For years, Vynx had escaped the concept of nightmares. In his early childhood, he recalled experiencing night terrors like any other. Yet since being imbued with the Alchemy Commission's sigil, his sense of fear had all but disappeared, numbed to the point where he could look death in the face and laugh. While he was thankful to be spared from the traumatic nightmares that would haunt any other human, what remained in his subconscious were memories of days he would rather forget.

He had done his best to keep such dreams to himself. Unfortunately, he now shared his mind palace with a certain succubus, and Laven had come to make herself at home in both the hunter's waking and sleeping thoughts. What were once hazy dreams had become crystal clear with Laven's presence. Days dedicated to training and enduring every vigorous test the alchemists put him through. Nights spent in his stone room in the Commission's basement. And on occasion, even memories of a past that didn't quite belong to Vynx.

Yet just as the succubus could see into his dreams, their pact also allowed him to catch brief glimpses into hers. On the first night after their pact, he had peered at a resplendent ballroom right before the succubus rapidly shifted their location to a sex dungeon. On another night, he woke up in a brightly lit church, only to be pulled by Laven into some fun in the confessional booth. 

On that particular evening, the hunter found himself in a sunlit field of flowers. Somehow, he could always sense when he had ended up in one of her dreams. For a demon of the night, he expected a much more hellish dreamscape from Laven, but he suspected that each location held some significance to her. When he sat up in the grass, he noticed Laven sitting next to him. To his surprise, the succubus lacked any of her usual demonic features. Her curved horns, tail, and wings were nowhere in sight. Even her scanty black clothes had been replaced with a crisp white noble's uniform with silver trimming. As Laven turned to face him, he gazed into the navy blue eyes of a very human woman. 

"Laven? Is that you?" Vynx blinked. 

"... Hey," Laven replied. Her voice carried its usual bitter tone but without the hint of mockery in it. She turned her gaze back at the picturesque fields as she hugged her knees to her chest. "I can change the dreamscape if you want. I was just waiting here until you fell asleep," she admitted.

Vynx shook his head. "If it's all good with you, I'm fine with relaxing tonight." He yawned and let himself fall back into the flowers. A certain feral werewolf had already drained him before bed, and doing double duty in both the waking world and Laven's dreamscape was starting to take its toll on him. "Is this your happy place?" he wondered. The azure sky was incredibly vibrant above them, and the fields of flowers seemed to stretch on endlessly in every direction. He had to admit, the scent of lavender and lilac put his mind at peace.

"Something like that," the demon murmured. "I came here often while I was human." 

"I had a feeling." Vynx reached over to let his hand graze along her lower back. While she could easily peer into his thoughts, he had a much harder time reading what went through her mind. Even after all their nights together, he still knew very little about the succubus or her past life. It was no secret that many demons had once been human before they were damned to the hells. Yet, he found it hard to imagine that the sombre woman next to him had done something to deserve turning into an infernal being. "You can talk about it if you want. I'm good at listening to other people's woes, if nothing else," the hunter chuckled.

"It isn't the kind of pillow talk that you need to worry about." She smirked wryly. Even so, she relaxed at his touch and let herself fall back to lie beside him. "I was named after these flowers. As a human, I was known as Lavender Serith." Her eyes focused on the small, shrub-like flowers blooming beside her face. "When demons razed my kingdom to the ground, I was captured and encased in dark crystal to become one of them. Or rather, to become one of their toys," she muttered. Her voice remained composed even as a flash of spite flickered in her eyes. 

Vynx raised his eyebrow. "Oh. I had no idea." He carefully retracted his hand, but Laven shook her head and pulled it back to her side. 

"You don't need to pity me. I'm now just a devil who toys with mortal lives to sustain myself," she said. Even so, her voice carried a melancholic tone of quiet resignation. An acceptance of what she had become, twisted and shaped by the demons who had claimed her home.

"Still, that doesn't mean you can't mourn the person you used to be." Vynx squeezed her hand gently. 

A bitter smile tugged at the edge of Laven's lips. "That is all I do: stay in this dream and mourn."

He could only imagine the pain of losing both one's home and humanity. It was a pain that he had seen in Sophia and Soleil, one that he could not simply take away. All he could offer was his presence, unchanging and steadfast. Their pact had become a mutually beneficial arrangement, and Vynx had no issue with sharing his life force when his sigil provided him with a near limitless well to draw from. While the demoness had her ways of wearing on his patience, deep down, he had grown fond of her company. "Demon or not, you deserve a chance to find happiness again. Besides, I was the one who tricked you into this deal. I'm just surprised that you haven't ripped up our contract and hopped onto the next horny idiot." 

Laven laughed softly. "You're far too entertaining to simply abandon." She kept her hand in his, and Vynx noticed a faint blush across her cheeks as he pulled her in closer to him. 

"Well, I'm glad you think so highly of me," Vynx sneered back. He rather liked seeing this side of the succubus, even if it was only in the dream world. After all, she had already seen into his past and through Vynx's many embarrassing memories. It was only fair that he was able to see into hers. "This human side of you is pretty cute too," the hunter whispered. A shameless grin crossed his face as Laven's eyes widened, and unable to help himself, Vynx seized her lips in a playful kiss. 

There was something satisfying about being able to fluster a demon. Vynx had a feeling that beneath the cold and seductive exterior, Laven quite enjoyed his romantic attentions. He also couldn't deny that the woman was still highly attractive, even in the more conservative outfit. The hunter eagerly showered her in kisses before rolling on top of her to prevent Laven from pulling away. 

"I thought you just wanted to relax tonight…" Laven accused. The hunter had both her wrists pinned by her head, forcing her to look up at him while he loomed over her. 

"I do. Doesn't mean I can't have a little fun with you, since you enjoy teasing me most nights," Vynx cheerfully responded. He planted another kiss on her forehead before leaning down to press a kiss to her neck. The woman squirmed under him, but he gave her no room to wriggle away. 

"What exactly is fun about this?" Laven grumbled. The succubus let out a yelp as Vynx suddenly blew a raspberry against her cheek. 

"Lighten up, Laven. Not everything has to be about angst and sex around here," snickered the hunter. A fiendish thought crossed his mind, and he wondered if the succubus was ticklish at all. Vynx certainly had nothing to lose and decided to test his theory. After letting go of Laven's wrists, he aimed his assault at her neck and sides.

"Pffft—stop that!" Laven sputtered and held back a laugh as the hunter tickled her. She tried to shove him off, but Vynx attacked her other weak spots before she could. "Vynx—!" The succubus shrieked his name between bursts of laughter. Tears sprang to her eyes as the hunter tickled her into submission, and with no way out from under him, Laven had only one other option. 

Vynx was forcefully ejected from the dreamscape and woke up with a start. The bountiful fields of flowers and summery skies were replaced with the familiar sight of their room at the Rose Garden. "Ha. She really hates losing." Vynx was smug as he readjusted himself in bed. Soleil and Hilde were both still fast asleep at his side, and he made sure to tug the blankets back up to their shoulders. 

"You didn't win anything," Laven replied moodily in his mind. Even without seeing her, Vynx could imagine the succubus flicking her tail in annoyance and crossing her arms with a pout. 

"Show me another one of your favourite places next time, Laven." His request was polite. If he had the option to go anywhere he wanted to in his dreams, Vynx decided that he would use it to learn more about his succubus companion. With that, he let out another tired yawn and closed his eyes, allowing himself to drift back into a peaceful slumber.

"... I'll think about it," Laven grumbled. She was not accustomed to the hunter's interest in her, especially not in ways that extended beyond their indulgences under the sheets. He was simply a source of energy—a supply of nourishment to be sapped and used. Yet with each day in each other's company, Vynx found new ways to bewilder the succubus. He was always ready to extend his help, even when there was little to be gained. It brought back memories from a lifetime she believed was long gone, fleeting moments of hope in a world mired by danger and despair. As the hunter slipped off to sleep, Laven made sure to ward away any troublesome worries tugging at his mind. "Sweet dreams… Vynx."