When sleep finally, mercifully, claimed me, the familiar dreams came in pieces—disjointed and jagged, like shards of broken glass scattered across my mind. Each fragment cut deeper than the last, opening the many scars the years had left upon my mind.

The acrid stench of smoke clung to the air, mingling with the metallic tang of blood. My legs burned as I ran, cobblestones sharp beneath my feet, slick with grime and worse. Behind me, my father’s roar echoed—a guttural, inhuman sound that carried defiance and desperation in equal measure.

I turned sharply into an alley, nearly stumbling as the heat of flames licked at my back. The shattered remains of our home loomed ahead, warped and twisted by the fire consuming it. Behind me, my father’s massive living stone wings stretched wide in a final act of defiance, his stance protective even in death. Cracks spiderwebbed across his surface, pieces of him crumbling to ash with every passing second as he petrified for the last time in his life.

From within the inferno ahead of me, my mothers' voices rose above the chaos, desperately trying to get my attention. “Run, little pebble! Don’t stop running! Don't ever stop running”

I tried to obey, my legs churning against the weight of terror, but the shadows closed in faster than I could move. Chains rattled behind me, metallic and serpentine, slithering toward me with a predator's glee I swore I could feel. They wrapped around my wrists and ankles, their weight dragging me down and down and down and—

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The flames faded, replaced by the cold, fluorescent glare of the lab. Yellowed concrete that could at one point have been white bit into my knees, rough and damp with mildew. My wrists were rubbed raw where the chains held me in place. The air reeked of damp rot, the oppressive scent sharp enough to sting my nose. Around me, the other children huddled in the shadows, their eyes hollow, their bodies battered and bruised. I was one of the few in better shape, and conversely was pulled by our tormentors more often. Regenerator's luck.

I searched for Vivi instinctively, my gaze scanning the dimly lit room until it landed on the thin half-devil. They were slumped against the far wall, the dye in their dull and matted hair long faded, their sharp eyes usually so full of fire now glazed over with exhaustion and pain. Many many scars covered their dark skin, some bright and new enough to be visible even in the low light.

I pulled at the chains, the metal biting into my skin as I fought to reach them. The door creaked open, and the rhythmic echo of boots on concrete sent a chill racing down my spine.

“Bring the next one,” a voice commanded, cold and detached, as if we weren’t even alive. "Make sure it's one of the more... resilient subjects."

Hands grabbed me, yanking me forward. The other children shrank back into the shadows as the light above grew brighter, blinding. I fought against the hands that held me, fought against the chains, fought against the inevitability of it all.

And then—

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I was back on the streets, older and colder. The threadbare coat I’d scavenged barely held back the biting wind. Hunger gnawed at my stomach, and every shadow seemed alive with menace, waiting to pounce.

I turned into an alley—a dead end. The walls closed in as footsteps echoed behind me, the sound accompanied by cruel, mocking laughter.

“You think you’ll survive out here, freak?”

A fist came out of nowhere, catching me across the jaw halfway through turning around, sending me sprawling into the muck. The ground was wet and cold, the stench of rot filling my nose as I tried to push myself up. A kick landed in my ribs, sharp and unrelenting, driving the air from my lungs. I coughed, gasping as pain radiated through my chest.

The dream shifted again, fragments swirling together in a whirlwind of chains, blood, and fire. The laughter overlapped with screams, the crack of stone wings shattering, the hum of fluorescent lights. It built into a cacophony that threatened to drown me entirely.

I opened my mouth to scream and all that came out was black ichor, filling my lungs filling my eyes filling my world filling the void between shards between shards between—

A melody.

Soft and familiar, like a thread of light weaving its way through the darkness. A lullaby.

The chains loosened. The laughter faded. The cold light dimmed. Gone was the black ichor.

Peace.

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I woke with a gasp, my chest heaving as I clawed my way back to reality. My skin was slick with sweat, my heart hammering against my ribs as the room swam into focus. The first thing I registered was warmth—two distinct sources pressing against me from either side.

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On my left, Jin clung to my arm, her pink eyes wide and wet with tears reflecting the soft glow of her eyes. Her tail was coiled tightly around my leg, and her grip on me was firm, as if she could physically hold me in place and keep me from slipping away. Her cheeks were damp, her expression raw with fear and worry.

On my right, Vivi sat on the edge of the bed, their arms loosely draped around my neck. Their voice, usually sharp and teasing, was low and melodic as they hummed softly—a tune I hadn’t heard in years but knew as well as my own heartbeat.

“You scared the hell out of us,” they said quietly, their usual bravado replaced by worry.

I struggled to catch my breath, the remnants of the dreams clinging to me like a second skin. My voice was hoarse when I finally managed to speak. “How...?”

Jin nuzzled against my arm, her fingers curling tightly into my sweated-through shirt as her tail tightened its hold. Vivi gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze before leaning back slightly, their sharp eyes resting on Jin.

“She came to get me,” they explained, nodding toward the weeping succubus. “You wouldn’t wake up. You were thrashing, mumbling... damn near knocked yourself off the bed.”

I glanced down at Jin, her tears glistening in the dim light. The fear in her gaze was palpable, her silent plea clear even without words. My chest ached at the sight of her, and I reached up to brush a hand through her hair.

“I’m sorry,” I murmured, the words catching in my throat. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Her grip on me tightened briefly before she relaxed just enough to lean more fully into my side, her tail twitching faintly as it adjusted its hold.

“You were dreaming about the past again,” Vivi said bluntly, their voice steady but laced with concern.

The mention of it sent a shiver down my spine, and I closed my eyes, trying to shake the vivid images that still lingered. “Yeah,” I admitted after a moment, my voice barely above a whisper. “It was... all of it, mixed together. My parents. The fire. The labs. The streets. Everything.”

“Figured as much,” Vivi said. “You were mumbling about chains, the fire... your folks. Sounded like a greatest hits of all the shit you’ve been through.”

I let out a shaky breath, my hand moving to rest against Jin’s back as she pressed closer to me. Her presence was grounding, pulling me back to the present as the weight of the dream began to recede.

“It’s not real anymore,” I said softly, though the words felt hollow even as I spoke them.

Vivi snorted, their smirk faint but tinged with something bitter. “Yeah, sure. Because trauma totally just disappears if you ignore it hard enough.”

I shot them a weak glare, but the truth in their words wasn’t lost on me.

Jin shifted slightly, her fingers brushing over the runes etched into my skin as if trying to reassure herself that I was real.

“I’m sorry,” I said again, the words meant for both of them. “For worrying you.”

Vivi’s smirk softened into something more genuine as they leaned back against the headboard. “Don’t mention it. We’ve all been there, right? You’ve pulled me out of more than a few of these. Guess it’s my turn.”

Their words tugged at memories I’d tried to bury—the nights we’d spent pulling each other back from the edge, one nightmare at a time. Back then, it had been a matter of survival, of holding on to anything that kept us tethered to reality.

“You were humming,” I said after a moment, the softness in my tone surprising even me.

Vivi tilted their head, their sharp eyes glinting faintly in the dim light. “Figured it might help. It always used to.”

The melody lingered in my mind, weaving through the frayed edges of the dream like a lifeline. It was an old lullaby, one of the few pieces of comfort we’d had in the orphanage. One of the older kids used to sing it, their voice soft and unsteady, but steady enough to calm the younger ones when things got bad.

“It still does,” I admitted, the words rough with emotion.

Jin’s gaze flicked between Vivi and me, her pink eyes questioning. Her fingers moved in small, deliberate patterns against my chest, still tracing the faint scars that marked my skin. The gesture was grounding, a reminder that I was here, now, with her.

“It’s just an old song,” I explained softly, brushing a hand through her hair. “Something we picked up back then. A lullaby.”

Vivi chuckled faintly, though the sound lacked their usual edge. “It wasn’t much of a lullaby half the time. More like a distraction. But hey, it stuck.”

“Because we needed it to,” I said, my voice quiet. The memories settled over me, bittersweet and heavy. The orphanage had been a fleeting refuge, barely more than a temporary reprieve before everything fell apart again. But even in its bleakness, we’d found scraps of light—small moments of connection that had kept us from falling apart entirely.

Jin’s fingers stilled against my chest, her tail twitching faintly as she absorbed my words. Her silence was steady, comforting in its own way, but the worry in her eyes hadn’t entirely faded.

“You’ve got a hell of a guardian angel here,” Vivi said suddenly, their tone lighter as they gestured toward Jin. “Not everyone would’ve come running to wake me up. Guess you’ve got a keeper, Rak’.”

I glanced down at Jin, her tail tightening briefly before she nuzzled closer to my chest. A faint smile tugged at my lips despite the lingering ache in my chest. “Yeah,” I said softly, brushing my thumb along her cheek. “I really do.”

Vivi stretched, leaning back on their hands as they glanced toward the door. “Well, I’ve done my good deed for the night. You two should get some rest.”

They started to rise, but I reached out instinctively, my hand catching their wrist. “Stay.”

Vivi froze, their expression flickering with surprise before softening. “You sure? Don’t want to cramp your style.”

I rolled my eyes, though the gesture lacked any real annoyance. “Just stay,” I said again, tugging them gently back toward the bed. “Remember what we talked about outside.”

Vivi sighed theatrically but allowed themselves to be pulled back. “Fine, fine. But only because you asked so nicely.”

Jin didn’t seem to mind as Vivi settled on the other side of me, though her tail gave a faint flick before curling back around my leg. She pressed closer to my side, her grip steady and possessive. It was an odd sensation, being held so firmly on both sides, but I couldn’t deny the comfort it brought.

The bed was cramped with all three of us, the blankets barely enough to cover everyone. Vivi leaned back against the headboard, one arm draped casually across my shoulders, while Jin remained firmly against my chest, her breathing soft and even. The warmth of their combined presence settled over me, chasing away the last remnants of the dream.

For a while, none of us spoke. The quiet hum of the city filled the room, punctuated only by the faint rustle of fabric as we adjusted positions. Slowly, the tension in my chest began to ease, replaced by a sense of calm I hadn’t felt in days.

“You really scared us, Rak’,” Vivi said eventually, their tone low but steady.

I nodded, my hand brushing lightly through Jin’s hair. “I’m sorry,” I said again, though the words felt inadequate for the weight of their concern.

“Got nothing to apologize for,” Vivi replied, their hand giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze. “Just... don’t shut us out, okay?”

Jin’s tail tightened briefly around my leg, her silent agreement clear.

The quiet settled over us again as I drifted off between my loved ones.