The drain hatch opened like a mouth.
Not with rust and effort—without hands. Stone shifted, seams loosening as if the Underchain itself had decided Astra was already inside its throat.
Cold air rolled out, tasting of wet iron and old soap and something sweeter underneath—oil, leather, coin-wax. A curated stink. Not sewer. Not ruin.
Astra stepped down one rung, Kael's arm tight at her waist—asked-for, steady—guiding her without touching her throat. Behind them, the annex stairwell echoed with boots and the dull clatter of pursuit. Eight seconds of Null Voice had bought them a breath. Not safety.
In the dark beyond the hatch, a voice spoke—low, amused, too confident to be a stranger.
"Welcome, Astra Vey," it said. "Your chain is due."
Lanternlight—warm, amber—spilled from somewhere ahead. Not a torch. Not holy. Not military. A lantern hung from a chain-link arch like a jeweler's display.
A man leaned on the far side of the arch, half in shadow, half in light. Tall, coat cut too well for the drains. Gloves off, hands visible—clean nails, scarred knuckles. A thin chain ran from his belt to a ring at his hip, not decorative: a tool, a contract, a threat.
His eyes were calm and hungry, like a ledger that already knew your name.
Orin went rigid beside the hatch. Juno's disks hummed, frightened.
Lyra, two steps ahead, didn't look surprised at all.
That was what made Astra's stomach drop.
The man smiled at Astra's throat wrap, like he could see the Underchain marks through cloth and stubbornness.
"Chainlink," he murmured. "Mask. Local Admin. And a fresh inquiry." He inhaled once, slow. "You're expensive."
Astra's interface flickered—Underchain jagged text overlaying Guild residue like a bruise under makeup.
COLLECTOR CLAIM: IMMEDIATETERM: "BRING THE SUBJECT."DEBT TOTAL: 7WARNING: COLLECTION ENFORCEABLE (LOCAL)
Kael's breathing went tight. The Guardian link tugged—subtle, hot—like it didn't know whether to protect Astra from the Collector or stand at attention for him.
Kael's hand tightened at Astra's waist, then loosened as he caught himself. "Consent?" he asked, rough, urgent—asking because his reflexes were screaming.
"Yes," Astra said. "Hold. Don't grab."
Kael held—steady, controlled—his body warm behind her like a wall she'd chosen, not a cage.
The Collector's gaze flicked to Kael's arm around Astra's waist. A smile, sharp with interest.
"Guardian," he said, tasting the word. "That's new. I didn't order that."
Kael's jaw clenched. "Who are you."
The man bowed slightly—not humble, just polite. "Chain Collector Vell," he said. "Local. Licensed. Hungry."
Orin spat on the wet stone. "Licensed by who."
Vell's smile widened. "By the Underchain. Don't worry, old man. It's a self-issuing authority."
Orin's face went murderous. "We're not paying you."
Vell's gaze didn't leave Astra. "You are," he said calmly. "The Admin flag called me. The mark answered. And she said yes to my house twice."
Astra's throat burned. "I said yes to survival."
Vell's eyes warmed faintly. "That's what the Underchain calls religion."
Lyra's quiet laugh drifted in the dark. "He's poetic tonight."
Astra's gaze snapped to Lyra. "You know him."
Lyra's mouth curved like a knife. "Everyone knows a Collector. If you don't, you're not interesting."
Kael's arm tightened at Astra's waist. Heat flared low in Astra's belly—ugly jealousy, sharp and stupid—because Lyra sounded too familiar in a place that wanted to own Astra.
Astra forced the jealousy into strategy.
"Vell," Astra said, voice flat, "state terms."
Vell pushed off the arch and walked closer—slow, unhurried—stopping at a respectful distance where the lantern made his face readable. Mid-thirties. Beautiful in the way dangerous men often were: sharp lines, calm mouth, eyes that didn't flinch.
He lifted his hand—not toward Astra's collar. Toward the air between them, as if he was presenting an invisible document.
"Term one," Vell said. "Payment. You owe seven units of chain debt. The Underchain doesn't like running tabs."
Astra's jaw clenched. "I already tithed information."
Vell nodded. "Cute. That was one." His gaze slid to her eyes. "Then you spent the rest like you were borrowing tomorrow."
Kael's voice cut low. "We didn't have a choice."
Vell's eyes flicked to Kael. "You always have choices. You just don't like the menu."
Orin snarled, "Get to it."
Vell smiled. "Term two. The Underchain doesn't mute command voice for free. You used Local Admin." He tapped his own chest lightly. "That's a brand. People will ask who taught you. People will ask who allowed it."
Astra's interface flickered a new line beneath the Collector claim.
COLLECTOR AUTHORITY: ENFORCEABLE (LOCAL)NOTE: DEFAULT COLLECTION METHOD = "BIND"
Bind.
Astra's stomach tightened.
Vell watched her reaction and smiled like he enjoyed reading pain without causing it directly.
"Term three," he said softly. "You don't leave this corridor until you settle the Collector's due."
Juno's disks hummed louder. "We're being chased."
Vell's gaze slid to her, amused. "Yes."
Kael's jaw clenched. "Hounds are behind us."
Vell nodded once, bored. "And House in front of you, and Church somewhere above pretending to be holy. You're in the middle of the city's throat. Congratulations."
Astra forced her breathing slow. She could feel it—the Underchain corridors were quieter here, walls thicker, signal muffled. If Vell held them long enough, Rusk's men could catch up. Or House could.
Unless Vell wanted to keep them out.
Unless the Underchain preferred its debts collected privately.
Astra looked at Vell. "If you bind me here, you hand me to command."
Vell's smile sharpened. "Do I."
Astra's mouth tasted blood. "You want payment. If I'm taken, you don't collect."
Vell's eyes glinted—approval, faint. "Good. You're learning how debt makes predators cooperate."
Lyra leaned against the wall like she owned the damp stone. "He'll keep the Hounds out for the right price."
Orin's stare was a knife at Lyra. "Shut up."
Lyra's smile didn't move. "No."
Vell turned his head slightly toward the darkness behind them, as if listening to boots through stone.
"They're close," he said.
Astra's pulse spiked. Kael's arm tightened at her waist.
"Consent?" Kael asked, rough, immediate.
Astra didn't blink. "Yes. Hold."
Vell's gaze lingered on the exchange. "Gods, you two are exhausting," he murmured. "Fine. Tactical first."
He snapped his fingers once.
The chains embedded in the corridor walls gave a low metallic hum—like a throat clearing. The lanternlight brightened, then steadied.
Astra's interface flickered hard.
UNDERCHAIN LOCK: ACTIVE (LOCAL)EFFECT: PURSUIT MISDIRECTED (10s)COST: COLLECTION PRIORITY INCREASED
Vell smiled at Astra. "Ten seconds. That's what you bought by being interesting."
Orin didn't waste it. "Move," he hissed. "We can't trust him."
Vell lifted a hand lazily. "You move when I say you move."
Orin's face went murderous—then stopped, because the chains in the wall hummed again and the air around Orin's chest felt suddenly heavier, like a warning.
Juno swallowed, eyes wide. "Orin…"
Kael shifted—protective, furious—then caught himself.
"Consent?" Kael asked Astra, voice tight. "To me stepping between you and him."
Astra's pulse kicked. "Yes. But no throat."
Kael moved half a step in front, still keeping his hand at Astra's waist, still refusing to become the kind of man Dorian wanted him to be.
Vell's smile widened. "Good Guardian," he murmured. "You'll learn fast in this city. Or you'll break."
Astra's stomach twisted. "Enough. Payment options."
Vell's eyes glittered. "Information, trace, or permission. Same menu as the node. But I'm a Collector. I can negotiate."
Lyra's gaze sharpened like she'd been waiting for this. "Don't give him permission."
Astra's eyes cut to Lyra. "You already did."
Lyra smiled. "I gave you access. You spent it. That's on you."
Kael's arm tightened at Astra's waist. Heat flared low in Astra's belly—jealousy again, sharp and ugly—because Lyra was too calm about Astra bleeding into power.
Astra used it.
"Vell," Astra said coldly, "information."
Vell tilted his head. "What kind."
Astra's throat burned. She couldn't give him Kael. Couldn't give him Astra's soul mismatch in full. Couldn't give him Seraphine's entire sanctuary logic.
She could give him something Underchain would value and House would hate.
"House Veyrn sponsored a Guild audit in a Lantern annex," Astra said. "Sanctum Nine. Sponsor seal in crimson. Witness sealed under House authority."
Vell's eyes narrowed a fraction. "Hmm."
Orin muttered, "That's valuable."
Vell nodded slowly. "It is. But not enough for seven."
Astra's jaw clenched. "Then reduce."
Vell smiled. "I'll reduce one. Maybe two."
Astra's interface flickered, confirming his leverage.
COLLECTOR OFFER: TITHE — INFORMATION (-2 MAX)