connection was collapsing.
The Collector noticed immediately.
"It seems our time is ending."
Elias nodded.
"That appears to be the case."
The creature slowly sank deeper beneath the ocean.
Its massive shape fading slightly beneath the black water.
But its eyes remained fixed on Elias.
"We will meet again."
"Perhaps."
The ocean rippled one final time.
"And when we do…"
The creature's voice echoed across the endless sea.
"I suspect the dream realm will look very different."
Elias did not respond.
Because the doorway collapsed.
Reality snapped back into place.
The small wooden house returned instantly.
Jonas Calder fell sideways out of his chair, unconscious.
The wall where the dream-door had appeared was now just plain wood again.
Silent.
Ordinary.
Elias stood still for several seconds.
Then he exhaled slowly.
The Sea of Dreams had noticed him.
Not just parasites.
But ancient beings that lived within its depths.
And somewhere beyond them all…
The silent, distant awareness of The Lucid One continued watching.
Waiting.
As its chosen Sleeper took another step into the abyss.