The gateway to the Infinite Forest stood before Wren once more and this time she glanced at Sagira and wished she would let Kiran out. At least so she could record another message from Cayde. No way would she ask Sagira to do the same. It felt too personal. And yet… not. She was more afraid the first time than now, with very little in the way of restful sleep with Sagira talking (mostly to herself) on the flight in from Earth.

Tension that came with her last meeting with Cayde had faded, along with the sickening fear that had come with the idea of getting trapped in the Forest. Adrenaline had long settled from both and now she was experiencing those fears like an outsider looking in. It didn't help that Kiran wasn't around to talk to. Even though Sagira was technically company, it wasn't the same and Wren felt oddly alone.

She resisted the urge to look over her shoulder and try to find the glimmer of Earth, a nagging in her belly telling her that doing so would bring her anxieties back to the surface before she could control them.

"Osiris saw something in the Infinite Forest— and it terrified him," Sagira explained. "Nothing ever terrifies him. We need to find him."

"Right…"

"You alright?" Sagira asked, almost impatiently as she hovered in front of the gateway.

"I… we can get out again, right?"

"With me? Absolutely. Once we find Osiris, we'll be fine."

"I thought no one who has gone in has ever escaped?"

Sagira sighed. "Look, it's complicated and I really don't have time to explain it right now. We have to find him, so let's go."

Wren could feel her urgency, but it was strange. Not like when she felt it from Kiran. It was duller… like she was seeing it, feeling it, left over from a dream. Lacking clarity. She never felt that she had a strong connection with Kiran in the way that she felt what he felt all the time, but with him being cut off from her, it became clear how connected they were without her noticing.

"Wren please," Sagira said, irritation thick in her tone.

It was enough to get Wren's feet moving toward the gateway. She held her breath as she passed through, tense as she expected enemies on the other side but it was silent. Calm.

She lowered the Better Devils when she realized the pyramid shaped hall was clear of Vex. She was alone here. Beyond the point that most Guardians would come and help if things got crazy. Cayde might he… would he? At this point in what was going on, whatever that was?

For the first time she wasn't certain if he would actually come for her.

Wren approached the end of the hall where there was one more barrier to pass through. This one was more jarring. She felt her boots touch the floor but something about it felt wrong. Like she was walking on the ceiling, upside down where gravity pulled on her where it shouldn't.

The sensation only lasted a moment before it ended but it was enough to send her stomach rolling. She swallowed back the nausea and took in her surroundings.

It was nearly pitch dark with the only lights coming from Sagira and the Vex constructs that materialized from fractalized light. Carefully she made her way across the narrow platforms, unsure if they would vanish under her or if they were stable. Either way, her legs shook as she tried not to look down into the abyss that fell away below her.

On the other side she was faced with a narrow opening made of the strange Vex carved stones and harsh metal angles. She could tell the hallway became smaller and smaller as it went and when she blinked memories trickled back in. Her palms began to sweat and she felt a tug between her shoulders but like so many times before, she had to move forward.

Luckily it didn't last long but once she was out she was even more confused than before. The room was a large cylinder with platforms swirling around the outer edge that led up toward a hole in the wall several floors up. The problem was that there were several Vex gates along the path. Did she have to choose one? Would Vex begin to swarm in and overpower her?

"What's wrong?" Sagira asked.

"Are those active gates?"

"Don't worry about them, they aren't an issue. Just keep moving."

She was getting sick of this treatment. Had been for a long time. She gritted her teeth, tired of people acting like she didn't have a right to know what she was charging into but instead of arguing she ran, up and across the platforms, on high alert for the gates to open. She didn't stop to wait once she reached the hole either, choosing to charge ahead instead of sitting around to wonder what might follow her.

"Osiris has adapted some of the technology of the Forest for his own purposes. We're going to run into his Reflections. They're copies - of himself. Made so he can explore multiple pathways at once. And yes, I am aware that it makes Osiris sound like an egomaniac. But don't worry. He is."

"How comforting," Wren replied dryly, not remotely amused by the pride in Sagira's voice. She just kept running, through tunnels and more cylindrical rooms with spiraling platforms. At least she could turn back and only have one way to go, if she needed to return to the entrance.

Right?

"This place just keeps going," she muttered. "Came by its name honestly."

"I'm picking up something ahead. Just keep moving."

Wren finally reached an open room wit a Vex plate to activate. She expected there to be Vex coming to stop her but there were none. Instead, the barrier around a small construct vanished, allowing her to destroy it and reveal a beam of white light that shot up toward the ceiling.

"Osiris has to be here somewhere," Sagira said.

As if on cue a Reflection of Osiris appeared but he was less a replica than Wren expected. It seemed his whole body was made of pulsing yellow light.

"Sagira!" he said, his voice distorted. "You shouldn't be here. And you brought someone new…"

"Who? Oh her? This is Wren. Get this, she's a friend of Ikora's."

The Reflection huffed his disapproval, but a path appeared for Wren anyway, materializing in a series of curved stone walkways and platforms. Here and there were Reflections of Osiris, phasing in and out, speaking to one another before running away, vanishing.

"Send word: Sagira has returned," one said to another as Wren came close to him.

Were they telling each other about her so word could get to the real Osiris?

A few Reflections stopped and watched Wren and Sagira, arms crossed. His disapproving glare followed Wren as she passed.

"Osiris sent you away for your own safety," two of them said in unison, standing like pillars atop stars that Wren ascended. "Your presence here puts everything at risk."

"Well guess what?" Sagira snarked. "He needs me."

"New timelines are expanding. We must create Reflections to explore them," another said, vanishing.

The Reflections seemed oddly disconnected to the conversation and none of them replied to Sagira.

"It's almost too late!" one said, and several more phased into existence, standing around to watch Wren progress farther into the Forest. Their glares sent chills down her spine.

"What do they mean, too late?" Sagira asked and suddenly Wren was less certain of what they were doing.

"Why would you ask me? I don't even really know why the hell we're here? I mean I do but… son of a bitch this is stupid."

"Something must have gone wrong…"

Wren stopped talking to her. The conversation wasn't going anywhere and they were already here and her only way out was Sagira. She couldn't even be mad about what Sagira was doing. She'd hope that Kiran would do the same for her.

She came around the corner to see another pyramid shaped hallway with several Reflections of Osiris hanging about in a circle. Beyond them was nothing but a false sky, thick with strange clouds.

"You cannot go to him," the group warned.

Wren kept her distance from them. One by one they vanished until only one remained and Sagira wasn't going to let this go.

"What!? What did he find?" she asked. "What's so bad that it could scare Osiris?"

The Reflection turned his back to Wren, motioning her to look out over the expanse before him. She still stayed several feet away, side eyeing him. In the distance was a solid white column; a tower that extended down into the depths of the abyss and up beyond where she could see in the clouds. A doorway in the side could be seen, but there was no visible way to get to it.

"Behold—the Infinite Forest," the Reflection said with a sweeping motion of his hand. "A planet-sized prediction engine, simulating trillions of parallel realities, all geared toward a single Vex purpose."

Fractalized light flared across the expanse and formed platforms extending from away from where she stood and out toward the tower. A few Vex could be seen meandering around but none of them seemed aware of her at all. They would be soon. The Reflection stared at her as she leapt toward the first platform. He flashed and vanished.

Wren fought her way through the Vex that she came across. Eliminating them wasn't hard. The platforms were small enough that they were easily viewable from almost everywhere.

"The Vex are simulating reality here," Sagira said. "Brute-forcing the future. And before you ask, everything here is real enough to kill you."

"I kinda figure that."

"There should be gates between platforms. You'll have to unlock them in order for the Forest to create the next one."

"Do I have to kill all the Vex first?"

"Uh, well… no, I don't guess so."

"Good." Wren kept her head down as she traversed as many platforms as possible without being noticed. A few were large enough for her to sneak past but many she had no choice. It still cut down on the time, however, and she found herself getting closer and closer to the tower. Closer to getting Kiran back. Closer to going home.

"By the way, sometimes the Forest locks the path unless you kill the Daemon."

"Can I tell by looking at them?"

"Not really, but I can help with that if you need. Urg, I wish you had a shotgun. This is taking forever."

Wren looked over her shoulder at how far she'd come. "You could get a gun and help."

"Fine, fine. This is fine," Sagira muttered.

"Look, I know you're in a hurry to find Osiris, but I'm not going to get myself killed in here. Not if I can help it."

"Yeah… I know."

"I get it."

They didn't speak for the rest of the time it took Wren to fight to the tower. The doorway she'd seen from afar was like the others she'd come across; triangular in shape with a gateway at the end. Thick, short grass grew along the ground here, swaying in a false breeze. She walked through it, the shimmering golden blades soundless under her boots. Like there was no grass there at all.

"First, I will show you where it all began."

The Reflections' voice seemed to come from everywhere, but Wren couldn't see one anywhere. She stepped through the gateway and into… sunlight.

A serene view greeted her. Beautiful skies of varying shades of blue, purple, and pink complete with fluffy white clouds hung over endless fields of golden grasses. Hills and trees and streams with bright blue water caught her off guard.

"Mercury," the Reflection said, "untold centuries ago. Before the arrival of the Vex."

His form appeared on a boulder and Wren went to him. In the distance, light flashed in the sky, like the twinkling of stars but Wren quickly realized it wasn't a thing of beauty. Vex constructs phased into existence.

"Here the Vex planted the seed that became the Infinite Forest – and it's Mind, Panoptes."

"Is that what I'm here for? To kill Panoptes?" Wren looked up at him but his gaze was a million miles away.

"Panoptes has a single purpose. To reshape reality for the Vex." He turned to look down at her. "And only for the Vex."

He studied her a moment, his head tilting ever so slightly. "All of this started with a single Vex. I wonder if it will end with a single Guardian?"

When he vanished Wren stood a moment, taking it in. Had she managed to wander into another situation where it was up to her to save… well, everyone? When had it become so complicated? Beorn's death? She shook her head. Everything was blurring together. It was time to move.

Another Reflection appeared in the distance, leading her toward a gateway that materialized by a pool of water. She walked past him and stepped through, back into a hallway like so many others. The feeling she had before of being able to turn around and leave was gone. Too many gateways had been crossed. Too many timelines… timelines? Was that even right? Simulations? Realities? How was time passing here versus the real world? She didn't know and fear gripped her throat. She didn't want to ask.

"That must be why he's made so many new Reflections," Sagira mused, giving Wren something to think about to keep her from spiraling.

"Yes. We have tried and failed to prevent this outcome," a Reflection said. "Now our best efforts only slow it. But you must see for yourself."

Another gateway and she felt she was hitting a reset button on her progress. Back to a part of the Forest that required her to fight through local simulations, against Vex that were all too real and yet didn't feel real at all. They were destroyed so easily, as if the simulation wanted to slow her, learn from her, but not actually destroy her itself. Was every moment she spent fighting only feeding it? Only allowing it to discover ways to stop her? She had to stop thinking like this. She didn't even know how this place worked! Running through what ifs and maybes didn't help when she didn't even have a fundamental understanding of exactly how this place worked.

"Guardian, were you there when the Traveler woke?" a Reflection asked.

"I was."

"A living Traveler changes everything. For good and bad."

Wren's shoulders tensed. Something about his tone didn't set right with her.

"Now many things are set in motion," he continued. "Osiris wrote the prophecies to warn other Guardians, and they sent him away. But you cannot exile the future."

There had to be more to this story than he was telling. She didn't see the anyone sending Osiris away for some prophecies. The whole situation seemed tense and she knew there was a lot she didn't know but at this point did she really care? She was delving farther and farther into the Forest. There was no backing out now and that realization nipped at her heels as she killed the Vex and pushed toward where Sagira was leading her.

"I don't feel like I'm getting anywhere," Wren said, frustration and tension mounting on her shoulders as she passed through gate after gate.

"You have somewhere else to be?" Sagira asked.

Wren couldn't tell if she was being snarky or what but it didn't matter. Her mind immediately went back to Cayde. He was so distant and being so far away physically made her slow down in her pace. She missed him. Even when she was right beside him she missed him. How had he flipped the switch so fast? And what would happen if she got back and he was still the same? What if she had to move out and find her own place again and—

A shot ripped through her thigh, and she cried out as she dropped.

"What are you doing!?" Sagira snapped and Wren could feel her concern as a strange prickling between her shoulder blades. "You gotta be careful!"

Blood seeped into the leather of her pants as she pulled herself away from the two Goblins that were approaching her. Tears stung her eyes as she quickly tossed a grenade toward them. Even with them dead the pain broke through the dam of what was going on in her personal life. She pulled her knees in and lost control, wishing she knew what was going on, wishing Kiran was here to comfort her, wishing she wasn't so alone.

"Hey, it's okay, I can heal you!" Sagira said and Wren felt the familiar healing warmth as the bullet wound in her leg healed. "What's wrong? It's all good now see? Good as new!"

Wren shook her head and tried to swallow the heartache she'd been stuffing down since the mission to the Fallen encampment. The moment when it all changed between her and Cayde. The distance. The quiet. The awkward behavior. He was hiding something and not knowing was only something she could ignore for so long. But she also knew this wasn't a good time. She shook her head harder, helmet rocking across her knees.

"I'm fine," she said, wishing she could wipe the tears from her cheeks.

"Okay…" Sagira replied, suspicion thick in her tone but she didn't push the issue.

Wren forced herself to her feet but taking the first step was like moving a ton of bricks by herself. Her pace was slowed as she tried to get over the weight that had planted itself squarely on her shoulders.

"We're almost there," Sagira said. "We have to go through that gateway up there and we can get away from the local simulations I think."

But how much farther did they have to go and how the hell would she even get out? Forward was the only option but it was the farthest from what Wren wanted, which was to lay there until nothing hurt any more. She wished she was back in the City but she also knew that going back, would mean dealing with whatever it was that Cayde was hiding. Dealing with the possibility that she might even be on the cusp of losing him and not even understanding what was going on.

The other side of the gateway was similar to the triangular hallways from before but now most of the stone was fractalized light and she wondered if she was headed into some sort of instability.

"We must find and stop Panoptes." A Reflection of Osiris' voice came through loud and clear but she couldn't see any of them lurking about. "None of us have been able to find a timeline where we succeeded. This is what it looks like when we fail. This is the future the Vex want…"

Wren passed through the next gateway and she stumbled to a halt. The scene stopped her in her tracks. She was standing in ruins. Rubble littered the path and stones fell from unstable pillars as she carefully stepped away from the gateway.

"What is this place?" she asked, ducking under loose cables that sparked overhead.

"The Lighthouse," Sagira whispered. "Is this what Osiris saw?"

"This is the Lighthouse?" The place was unrecognizable. There was a round platform down below and the entire opposite wall was missing, revealing the curve of what should have been the sun in the distance but there was no light except the occasional red glow from the ruins. "The sun… it's…"

"Neither light nor darkness exists anymore," the Reflection said. "The sun's warmth is gone. All life is lost."

"No," Wren whispered. "They're gone?"

"This is the future the Vex want. This what happens if we fail."

A Reflection appeared on the platform below and Wren carefully tread down to stand beside him. Standing there she recognized the place for what it was. Brother Vance would be standing here, surrounded with desks and piles of books but all of that was gone now.

"But that was before you," the Reflection said. "You are the key. You can stop this."

"Me? How? I'm just a Hunter, nothing special."

"Every timeline we track ends here. We must defeat Panoptes to prevent this dark future."

"I get that, but I don't understand why me. None of this makes any sense and I don't know if—"

The floor rumbled and the Reflection of Osiris' attention snapped toward the destroyed wall. Wren drew her Better Devils as the familiar blue glow of an incoming Vex materialized in the opening. Debris fell all around her and she was forced to put one arm up to shield her head.

"Panoptes has found us!" the Reflection said as the Vex appeared.

It was the largest Hydra she'd seen, but something was different. Two long arms stretched out on either side of the body and two large plates extended behind it like wings. Tentacles of light slithered into the air behind it, whipping around as its glowing red eye focused on Wren and the Reflection of Osiris.

She opened fire on it but every bullet was blocked, making contact with a barrier that became visible when impact was made. Bright ripples extended outward from the shots and Wren realized she couldn't damage it at all.

"You need to go!" the Reflection said. All around them Vex were spawning in, many of them heavily shielded. "You're more important than any of us now!"

They were quickly overwhelmed, and Wren tried to run and hide, unsure of how to even get out. Would these Vex follow her into the local simulations? Lasers followed closely at her heels and she slid into a small nook to hide, heart pounding in her ears. A pillar collapsed entirely, filling the space with dust and debris but despite her thinking it might have crushed the Vex it fell on, even the weight of the rubble wasn't enough to destroy the barrier.

Wren shuffled as far back into the gap in the wall as she could, shielding her helmet with her forearms. Energy weapons lit the room and the sizzling sounds rang in her ears.

"Cayde," she whispered, squeezing her eyes tight. "I want to go home."

As suddenly as it began, the assault ended and she was left with only the sound of her own heartbeat and heavy breathing. The enclosed space, walls tight around her, were gone. She opened her eyes to see she was no longer in the ruined Lighthouse, but was in one of the triangular hallways.

"What—"

"We have to get out of here."

Wren didn't have to be told twice. She scrambled to her feet and ran for the gateway at the end of the passage, knees shaking with every step. She practically threw herself through the gate and on the other side she breathed a sigh of relief and dropped to her knees, never so happy to see Mercury.

"Ikora, are you there?" Sagira asked.

"Sagira? You just left. What happened? Where's Osiris?"

"In trouble. We all are. We're headed back to the City to discuss the next steps."

"Alright. I'll be waiting."

Wren holstered the Better Devils, forgetting she was clinging to it for dear life.

"What did she mean, we just left?" Wren asked.

"Time works differently in the Infinite Forest. We could be in there for weeks and it only be a few minutes out here."

That explained some of why Cayde hadn't contacted her. Sort of… Still, this was it. The moment she'd been lamenting. Going home to find out what the hell was going on. Problem was, as much as she wanted to be out of the Forest, she wasn't ready to deal with what might happen with Cayde. She held her breath and hoped for the best.

Seeing him again was strange. Tense. Awkward. There was no choice but for all of the Vanguard to know what was happening now. This was bigger than tracking down a single Warlock, this was destruction of everything. Zavala remained quiet as Ikora, Sagira, and Wren recalled the specifics of their missions. He wasn't pleased. He'd just gotten onto Cayde for going behind his back for Wren and here Ikora was, sending her out on secret missions to possibly rescue an exiled Guardian.

Cayde didn't take his eyes off his map the entire time, having laid out one of Mercury but Wren could tell he wasn't actually paying attention to it as it was inverted. He was deep in thought and pretending, very unconvincingly, to plot out some sort of mission for taking down Panoptes.

Wren kept glancing at him, feeling anxiety and nausea twisting her insides. When she was finally dismissed, she decided to wait in the hallway for him but she wasn't ready for what she overheard.

"What the fuck were you thinking?" Cayde snapped.

"I wasn't expecting her to—" Ikora tried to explain herself but Cayde wasn't having it.

"She went into the Infinite Forest! And for what? A crazy old codger who couldn't keep his mouth shut long enough to not be exiled? She doesn't even have her Ghost now!"

"Kiran will be fine as soon as we get this figured out. And Osiris is still worth being saved and he's doing his best to make sure the Vex don't destroy us all."

"And that's good enough reason to send her in there alone? You know how many Guardians we've lost to that place and you're gonna willingly send her in?"

"I know why you're upset but it had to be done. We are all at risk here. You know what the Vex want."

"You're putting too much on her. How many times does she have to save all our asses before you'll let her rest and process all this nonsense?"

"Cayde, that is enough," Zavala said. "

"At least when I was her Vanguard I knew where the fuck she was! Did you know what was happening or was this just kept from me specifically?"

Zavala tried to contain himself. "No, I was not aware of the situation but that doesn't mean—"

"It means everything! And why didn't she tell me hm? Did you have something to do with that?"

"I told her to keep it between us," Ikora admitted.

"How the hell is that better? You know things, Ikora. How could you know and still do this to me?"

"To you?" Zavala cut in. "I thought this was about Wren's safety?"

"I swear to the Traveler, if you—"

"I think you should go," Ikora said, calmly. "I know you're angry and I'm sorry that it's gone the way it has. I should have considered the outcome a little more but I hope you know I didn't intentionally put her in danger to harm her. Or you."

"Whatever."

"We'll reconvene in the morning when cooler heads prevail," Zavala agreed.

Wren heard something smash onto the table and heavy footsteps approaching. She ducked out of the way of the door, which Cayde flung open, then slammed beside him. She watched from the shadows as he tensed entirely, clenching his fists so hard his body trembled but then… everything went slack. He exhaled and ran his hand down his face, covering his eyes.

"What are you doin'?" he muttered to himself.

"Cayde?"

"Sugarbird?" he breathed, his head snapping to meet her gaze. "I didn't know you… are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Just tired and hungry."

He glanced at the door. "Were you out here the whole time?"

She nodded and he looked away.

"Forget it. Let's get outta here," he said, striding toward the new courtyard. "I bet you're starving. Let's get some food."

Wren watched him walk away, wishing to close the distance she felt when he looked at her but not knowing how to do so. How had they come this far? She jogged to catch up to him, heart pounding as she grabbed the hem of his cloak. He looked at her over his shoulder but she couldn't make out his expression.

She followed him like this in silence, winding deep into the City to a bar that was a known Hunter hangout. When they got close Wren let his cloak go and kept a little bit of distance between them but she could tell he was keeping an eye on her.

Inside was crowded beyond what Wren was comfortable with but the ache in her chest could only be dulled by alcohol and as long as she didn't openly show her pain, Cayde wouldn't have a reason to cut her off. They pushed through the crowd toward the bar, with a good many of the Hunters making way for Cayde before he could get to them. They still gave him odd glances sometimes, but Wren was too overwhelmed with everything else to give them any thought.

Cayde was stiff when they stood at the bar, waiting to put in an order. He tugged her shoulder where her cloak attached to her chest piece and she moved in close to him. He stood leaned against the bar on his left elbow, body turned at an angle as if he was using his back to shield her. This close she could feel the heat radiating from him but he was talking with the bartender and hadn't said a word to her.

Her gaze traced along the line of his jaw, watching how the lights in his mouth illuminated parts of his plating and how his eyes moved and shifted while he spoke. She thought of how his body felt the night she'd last seen him, trembling from a nightmare. He was so solid. So real. There was tension there but she still felt she had the right to touch him, unlike now where the couple inches of space seemed miles instead.

The drink he ordered for her burned her throat worse than the tears but at least it could allow her to choke them down. She closed her eyes and relished the fire that burned down to her belly but a commotion behind her led to a Hunter being shoved into her back. Wren's ribs smashed into the bar top, the glass that was to her lips busting her lip and the burn of alcohol turned into a painful sting as it soaked into her now bloodied lip. She clamped a hand to her mouth, blood seeping between her fingers.

Before she knew what was happening the surrounding area was thick with yells and screams and Cayde had the Hunter pinned to the bar, fist raised to bash the poor guy in the face. The Hunter begged and raised his hands in defense, but rage flashed in Cayde's eyes.

"No!" Wren cried out. "What are you doing?"

Realization hit Cayde and his eyes went wide. All around, eyes were on him and he released the Hunter, glancing around wildly before heading for the door.

Wren wiped the blood on the back of her hand and followed him, practically running into the street where sunset had left the City in darkness except for a few lights along the storefronts and neon signs that had only half survived the Red War.

"Cayde, stop!" she called after him.

"Go home, kid."

Wren stopped walking. "I don't have one."

That caught him off guard and he turned to her. "What are you talking about?"

"The way you've been acting I… I don't feel comfortable there. Look, I don't know what's going on with you but if you don't want this anymore then I wish you'd tell me. And if it's about going to the Infinite Forest I… I'm sorry I didn't tell you what was going on, I just… you were acting really weird and I wasn't sure you…" she stared at her boots, tasting her own tears mixing with the blood in her mouth. What a strange sensation when Kiran wasn't around to heal her. Not that he could ease all of this pain anyway. "You've been so distant lately, I thought maybe you'd be happy if I was gone."

"What? No, Sugarbird that's… this whole thing—" he wrapped her in a hug, crushing her against his chest. She clung to him, stifling a little sob. "It's complicated."

"I wish you'd tell me."

"I know, and I will but I promise this ain't about you, Sugarbird. I promise."

"Then tell me what's going on."

"I will. I just… give me one more night. Okay? Please?"

Wren buried her face in his chest, her heart tearing her to pieces while his arms tried to keep her together. One more night. Just one more.