Whispers of Nowhere

Chapter Three: Part Two

Gwen stepped over the threshold, casting a furtive glance at Forneus as she entered the modest-sized room. Grasping the edges of his coat to keep it from slipping off her shoulders, she peered at her surroundings.

"Wow," she breathed, noting it was warmer here than in had been in the Spectrum proper, more comfortable. A bed with pristine white linen sat against the far left-hand corner of the room, a simple mahogany nightstand next to it. The rest of the room was bare. "This is a lot of room."

"It once served as Regulations Force barracks," Forneus explained. "One of many rooms, at any rate. With the department being significantly downsized in the past century, the entire pyrite corridor is vacant."

As she listened to him speak, a feeling of tranquility stole over her, the adrenaline pumping through her system ebbing away and leaving her head heavy with the desire for sleep. She idly wondered if some kind of enchantment in the room was responsible, or if the night's events had finally caught up with her. Just how long ago was it that she'd been in her own bed, staring at the numbers of her bedside clock? It felt as if a lifetime had passed since the artifacts had vanished.

Gwen hadn't realized she'd voiced this aloud until Forneus gave a slight chuckle. "With everything you've witnessed tonight, it's hardly surprising that you feel that way. In truth though, we've only been in one another's company for a little more than two hours; by the mortal realm's standards, at any rate. Currently, it is approaching 3 a.m.—in your hometown, of course."

It's really only been that long?

With this realization came another. Gwen needed to go to the bathroom, and badly. Glancing around the room, she was sorely disappointed to see that there wasn't one. When she voiced this aloud, Forneus chuckled again, and snapped his fingers.

Gwen watched in wide-eyed fascination as first, a doorway appeared in the wall to her left, expanding until a small room had formed adjacent to the one she was standing in. Once the walls and linoleum had finished materializing, a stand-up shower, toilet, and bathroom sink appeared, complete with green countertops and matching bathmats. A simple, metal towel rack laden with soft-looking towels and washcloths appeared next, showing up on the wall closest to the shower. Finally, the modest facility was filled with a muted, yellow glow, similar to the fluorescents she took for granted back home.

It took her a moment to stop gaping and make use of it, her face warming with embarrassment as she strode past Forneus. His quiet laughter continued even after she'd re-emerged from the bathroom, Gwen returning his coat to him with a scowl. Clearly he found something about her reaction amusing. Between his mirth and Phenex's bad attitude, it seemed her already frayed nerves would never know a moment's peace again.

"My apologies." Forneus bowed, his shoulders shaking with residual giggles. "Being that the Spectrum's residents have no need to relieve themselves, lacking proper facilities hasn't been a problem until now. Fortunately, we have vast knowledge of how they work. I trust you find it adequate?"

Try as she might, Gwen couldn't hold his laughter against him—even if it had been at her expense. She supposed, if the roles had been reversed, she would've reacted in much the same way he had. Lips pulling into a tentative smile, she said, "Yes, it's fine. So if you don't...well, you know," she shifted awkwardly, the rest of her words coming out in a jumble, "then does that mean you guys don't eat, either?"

"Yes and no." Forneus paused as he pulled his coat back on, his rich voice filling the room once he'd buttoned it nearly all the way up. "While we don't need to relieve ourselves, we do still require rest and sustenance. The latter of which comes from ether, which if we're feeling particularly whimsical, can be manipulated into the form of food or drink. Sleep, on the other hand, is all we require to replenish whatever energy we've used—physical or otherwise."