The last thing Forneus had expected upon his return was to find Gwen sitting in the corridor outside of her quarters, quaking with silent sobs. When he knelt beside her, gently laying a hand on her shoulder, she gave a start, her eyes wide and glossy.
"Forneus, you're back." She got to her feet, hastily wiping the tears from her eyes. "You weren't supposed to see me...you know...like this."
He could have pointed out that this was hardly the first time he'd seen her cry, but decided against it. Instead, he cupped her cheek, gently tilting her chin so that she was looking at him.
"There is nothing for you to be ashamed of," he said, smoothing a thumb beneath her eye when another tear rolled down. "Now, why don't we step inside where it's more comfortable, and you can tell me all about your argument with Phenex."
Gwen blinked at him, mouth gaping. "How did you—?"
"—know you had an argument?" he finished the question for her. A sad smile touched his lips, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, guiding her toward her room. "Well, aside from the fact that the two of you haven't gotten along since day one? Let's just say it was an educated guess on my part."
Stepping into the comfort of Gwen's room, he waited for her to get settled before presenting her with the fresh cup of tea he'd conjured behind his back. Gwen blinked owlishly at him, the barest hint of curiosity lighting her eyes before she accepted it with a grateful nod.
Once he'd made certain that she was comfortable and had provided her with everything she needed, he sat down beside her; keeping just enough space between them so that she wouldn't feel overwhelmed by his proximity, but sitting just close enough that, should she need to, she could seek comfort from him.
Gwen cleared her throat. "I...I honestly don't know where to start," she said, cringing when the teacup rattled against the saucer in her lap. "Everything was fine at first. Or so I thought..." She trailed off, a curtain of hair falling across her face as she lowered her gaze.
Forneus listened intently when Gwen continued, her voice much quieter than before. He nodded when she explained how Apollo had confirmed that he was responsible for her powers, just as he knew the Greek god would, and how even he wasn't entirely sure how those powers would manifest.
As Gwen regaled him with what had happened from the moment she'd entered Apollo's quarters to the moment she'd left, he noted with no small amount of relief that, at least for the time being, she still remained unaware of her true nature. Still, in the wake of his relief came guilt. He didn't know how much longer he expected to keep it hidden from her, and despite the tiny voice in the back of his mind insisting he tell her the truth and get it over with, he couldn't bring himself to utter the words.
Little thought was given to this as Gwen went on, however, Forneus's guilt receding to the back of his mind the longer she spoke. When she came to the part where Apollo declared both Phenex and Forneus were to start training her the following day, he suspected he knew what had set Phenex off. By the time she reached their yelling match, Forneus was positive.
Silence fell between them once Gwen had finished speaking. Though she didn't look at him, Forneus could see the tears glistening on her cheeks like trails of stardust.
"I know I shouldn't have said those things to him," Gwen said, staring morosely at Forneus. "I was just so...so...angry, and I just...I don't know. I don't even know what I did to make him mad at me in the first place."
Ah, Phenex. Forneus suppressed a sigh. Why must you make things so difficult, old friend? Where are you now?
No sooner had he wondered this when it came to him. Phenex had very few haunts in the mortal world, but there had always been one place in particular that he had returned to whenever he was upset—and Forneus was willing to bet every last one of his ethereal arts that was precisely where he was right now.
His attention returned to Gwen, noting the way she clenched her jaw to keep more tears from falling, her fists curled tightly in her lap.
"What happened today wasn't your fault."
Gwen stared at him, disbelief written plainly across her face.
"I mean it," Forneus said. "You've done nothing wrong. There are...things from Phenex's past. Things that...well, he hasn't come to terms with just yet."
And there's a chance that he never will. He didn't say this out loud, however. It would only upset her further.
"What kinds of things?" Gwen asked. Even though she had calmed down considerably, Forneus could see the fragile set of her shoulders, the tremble of her chin. With just the slightest nudge, the floodgates would come crashing down once again. He couldn't let that happen.
"Gwen, I...don't think it would be wise of me to—" Words failed him when she suddenly took hold of his hand, grasping it desperately between her own.
"Please."
How could such a simple word affect him so devastatingly? He would have done anything at that moment—rearrange the stars, give her a world all her own—anything to banish the hurt from her eyes. Anything to see her happy again.
Gwen went on, heedless of the effect her words had on him. "Please. If I was out of line for what I said to him, I need to know...I have to know. Otherwise, how can I ever..."
Forneus stopped her with a reassuring squeeze to her hand.
"You weren't. Believe me, Phenex has had far worse said to him." After a moment's hesitation, he said, "All right, considering everything you've been through, I think you've earned the right to know the truth. But before you decide, I must warn you: what you learn of Phenex's past won't be pleasant. Are you sure you want to go through with this?"
Gwen nodded. "Yes."
Forneus studied her for a moment, searching for even the slightest trace of uncertainty. When all he saw was a resolve he hadn't known she possessed, he smiled. Was it any wonder that, out of all of the sparks in the ether, Apollo had chosen hers?
In one fluid motion, he stood, pulling her along with him. "Come, I have something to show you."
Gwen got to her feet, brow furrowed in confusion. "Where are we going?"
"Not where, my dear—when." Leading her to the centre of the room, he spun her around so that she was facing him. "It's been many years since I've done this, so you'll have to bear with me."
"Since you've done what?" she asked, her voice going up an octave. "Hold on a sec—did you just say, 'when'? Are...are you talking about time travel?"
"Strictly speaking? No," he replied. "Even I cannot travel through time. I can, however, access and immerse myself within another's memories, provided they've been filed away in the Spectrum's archives." However restricted those memories might be.
"Wait...we're going into Phenex's memories?!" Gwen's eyes widened. Then in a whisper, she added, "How...how is that even possible?"
Forneus smiled at her, and with the heel of his boot, stepped down on the discoloured portion of floor between them. At first, nothing happened, the mechanism not having been used for more than a century. It was only after he'd put all of his weight on it that the tile gave way, sliding back and disappearing into the one next to it with an audible snap. Hearing Gwen gasp, he looked up, noting the way her eyes followed the tiles as they disappeared into one another, revealing a circular quartz slab underneath.
She cried out in alarm when the floor began to shake, a deep rumble resonating from under the tiles as the slab rose up, forming a transparent column between them. A soft glow came from its core, changing from orange to green, and then from red to violet. When it finally ground to a halt, standing as tall as Gwen and twice as wide, she took a cautious step toward it, her eyes lighting up when they landed on the many dials and runes covering its surface.
Forneus watched as she inspected the console, his lips twitching into a grin when she murmured in wonder, tentatively tracing one of the runes with her finger. She stepped past him to examine the opposite side, her breath catching in her throat when the omega symbol etched at the very top of the cylinder began to glow.
"What is this?" she breathed, turning to face him.
"It's an Ethereal Console. Every Regulations Force operative has one in their quarters," he explained, lightly touching the omega symbol so that the light faded. "It grants access to the Ethereal Network, where updated archives and daily mission reports can be viewed—and it is also how we're going to access Phenex's memories."
Tapping several glowing keys on the right side of the cylinder, he gave a nod of satisfaction when a large, swirling vortex appeared in the space just above the console, the air crackling with its energy.
Gwen let out a startled yelp, drawing back in fright. Forneus chuckled, beckoning her closer with a wave of his hand.
"It's all right Gwen. It won't hurt you," he said, gently taking hold of her hand when she came forward. "This is an ethereal hologram of Phenex's memories. Now, hold on tight; this might feel a bit strange..."
Gwen did as instructed, her grip on his fingers almost painful. Reaching up with his free hand, Forneus braced himself against the tingling sensation that went through his fingers the moment they made contact with the vortex, and with a sudden jerk, both he and Gwen were pulled off their feet, travelling through the ethereal highway.
*