next >>   Allow me to introduce myself. I am Vain. I prey upon the beaten. I prey upon the mutilated. I prey upon the lost. I prey upon the ones who paid the highest price attempting to withstand life. I collect their stories. Gather their thoughts. Grieve for their losses. Honor their defiance. Solemnize their glorious delusions. Treasure their brief moments of joy. Mourn their end. I do it for the insight. I do it for the thrill, for the elusive impression of understanding the incomprehensible. I do it because I must. For I am the Collector. And this is my Collection. The inscription on the cover of book 1