Hey... I gave Anephas the opportunity to grow up in my story
I'm sure he's all better now...
And you don't *have* to buy the underwater helm and breather to enter Collasium, but it helps. Each one extends the time you can hold your breath, and between both of them, you can hold it for a fairly long while.
It is possible to complete Collasium without breathers, but you'll be using the "breath of air" spell quite often, and searching for air pockets (of which there are quite a few). Woe betide you if you get stuck anywhere, though... and I refuse to discuss the whereabouts of two overly talkative mermaids who kept blocking my way