PART FORTY-SIX - THE SHADOW OF MY KIN

The dress felt much tighter than before, making each breath shallow and quick. Sophia shifted, hoping to hide her discomfiture against the swarm of people. It was strange to have her hair flowing freely on her shoulder. Anyone could just grab it.

So many people here, staring at her as if they couldn't believe she existed. This 'party' protracted longer than she had thought. Lawrence insisted that she needed to attend since, well, it was in their manor to start.

Guests danced with their partners to the beating music. Servants stepped between, dressed opulent to match the rich settings. Chaperons and personal butlers alike stood nearby. The ballroom used to be cold and bloviated cave during the night and now it was dazzling with a thousand lights, housing so many people, she nearly forgot just how spacious it was.

Lawrence had abandoned her with a flock of women her age. Her confidence plummeted at the sight of the young noblewomen. Just look at them. So elegant in their gowns as if they were born into it, balanced on heels while she used flatter ones so she wouldn't embarrass herself.

I don't care…

And yet she wouldn't stop cursing at herself for dismissing Sally's suggestion to wear some jewelry.

To make matters worse, her father ordered her to take off her weapons. It was wise in doing so. With this many people around her, some actually approaching her from behind…there could've been a little accident.

Her ribbons were safely secured under her long gloves that reached to her elbows. It matched her dress, a beautiful royal blue dress. The shade of the color matched her father's vest. A grey shawl hung over her bare shoulders. Blue and grey. Haidrund colors.

"Lady Sophia?"

Sophia jolted a bit when the other woman touched her lightly. "Yes?" Wait, who are you?

They gave her that same look, that strange look as if she was a foreign creature crawling out from some hole.

"We were discussing about the ball in Hyrule Castle. You are coming, I'm sure?"

"Oh no, I'm not," Sophia said as a matter of fact, and realized just how blunt she said it. "I mean I'm not too sure."

"I hear the princess will be there," one of them said excitedly.

A tallest one among them, one who wore the prettiest dress scoffed at her. "It's her castle. Of course she'll be there." She turned to Sophia. "It'll be great of you to come along. I hear your father is coming. He's friends with the king, right?"

"Oh, what about your brother?" one of them asked keenly, getting a little too close for comfort. "I've heard he's still in the academy."

"An incredible acumen I've heard," another said. "Why, he's even making the professors look bad!"

Too much…

Too much noise. Too much remembering. An ache drilled into her mind. Trying to keep up with their talk was like catching a fly with bare hands.

And really was this what they spoke about? This was what they deemed important at this kind of gathering? What about monsters that pillage and kill villagers? What about bandits that waylay the roads to ambush innocent travelers?

"So are you coming?"

Sophia realized she had zoned out, a bad thing indeed since she can't recall any of their names. "What?"

"The ball, my dear."

"What ball? Wait, what are we talking about?"

Her heart stilled when they only stared at her. This wasn't the first time someone looked at her like that, and she wished the ground would swallow her.

It can't be her fault, can it? She really was trying to keep track of what was going on here. The pressure of it only intensified the pain. Sophia imagined the cracks spreading over her skull. Any minute and she'd lose her mind.

Then one of the girls blushed to her neck. The others stopped talking.

"Enjoying the bally, Ladies?" Lawrence asked, looking very dashing in his sharp-cut vest.

"It's a lovely gathering, my Lord," the oldest one said, smiling up at him.

"I hope you wouldn't mind me taking my daughter for a moment." Lawrence didn't wait for their reply and Sophia didn't either. She rested her hand on his elbow and when he finally ushered her away, he chuckled. "So how is it?"

"My head hurts."

"You really can learn something from them."

"I've learned just how long a woman can go on with her jaw without tiring."

Lawrence laughed. "Ah, your quips never get old. As a matter of fact, I want to introduce you to someone who could match you on that."

He seemed pretty excited about that, and she wished to feel the same way. But the thought of having to memorize another face made her nauseous. So many approached her, all with the expectation that she'd remember their names and faces. How could she tell them, politely, that she forgot only a second later?

Everyone here seemed so much bigger than she was. How long has it been since she felt this unsure of herself? This doubt kept eating away her courage, plunging holes in her pride. What kind of noblewoman was she? One that went out her way to hunt for monsters and bandits? She should be like them, knowing how to talk smart, talk fast.

If Lawrence sensed her discomfiture, he didn't care for it. To be fair, he did warn her about this ahead of time, nearly a month. He'd been so eager to host it, hoping to have her meet girls her own age. He also wanted to remind people that, yes, he had a daughter too.

"I hate it when they stare at me," she muttered, casting her eyes down. That ache thundered in her head. The music wasn't helping. "It makes me want to punch their faces."

Lawrence kept this face neutral, but when he spoke, his voice held a hint of reproach. "Violence is no way to handle matters."

"But it's rude."

"It is rude." He sighed. "Though try to suffer it. Some here has never seen you before." He kept stopping every now and then to exchange a few words with the guests. The only thing that kept Sophia from wondering off was her hand cradled on his arm.

Finally, they met up with a tall, fair woman, elegant with her black and white hair pulled up into a bun. Her dress was dark grey with white laces at the base, long loose sleeves pulled back to show rings of bracelets on both wrists.

While she did have a face that could easily twist into a picture of an angry, bitter granny, it was her smile that warmed her features. It broadened when she saw Sophia. "So this is the mysterious Sheikah you've hid from the world, Lawrence?"

Lawrence coughed. "I didn't hide her, mind."

"You look so every lovely," the woman said, completely ignoring her host. "Just like your mother, I bet."

Lawrence cleared his throat, looking out of his element for some reason. "Yes, yes. Er, she certainly does. Isabel, this is one of my twin children, Sophia. Sophia, Lady Isabel, a long time companion of mine."

Isabel snorted. "Surprised you think of me a companion when you haven't bothered to visit me in how long?"

Lawrence chuckled, but again without his aplomb self. "I hope you understand how busy I was."

"Oh, certainly. Desmera is just bursting with folks from all around the world."

Sophia blinked. "It isn't. It's very quiet here." Too late she realized that it was just a biting sarcasm.

"It is, which is why I call it a sorry excuse for not visiting me." Isabel raised a thin eyebrow at him.

"Well, this party is good excuse," he pointed out.

Isabel had the perfect expression. Anyone looking would assume she was merely bantering with the host, but Sophia could sense thick tension between the two.

"It is," the older woman said. "Though you could have done it much sooner. How is your son? I last saw him when he left the program. Do you remember that?"

Lawrence looked even more uncharacteristically uncomfortable, whereas Sophia's eyes narrowed at the tone. "Don't speak to my father like that," she hissed, causing the woman to blink. "Who do you think you are?"

"Sophia!" Lawrence gritted, sharp enough to startle her. He looked towards Isabel apologetically. "You have my deepest gratitude for that. I'm in your debt."

Sophia blinked at this, looking at them both. They looked as if they didn't notice her, staring at one another.

"What are we talking about?" Sophia asked.

The older woman turned towards her. "Nothing too important, dear."

The tension did melt between them as the music behind changed tune. Sophia had been so focused on that, which caused her to forget the name entirely.

"Is something wrong?"

Sophia couldn't say anything, feeling so helplessly frustrated. It didn't help how a stupid part of her wanted to cry over it. She wanted to leave, away from these nameless guests and go somewhere familiar.

Then she remembered how she had none of her weapons on her. Panic tore through her mind like a screaming woman in the dead of night. Where did she leave them? How could she leave without them? What was she doing here in this party?

"Sophia," Lawrence said gently. It was good that he spoke first, because if the woman, the stranger, said anything, Sophia would've ran. "Do you know why we're here?"

"This…" Sophia gritted her teeth against the constant pound in her head. "This is…a useless party that we have to host, right?"

"It is not useless," he chided. "We host these parties to reconnect with people—"

"I don't remember her name," Sophia said, feeling ashamed.

"Oh, it's all right, dear." The woman smiled assuringly. "It's Lady Isabel, but you may call me without the formal. Ask me as many times as you want. I would be more than glad to remind you."

Sophia stared at her, trying to figure out if she was taking a jab at her or not. The other guests had done something similar. Was this another trap? She looked at her father who nodded. "Thank you," Sophia said to Isabel. "We aren't boring you with this party, are we?"

"Sophia!" Lawrence breathed out exasperatedly.

Isabel laughed. "Oh, you are definitely your father's daughter!"

Lawrence frowned at her. "I was not as this blunt."

"Oh, don't you dare try to deny it." Isabel leaned closer to Sophia conspiratorially. "He was the very character of brutal honesty. Why, he would just say anything in his mind without any filter! We joke that his mind is like a cup without a bottom. He just can't keep anything to himself."

Sophia gaped. "What? Father!"

"That was a long time ago," Lawrence said, shooting Isabel a look. "And overly exaggerated might I add."

Isabel waved her hand. "Exaggerated, he said. You get yourself into so much trouble that I'm surprised no one has sent any assassins your way."

"If anyone does, I'll protect him," Sophia said seriously. Now she really wished she had a few of her blades. What if one was hiding here in the crowd?

As if following her thought patterns, Lawrence patted her shoulder. "Don't. Everyone's been checked twice." He tusked over at Isabel. "Really now, try not to joke about that."

Isabel smiled. "It is nice though to see a woman with some steel in her." She glanced at the ball with a distasteful look. "These days, everyone seems so saturated with false niceties, I'm surprised they could fit into their fancy gowns and suits. I knew to count on a Haidrund for a refreshment."

Sophia beamed a little at that. "Yeah, I guess that's true."

"You really are a lovely girl. Lawrence will find himself a line of suitors."

"And that is not something I look forward to," Lawrence grunted, eyeing at a group of gents who quickly turned away.

"Oh, I'm not going to get married," Sophia said simply. "I'm going to take care of my father when he grows old."

This wasn't a joke by a mile and yet her father found it funny. She's be lying if she said it didn't hurt when he laughed.

"Oh, how sweet of you!" Isabel exclaimed, a hand to her heart. Sophia thought the older woman would cry. Instead, she gripped Sophia's hand, giving it a squeeze. "You really are a remarkable young woman."

"It's still too early to say," Lawrence said dismissively. "Besides, I'll have servants at my disposal."

"That's not right. I'm the one who has to do it." Sophia hoped she didn't look as she felt.

Lawrence paused, but the older woman didn't give him the chance to speak. "How about we take a stroll in the gardens, you and I? I take it you don't fancy these kinds of brouhaha. What is your father thinking of forcing you here?"

"He is thinking of getting her acquainted with people her age," Lawrence said peevishly.

Sophia ignored him, still slighted. "You want to go in the gardens with me?" Dammit, but what was her name again?

"Well, why not?" the stranger asked. "I certainly would like to get to know you better."

That…didn't make any sense. "There isn't anything interesting about me."

"I'm afraid I must disagree." The woman—Isabel—had it her way and took Sophia's arm. "Lawrence, I hope you don't mind me stealing your daughter for a spell."

"I can't really stop you," Lawrence said with a sigh. "Just make sure she doesn't run off. She has a tendency for that."

Sophia didn't remember the walk in the gardens, but it did leave a rather pleasant and amicable feeling, which assured her that all went well there. By the time they returned to the ballroom, the guests were already leaving. She fulfilled her role as the Lady of the manor by biding them farewell.

Lawrence waited for her in the drawing room, still in his vest with tea at hand. Sophia, now out of her gown and into a comfortable blouse with trousers, sat beside him in the usual chair where you could just slump down rather than sit upright. Her knees were up against her chest, her hair tied behind her. The hearth in front held smoldering coals, bringing warmth in the chill night.

It was a quarter past midnight but there were too many important matters Lawrence would want to speak. Better to do it now when the memory of the party was still fresh in her mind.

"So how was it?"

Sophia rubbed her head. The tea mitigated some of the ache but she could feel it crawling back. "Do you want the honest truth or a noble truth?"

"A noble truth please."

"It was lavishing," she said, which was the truth. The dresses were lovely to look at, some shimmering, capturing the light and making it seem as if the fabric itself was made of diamonds. "Then there were men asking for my honor of a dance, so many women in their prepossessing jewelry who are capable of speaking to such lengths that my ears nearly tore themselves off my head…"

He gave her a pointed look. "I asked for a noble answer, not sarcasm."

"I tried." And now she was getting a headache because of it. She sat up straighter, ready for an argument, but he raised a hand before she could even start.

"I know, but you have to understand why you needed to participate. You can't spend the rest of your life isolated from the world."

This reminded her of something they spoke about earlier. She remembered feeling wounded. "You annoyed me." Lawrence turned to her and she flushed. "Earlier, but I don't remember."

Lawrence sighed. "Is this the discussion about marriage?"

"Yes, I remember! I said I didn't want to get married and you just laughed at me!"

"I just found it amusing." His smile bled away when he saw her face.

"You don't want me around anymore? Is that why you want me married?"

"No, that's not it." He laid his arm over her shoulder. "I'm sorry for laughing. I swear it's not a jest in your part. It was more out of surprise."

"But I'm serious." She pulled away to look at him. "Why don't you want me to stay?"

Lawrence stared at the fire, the log popping as the flames flickered. "When a bird grows its wings, its time for it to leave the nest."

She blinked. "Why…are we talking about birds? What are we talking about?"

He had to explain it all and the metaphor behind it, all without looking at her.

At the end of it, she shook her head. "I don't want to leave my nest. I want to protect it. What's wrong with that?"

Lawrence tusked. "You're misunderstanding it. You have to leave the nest to make your own."

"That's as silly as having two houses. I'd rather have one."

"You're not understanding."

"You said I should choose my own path," she reminded, raising a finger up. "And that is what I intend on doing. I want to stay here and take care of you when you get older. What happens if you can't get up from your bed, or if you can't walk up the stairs?"

"I'll have servants for that."

"That's wrong. You were there for Silas and I when we were nothing but squabbling infants."

Something on his face gave her pause. He turned to the fire, his eyes suddenly distant as a shadow clouded over his face. "I haven't been the ideal father then," he said quietly. "Believe me, you don't owe me much. You have Sally to thank for that."

"You're perfect though," she blurted out.

He chuckled but it sounded hollow, like the wind blowing through an empty shell. "Oh, sweetie, I'm far from it. You've heard from Isabel how truculent I was in my youth. I declared it over exaggeration but now that I think about it, I say she severely understated my youth."

Bits of the conversation she had with Isabel resurfaced. "She did say you loved causing trouble."

Lawrence slowly nodded, his eyes staring straight. "I have before. I used to thrive in it, really. It brought nothing but heartache for my parents. Your brother is a better lad than I was at his age."

She never thought to see her father like this before. It made her guilty, knowing just how much she troubled him with her problems and she never stopped to think if he had any. What kind of life did he lead to have that look in his eyes?

"The past is in the past, sir," she told him softly. "It's useless to think about what you should've done or what you could've done. Why lament about it? I think you're a good father and that's enough."

Lawrence stopped, as if realizing he had shown her too much. "It's nothing, my dear. Listen, I do not want you to waste of your life on me. You have a bright future."

"I've made up my mind the moment I trained with my teacher," she said firmly. "I want to stay here, defend my family. Wouldn't it better this way? If you get tired, I could help you walk, and we could go outside, maybe take a stroll in the weald. Silas will manage the town if you're not feeling too well, and we could go on picnics if the weather suits us."

"Sophia."

"I'll even go to town with you if you want. You don't need to cloister up in the manor like some old furniture."

"Sophia, please listen to me."

"Why not?" she snapped, feeling hurt and angry and hating how it showed too much on her face. "You really want to be here in this manor all alone? You want us to just leave you here?"

Lawrence finally looked at her and for a moment it seemed as if he didn't know what to say. "No," he said suddenly. "I don't. That's not what I want."

"Nobody wants that," she said softly. "I can't just leave you here to be alone." The thought squeezed her heart. To imagine him in a fragile state, rocking in his chair, all alone in this manor. "We could stay here as a family. I'll make sure no one ever hurts you."

Lawrence stared at the fire for a long time, his hands curled over his armrest. Even without seeing his expression, Sophia knew just from his stand that she had struck a nerve somewhere.

"Sometimes," he said quietly, "when I look at you, I wonder how it's possible you even exist."

Her blood turned to ice. "What-what did I do?"

He rubbed his hands over his face. "You are so good," he said in a whisper. "So precious. I never thought someone like you could exist, let alone be my child."

The panic dissipated and she breathed out easily, smiling. "I did have you as a father after all."

"You could've turned out much worse." He dropped his hands, leaning back into his seat with a disquieted look. "It makes me think of every injustice I've ever done to you. You've never asked for anything. You've never done anything for yourself."

"That would be selfish," she said with a frown. "Why would I want anything? I have everything I need. Besides, having good memories is worth more than anything."

"What about the bad ones?" Lawrence asked. "Don't they haunt you?"

"Only if I let them." She cocked her head to the side. "Bad memories are like…a bad itch. Yeah. You can choose to scratch till you reach the bone, or you can just…turn to the brighter side of things. It can be a challenge, as the bad memories are easier to remember."

He swung back at her, baffled. "They are?"

Shit. She wasn't supposed to tell him that. Or anyone.

"Sophia…"

She shrugged lamely. "It's fine."

"You should have told me."

"It doesn't matter. Father, there's no use in being trapped in the past." She stared up at the fire, warm. "I think about my accident sometimes, and it doesn't hurt me. I find it so…pointless. Just asking the 'what if' and 'why did this happen to me'. That's drama."

She knew she swayed him. "Very mature of you," he said softly. "Some people would kill to forget."

And that was something she just couldn't comprehend. She spent every day of her life trying to keep hold of her memories, kept trying to remember even the most basic things. "Nothing good comes from forgetting. Nothing." She rubbed a hand over her ribbons. "Memories are important—good and bad. It…they make you, you know? It's like-like—" She paused, the pain knocking at her skull like a demanding guest. "Like missing a piece from a puzzle. You have pieces that are dark, and pieces that are nice. Some are odd looking but they're relevant too.

"Regardless of the color and how odd they may seem, you have to…" She paused again, clenching her jaw. She can see it in her mind, so clear and vividly, and yet when she tried to translate it into words, they just won't come, as if they just evaporate from her mind the moment she decided to make use of it. "They make you in the picture. You need all the pieces. None of them are redundant. If even one is missing, it can't be…it can't…"

"It can't be Complete."

"Exactly!" Though the pain began to seep through the crack in her skull, she was still proud to have fought through it. "That's why we need it."

"I…see your point." He sighed out and his shoulders sagged. "We can't hide from our past, can we?"

"We shouldn't." She recalled what they were talking about before, about marriage and such. "I still haven't changed my mind about what I said, but if you really want me to leave the nest, then I will. But you have to get married first."

Of all the things she had ever said to him, this one surprised him the most. "What a thing to say! I've been devoting my life to raising you two."

"I'm old enough to take care of myself. So now you can go get married." She shrugged. "I've seen a lot of noblewomen ogling at you."

"And that doesn't bother you?"

"It was annoying," she admitted in a mutter, "but I suppose it can't be helped, with you flaunting out your charm."

"I wasn't flaunting it." He grinned, which only contradicted his point. "Just showed them what they wanted to see."

She rolled her eyes, though her mouth twitched. "So get married, and I'll be more comfortable leaving the nest."

"And you aren't worried about evil step mothers?" he said teasingly.

"If you're happy, then I won't mind."

His smile was gentle. "I am happy. I'd be the most ungrateful lout if I wasn't." He kissed her forehead. "For having such a sweet little girl as a daughter."

She frowned at the last bit. "Don't treat me like a child."

"You will always be a child to me even if you're thirty."

"So get married by then."

"Sophia, please." He rubbed his face. "Din save me, you really did get that from me."

"Get what?"

"Never mind." He gave her a stern look. "Now listen here, marriage goes not secure happiness, neither does wealth or fame."

"But family does."

"Yes."

"Which is why I must stay here."

She had him cornered there. Lawrence was proficient at turning the tables in an argument but he must've found it pointless to go any further since he sighed out in defeat. "I can't stop you, can I?"

"Nope." She smiled. "I'm afraid you won't be getting rid of me any time soon."

The clock turned half way past the first hour, but neither of them moved to get up. Just her and her father, sitting by the fire. The party left her awkward and enervated, but in these moments she felt the knots at her shoulders slowly unraveling. It was these moments that reminded her why the unpleasant memories were a waste of time. She had these times to recall, and it helped that she always made sure to cherish it.

Because now she can never make another memory with him again.

"Sophia…Sophia! Wake up!"

Sophia was already awake, hoping that no one would notice. She sat up from the hard ground, shivering at the frigid air. The boys were sleeping, and didn't appear to be struggling in any perilous dreams. The little ball thing—Katie, her name was Katie—was on watch.

A new headache spiked through Sophia's mind, and a strong bitter taste lingered on her tongue. It didn't help how she had this stupid urge to cry, but held back, fearing to wake them up. She also feared to get into trouble for displaying any weaknesses.

That voice from before, the one at the mirror. She could still hear it. Taunting at her, laughing at her. Though none of the others saw it and she was sure they didn't as none of them mentioned it, Louis had shown up on all the mirrors around her. She can't remember his face now, but did recall that grin over him. That anger that possessed her.

Sophia took in a deep breath, wiping her tears. The sorrow and grief gnawing at her heart. She thought she was finally moving on from the loss of her father.

No. It won't ever go away. She knew she had to be grateful for it. It meant she won't ever forget. I will always remember you, Father. Always.

No matter what.

"Are you going to be okay?" Katie asked timidly.

Sophia nodded. "it's not that bad," she mumbled, which was part of the truth. It really had been much worse before. She used to think it would kill her. "I just…miss my father. That's all."

"Oh, Sophia."

"I wanted to take care of him. I just wanted to protect him." She closed her eyes, causing the pooled tears in them to slide down. At the back of her mind, she heard a snicker. "But I failed. I failed him."

It was pointless to wish for something else to happen, like wishing it had been her in his place. The past can't be unmade. What was done is done. Yet this one failure stringed around her neck like a noose. The pain only grew sharper when she remembered who had done it. The very woman who raised Sophia and her brother, the woman who had been their mother.

"I'm sorry that happened to you." Katie turned brightly blue. "I'm…really sorry, Sophia." She started to sob, flakes fluttering down from her. "You've been through so much. It's not fair. I've been so mean to you. I called you names. I said that you were crazy—"

Sophia cupped her gently. "Hey, there's nothing to forgive. Come now, don't be upset."

"What those men tried to do to you…I can't stop thinking about that."

Sophia cocked her head to the side and then remembered. "Oh right. It is disturbing, isn't it?" Curse that monster, Louis. Trying to put her vulnerable memory up in display like some prize.

Aw, what's the matter? I thought you liked your memories! He had once lashed at her before replaying a scene of when Irela had accused Sophia of madness. Isn't this your favorite one? It is mine for sure!

Oh go fuck yourself, Sophia thought darkly. When I get my hands on you, you son of a bitch…

Sophia closed her eyes and took a deep breath before looking down at Katie. "It's far from the worst I've faced, believe me."

"But…people shouldn't hurt children. They shouldn't. How could they?"

Oh, this sweet fairy, so naïve. She reminded her of Silas. "Those men were sick people. And they're dead. They can never hurt anyone ever again."

Katie turned to a dark color. "And they will burn in the deepest part of hell for it."

"That they will. So don't worry about it."

"Are there more of them?" Katie's orb ranged into so many colors, some that Sophia could recognize—disgust, fear, grief. "Do people really hurt children?"

Oh more than you know.

"There are only a few," Sophia lied smoothly. "We have the Goddesses watching over us, right?"

"Yeah, we do…" The fairy trailed off, flashing with uncertainly.

She's so small. Sophia had that same urge again to just cover the fairy up, hide the ugly part of the world. It was the same urge she had whenever she would see Silas smiling brightly, speaking of his ambitious dreams. After being taken down through and through, days of when she thought she wouldn't come back home, she knew his innocence was as fragile as glass. She would do anything to preserve it.

Sophia kissed the top of the fairy's head. "I want you to remember the good things in life. Don't look at the ugly side or else you'll end up like a certain green boy." She couldn't ever forget the deep-seated resentment in Link's eyes. So much anger in him. So much hatred. How could anyone breath with that much weight? "Think about the good times, always. It will hurt and you might feel worse, but you will feel better."

It made more sense in her mind, but when she uttered it out, she heard it sound so contradicting. But Katie did seem to understand since her colors improved—comfort, happiness, only slightly damped by anxiety and a darker shade of yellow that Sophia didn't know.

"You're really a good person, Sophia," Katie said softly. "I'm sorry for being mean to you."

"It's okay. I want us to be friends. Is that alright?"

"Of course."

"Don't tell my brother I was crying." Sophia looked at her twin who had his back faced her way. "If he sees me upset, he'll become afraid."

"Afraid?"

"He scares easily." A memory surfaced from her mind. A time when she observed her brother and watch him jump at his own shadow. He seemed so flustered at that. "I want him to feel as safe, regardless of where we are."

Deep in her mind, she could a scoff. That dispatched voice sounded more and more clear to her now, just as Simon had told them.

I will protect him, she thought, hoping that monster could hear her. You want him? You get through me first, bitch.

Katie rose up in the air. "You should probably get some rest. Don't worry, I'll keep watch."

Sophia nodded, grateful for it. I just lied to her earlier. I shouldn't have done that.

But she also lied to her brother, pretending the weald was free from danger, acting as if she were strong enough to take on the world when she was just a little girl waiting for her father to come back. She let out a breath, lying down and fell into a deep, sleepless slumber. A long moment later, someone needed to keep shaking her to wake up. It was time to go.


A strong crash of metal made them all jolt.

"What the—"

The corridor lined with doors on ether side and bars were suddenly slammed in front of them one after the other. Once the final door had been locked, a massive gate behind them slammed down like an executioner's axe.

They jumped back. Dust coughed up from the gate.

Link cursed. "What the hell is this, Simon?" He turned. "Simon?"

Andrew didn't speak. Horror brightened in those green eyes when he looked at the metal bars helplessly, his tail flared up. "No…"

Katie beamed white. "What is it?"

"Simon, tell us." Sophia tried to comfort him but he moved away from her, still looking at the bars as if he couldn't believe it. "What is this?"

"Security," Simon uttered, his fur standing straight on his back. "He shouldn't be able to do that!"

Link glanced at the eerier corridor with narrowed eyes. They've been walking on this trail for awhile, Simon insisting that the doors don't lead to anywhere but more trouble than its worth. "So he's getting stronger."

Silas paled. "What does this mean?"

"It means he's trapping us here!" Simon snapped, voice cracking somewhere between panic and anger. "That's what this means! Now we can't get out! He's really going to kill us all!"

"Simon, calm down!" Sophia kneeled down to him. "Just tell us how to lift it then. We'll get it down."

Her brother nodded. "Surely there must be a defense mechanism of some sort? It can't all be made from pure magic."

"Yeah, that's right!" Katie bloomed a little. "If that was the case then Louis would've banned us from the start! There has to be a way around this."

Simon said nothing.

"Hey," Link said testily, resisting the urge to kick the damn rodent. "If you know something, you better say it. We don't have the time for this."

"There is a way," Simon admitted. "But it sure as hell dangerous."

Link let out a barking laugh. "Shit, really? Dangerous? Now the hell did we make this far?"

"Fine! There's a way to lift security but I bet my fur that someone's guarding it."

"Naturally," Sophia said.

Simon looked around him, making note of the background. "Actually, we're not far from it. I saw how it works. You'll need to pull this big lever and it'll take down the defenses manually. Not even his highness could bring it back up, unless he plans on getting his ass here to do it himself." His eyes widened. "Yeah, we'll even clear us a good escape!"

Escape. The word sounded beautiful. "You know the way to that?" Link asked, earning a withering look.

"How'd you think I got out of here in the first place?" Simon asked bitingly. "Yes, there's an escape. It's close to the dragon lair with your tunic in it."

Silas gasped softly. "That means…" He raised his head up, his face pale but his iron eyes cut through. "That means we're near to the end?"

"Are you serious?" Katie choked. "Really? We're close?"

"Only one room left?" Silas asked, as if to make sure.

Simon looked up at all of them, eyes solemn. "Yes," he said. "We're close now, but calm your asses down first. We need to get to that lever. Pretty sure it's in another maze."

It took a lot for Link not to pull his own hair out. "Oh, goddammit, not another one."

What was Louis's obsession with mazes? He can't think of anything original?

Yet hope glowed on each of their faces. Link even saw Silas getting a little emotional. The guy's been so messed up since they got here. They've rarely taken breaks at this point.

We need to get of here, Link thought dreadfully. We have to get out of here soon.

Not another day. Not another hour. No more. Just more of this.

"Alright then," Katie said, the first one to speak after a moment. Her colors showed the emotions everyone was feeling. "Where is this place?"

"Close by," Simon said. "And the lair is right above it. There's some stairs next to the lever, next to that ugly ass statue. Should take us to a corridor that leads straight to the lair."

Link could feel himself getting restless. A part of him just wanted to run to that maze already, deal with the puzzles and head to the lair.

"Don't count on it," Simon stressed. "I'm not sure if the exit's in one piece, or if it's even there at all. You have your bombs with you, right?"

"Last I remember, you said not to use them except on challenges."

"Well, now I say fuck it. The place locked down on us so let's go nuts with it."

And that was a plan Link approved.

"Let's not bury ourselves alive here," Silas said sternly. "We better move on now. If we hurry up—"

A familiar shrill resonated through the hall; loud, piercing screams in multitudinous voices all crying out as one. The torches flickered violently at the gust, nearly snuffed out. Though the gate remained solid behind them, Link could hear those things. That same horde, a whole flood of them.

"This way!" Simon shouted.

They found stairs to their right, twisting up to lead them into a low corridor yawning in a half-tunnel shape. The smell gave them the feeling of running through the sewers. Murky water splashed below their feet.

The passageway was narrow, forcing Link to stay at the back since Sophia had to help her twin. Katie hovered over their heads, spilling light to the surrounding walls. It would've been nicer if she went up ahead to light the way, but the sprit had a stupid fear of the dark.

The screams stabbed at his ears. These inhumane, agonizing skirls sent shivers down his skin.

"Where are we heading, Simon?" Link shouted, trying to see clearly through the water that was flying up from his boots. "Simon?"

They can barely see anything in this dark, hear anything over the screaming. As much as he wanted to pull out his sword, it would be foolish in this run. If he tripped, he'll end up gutting himself.

The twins stopped suddenly and he nearly toppled over them. The path was split into two.

"Where's Simon?" Sophia cried.

Katie fluttered over their heads, a blinding white. "I-I feel light coming this way!"

"Sophia, we have to go," Silas insisted, pulling her forward with their locked hands. "I'm sure he's up ahead."

The water slowly rose up to their knees. They had to kick and shuffle their way across, Link cursing at every second of it. There was no way Simon could get passed this. He did say that he didn't know how to swim, so someone would've had to carry him.

He knows this place, Link thought firmly, trying to put a wall over his mind to keep back that flood of anxiety, doubt and fear. None of it was his. He knew better. He knows this place. We'll meet up with him.

They stumbled out of the water up a stony slope and into a short corridor where they were met with writings. Katie frantically translated them, shouting above the terrifying screech that the room was not too far from them. The message offered information on where to find the security room.

No, that doesn't feel right. Why close the damn place if you're going to end up giving directions?

The shadows were getting closer. The air frosted enough that the torches hushed at once. The four of them pressed forward against their better judgment and soon they found a wall with a poor patch on it.

"Stand back!" Link aimed an arrowed bomb. Sophia covered her brother and Katie back. Once the debris was put to rest, they found the only door without bars on it. Again, that voice in his head shouted the notion of entering it.

"No time for this," he growled under his breath, opening the door and letting in the twins and the fairy first before getting in himself. He caught sight of the shadows. Words and days there must be hundreds of them. Red eyes scattered like lost gems into this big, ugly glob of pure blackness. Bodies were molded into each other, with only the arms reaching out.

Link stumbled inside and now the door decided to lock down. The bars slammed in front of it with such a voice that Link ended up tripping, bumping into Sophia who steadied him.

The noises faded as if it never came, leaving a powerful ringing to his ears. He could feel his heart lurching forward, his breath shallow.

"Simon." Sophia looked around hastily. "He's not here!"

"He'll be okay," Silas said, but there was not a trace of concern on his face. He tapped his feet down, trying to expunge the water out. "We have to focus on what we're doing." He turned to Link for support.

Link rubbed his head, hating how the chase left him with this jitter. Too close. Damn, Louis was going crazy.

"This the place?" he said.

This squared room they were in only had two ways to go. There were no ceilings, which only meant the maze was up ahead. The walls on either sides had old Hylian graphics that Katie deemed weren't any important.

Link glanced up. It was a dark abyss up there, and yet there was enough light to show every corner of this place. "Damn," he muttered, "just how powerful is this magic stuff?"

You'd know if you join us…

Link gritted his teeth and did not give the voice the luxury of a response. It really did feel like someone was whispering that in his ear. Could the guy really read minds? Link doubted that. Louis must've gotten strong enough to see their faces now, see the way they react.

Silas turned to the fairy. "Could you fly overhead?"

"I could try but this place…" Her color flickered, translating into discomfort. "It's really heavy here."

"And this seems to be yet another maze." Silas searched around but the entrance room was empty, plain. "We'll have to keep moving forward."

"We should split up," Sophia said. "Since this is a maze, it should have the same ending right? We'll all meet up there."

"Whoa, hey." Link glared at her. Was this woman crazy? "There'll be a whole other ending for us if we split up."

She gestured at the path that split off into two. "That can't be a coincidence."

"I may have to agree with Link on this," Silas said, looking at the room as a whole. "This is a very unpredictable puzzle. There are no riddles to even give us an idea of what we're up against. How will we know if would even take us in the same way?"

"It will," Katie said, taking Sophia's side. "These two paths must be corresponding to one another. I bet we could talk to each other and help out with puzzles along the way."

Silas shook his head. "Katie, this is a great way for us to get killed. We'll be heading into smaller numbers. What if there are more Hylian graphics up ahead?"

"You're not that bad in reading them, you know. You'll be fine."

"So that settles it," Sophia said with an affirmative nod. "Katie and Link will go one way and I with my twin in the other. Clear?"

Link glared at her. "Not clear. Not clear at all!"

"What's not clear?"

"Everything and you," he said vehemently. "First, I'm not going with her." He sharply gestured to the flushing fairy. "Second, shorty's got a point. If we're going in pairs, we'll be a lot easier to kill."

"Don't call my brother that," she hissed. "And what's wrong with going with Katie? It's not like you could read."

Link bristled.

"She means Hylian graphics!" Silas said quickly, stepping in between them. "And, Sophia, I…" He looked at her, then to Link and Katie, awkward. "I erm, don't think these two should be alone…"

Sophia frowned. "You can't go with Link. What if he acts up? At least Katie can avoid him."

Link wasn't the only one unhappy with the pairing. Silas was shaking his head. "No, Sophia—"

"It's a good plan," Katie insisted. "I've seen puzzles like this before. There'll be obstacles and the only way to get passed them is if we help each other."

Hearing her being all-knowing was starting to really get under his skin. "If you're so sure about that," Link sneered, "then why don't you go check it out yourself?"

Both the twins shot him a look but Katie's color flickered. "Okay, I'll scout ahead."

Silas gaped. "You can't go out there! Didn't you say it was heavy?"

"I can handle it." Katie fluttered higher to show it. "Besides, I want to get a layout of this area. I really don't like how there aren't any riddles. This way, I can see what's waiting for us in the end."

Sophia froze. "Where's Simon?"

"He said he'll meet us here," Link said smoothly, and Silas glared at him.

"Don't lie to her."

"He will. It's not like he's going to die out there."

Katie flashed briefly to get their attention. "I'll go up ahead. If I'm right about this, then we have to go with Sophia's plan. Each group will have one person who could translate and another who can fight."

Silas looked exasperated. "Katie, you really are overestimating me."

"I'm not. You'll do fine." She left before anyone could stop her. It frustrated Link how she took his words too seriously and left off without even considering what will happen. He was even tempted to yell at her to get back.

Sophia gasped. "Wait, where is she going? Katie!"

"She's going to scout ahead. I'm starting to think she has a good point." Silas turned to Link. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Link grumbled but he didn't jilt him as they moved to one side of the room. Sophia frowned a little at that but she kept her distance, instead choosing to glance at the wall with its pictures.

After that…mirror nightmare, Link couldn't really look at Silas directly, or go near him. Link did all he can to eschew a conversation.

He brought me back…he really did.

Only Agnes did that. He hadn't had an episode like this one in years. It was so dark, so very dark; he completely forgot where he was. He didn't even know Silas was in front of him until the shorty found the steel to smack him.

Just thinking about it made him panic. He thought he wouldn't make it out of there, out of that deep hole. The walls of it were crushing him. The light faded from above. He didn't think there was a chance of climbing back out there. Too far in. Too deep. All that was left was someone to bury him.

"Are you doing okay?" Silas didn't even bother hiding the concern on his face. He'd been acting casual towards Link, perhaps trying to move forward from that horror fest.

Link heaved out a breath, trying to push down that irrational anger building in him. "I'm fine. What do you want?"

Just choke him a little. He deserves it.

"I just want to talk," Silas said softly, and the honest sincerity on his face made it easier to ignore that incessant voice. "I do believe we might need to split up, Link."

"Yeah?"

"Katie's intuitions regarding these…challenges are almost always right." Silas paused, nervous that he might've hit a nerve with that.

"Whatever," Link muttered. "So you're that excited to be stuck with her?" He gestured over at Sophia who turned away from them. "Really?"

"I…" Silas glanced down. "I don't know anymore."

"I don't know either so don't ask me," Link hissed, but seeing Silas disquieted did give him some pause. That was enough to show him just how winded up he was getting. With a deep breath, he said, "Just talk to her. That's what she wants. If you keep acting awkward all the time, you're only going to make it worse."

Link knew to be careful with what he said now. Out of all of them, it felt as if Silas was getting it the hardest now. Seeing him so low like this, it didn't help with morals at all. Silas was the one to keep talking with others, to encourage them. Link hadn't realized just how much they all needed that.

Can he make it out of this? Link wondered. No one can be the same after this, least of all Silas.

"What right do I have to speak with her?" Silas said quietly. "After everything? How could she stand to look at me?"

Link sighed. "Maybe you don't deserve it. Maybe you do. Listen just…quite being a little girl, man. Just talk to her. You know the truth and she remembers it. Stop feeling sorry for yourself because that's only hurting her more than you."

That was harsher than he intended but come on. With how seriously hard it was to keep his temper in check, you should appreciate with how he worded it.

Silas winced a little and looked up at him. "What about Katie? Do you really mean to go separate ways?"

"I'm planning for it."

"Link." Silas shook his head. "You can be serious. Where would she even go?"

"That's not my problem. Send her to the Zoras. She loves it there." Link scoffed. "I don't care."

"You do care," Silas said firmly. "You didn't seem like you wanted her to go by herself."

Strangle him…just a little bit…

But then there was Sophia just over there who was a little too good with her shurkins.

He let his silence frustrate Silas instead. "You can't make your decision until after we get out of here?"

"It's already been made, shorty."

"And that's it? After everything you two went through?" Silas met his eyes. "Don't you remember what she told you in the labyrinth?

"I do," Link growled. "I don't have a memory problem too."

Silas narrowed his eyes. "Don't. I just want to talk."

"Then talk," Link snapped. "That's what we're doing. What the hell more do you want?"

Silas had his own temper flaring too. Seemed like Link wasn't the only one hearing that loud whisper.

But shorty had better control over it, settling in only a sharp look. "Just be cooperative, alright? When she returns, we will split up."

Link couldn't help himself. "If she returns."

Silas pressed his lips into a thin lin. Link waited. He waited for what would come, for the secret Silas had up his sleeve. But he didn't use it, and Link didn't wait for it any longer. He turned and stopped when Silas said his name.

"Are you mad at me?" Silas said softly. "For what I saw back there?"

Link didn't turn around. He'd only see pity, and if he saw it on Silas, he'll end up breaking something. "We should remind your sister what's going on," Link said placidly. It did look like Sophia was struggling to remember, panicking when she found two of their members missing.

Link knew he should've just been more honest in the end. It would've been for better, wouldn't it? Silas was good at listening, understanding and patient. Link really wasn't mad at the guy. He couldn't. He was too relieved to come back to this world. Being that far in deep, he hadn't expected to be saved, much less from Silas.

Yet Link just couldn't thank him for it. Even now, despite all his weaponry on him, Link couldn't shake off this feeling of being exposed. Silas was doing him the favor of forgetting, but that didn't make Link any less anxious. It was a little too easy to speak your mind down here.

And that was Link tried to do anyways. If Silas wanted to act up, Link rather he'd do it now than anticipate for it. Why wouldn't Silas do it? Link was willing to leave without fighting for the town.

Hero, will you save us? The voices asked him in the nightmares. Hero, will you doom us?

He tried to shake the thought away but it still persisted. Hero. What exactly made him one? Just this useless mark on him? This wasn't his calling and he sure as hell didn't have the time for this.

Link eyed Silas, wondering when he'd try to take advantage of the secret he kept. After all, Link teased him in every way he can.

I'm better than that.

Link stopped. That voice belonged to Ruto, back when she discovered he couldn't read. He had treated Ruto far worse than Silas, and despite everything he had done to her, she didn't turn his weakness against him.

Watching Silas reminding his sister of recent events, assuring her of Simon and explaining Katie's absence gave Link a crippling sense of emptiness. Sophia didn't remember any of it but still took his word for it. All the while, Link just glared at her, the same envy rising in him.


She was right.

The obstacles on both the pathways are connected together and required cooperation in order to get through. The two paths often twisted away and turned with surprises.

The challenge came in as electric blue bars standing in the way, and that was when the paths would end up being close together with only a large wall separating them. There were barred windows to help in communication.

So far that wasn't what concerned her, despite how messy the maze seemed. There were many dead ends, so many paths that went in circles. It was as if a child made this. Seeing it didn't faze her though but this monster…

"Get away!" she squealed when a disembodied hand appeared from nowhere. Her size gave her the advantage, as she managed to circumvent through the gaps between the fingers. The floor master soon gave up, searching for other victims.

Katie panted, feeling drained. The air was so thick, it felt like flying through curdled soup.

Eventually, she reached the end and found something else to worry about. A large birdcage hung suspended in the air with someone peeking out from it. It rocked slightly, the chain extending up to the abyss.

"Simon!"

His head snapped up and his small jaw slackened.

Katie then gasped, quickly backing away when she caught something moving from the bottom. Her first thoughts were of a Hionx, but what sort of Hionx has hair and clothes on?

Oh…my Goddess…

The man sat there with fair skin spotted with blemish. Unruly hair brushed over his brow. He was far shorter than a Hionx, but large enough to be considered a child to one. Despite wearing simple clothes, suspenders over a woolen shirt and grey trousers, a large twenty feet long axe rested by his side.

The man said nothing. He didn't bother getting up when he saw the little fairy, only eyeing her as she fluttered over his head and dropped inside the cage.

Simon crouched near her. "Don't tell me the others are here."

Katie's color flashed painfully. Her wings felt as if it weighed a hundred pounds. "Y-yeah…they're waiting for me at the entrance. Wait, how did you get here?"

"Never mind that. Go back and tell them to make a run for it. The guy downstairs is not a fellow you want to mess with."

"Why not? Link took care of the gaoler!"

"This is different," he stressed. "All dark worshippers are cowards, but did you see how the guy looked like?"

Katie shuddered when she thought of those large, intelligent eyes looking at her keenly. No, that was not some dimwitted Hionx. "Who is that?"

"I don't know but I know he's been on guard duty for a while."

"He's a dark worshipper though! That means he'll tremble before the Master Sword! They all do!"

"Sprit, did you see how big he was?"

She just had to laugh. "Link's face things a lot bigger. Trust me on this. Compared to the things he fought off, that guy down there is a toddler."

Simon growled. "That's not what I'm worried about! Look, forget about me! This is all a trap! Louis knows we're trying to lift up the security."

"We can't leave you behind! What will Sophia think?"

"Just tell her I'm dead," Simon grunted.

Katie gasped. "I am not telling her that!" she snapped. The horror of it. What would Sophia think? "What is wrong with you? Do you have any idea how worried she is?"

Simon winced. "Okay. I just want her getting killed for my sake."

"We are going to get you out of here whether you like it or not," she snapped and then paused. "How did you get here? Where were you?"

He sighed, lying over his forepaws. "I got separated from you guys at the sewers. I couldn't swim so I took another shortcut. Surprised it was still there. You know I used to hide food there sometimes?"

She was relieved. "So the shadows didn't get you."

"Almost. Nearly had one right at my tail." Cringing at the memory of it, his tail lashed back down. "The others made it out alright?"

"A little shaky but we're all fine." She glowed sharply. "We are not leaving you behind, okay? We'll figure this out."

He breathed out sharply. "There'll be traps."

"Oh, really? There are traps? I had no clue! How did we manage to get this far, I wonder?"

"You didn't listen to me with the mirrors," he hissed. "You really want to ignore me now?"

Katie hesitated. "Simon, we can't just leave you behind. And, well, we're kind of stuck here."

"Stuck?" His face darkened when he seemed to understand. "We're so dead."

"Not yet we're not." Kate finally mustered the strength to flutter up. Her orb flashed valorously. "We have the Master Sword, and we have Link and Sophia."

He sighed. "You guys really want to save my dumbass? Go right ahead. But listen, that giant's not the worst problem there is. Tell the others to ignore the voice. No matter what."

Katie paused, looking at the serious fear in his eyes. "Voices?"

"It should be easier for you since you're made up of light but for them? It's going to be a lot louder. Oh, and watch out for those hands."

"Is that how you got caught?"

He looked at her bitterly. "I'm just the bait, but those hands will kill them."

"Floor masters don't kill intruders," Katie said, thinking her old historian books. "They only take them to the start."

"Or to the end," he said gravely and something down below shifted, causing the cage to titter. "You should get out of here."

Katie flapped her wings to get higher but immediately started to get oozy.

Simon narrowed his eyes at that. "Wait for a few minutes then you'll really feel sick. You sure you're ready? It'll suck if you drop dead like that."

"Gosh, thanks for the concern but I think I can manage."

The giant didn't move from his place. She expected him to be crass, yelling out at her angrily and act belligerent. Instead, he shot her a smile, sending chills over her orb.

In the next few minutes, she began to regret Simon's advice. She saw doubles of everything and bit by bit, the ground was reaching up for her. To make matters worse, the same floor master spotted her, its dirty fingers wiggling.

Katie wheezed, her wings fluttering as hard as they could but her orb might as well be made of stone. She could see her group up ahead, but the shadow of the hand swallowed her. It could easily crush her like a nit but an arrow soon sprouted into the open palm. Katie groaned, her strength finally gave in.

Hard footsteps headed her way, along a shout from one of the twins. Rather than Sophia, it was Link who ran over and caught her before she hit the ground. Behind him, metal slid down with a hard slam.

Link had taken one of the paths in order to reach her, and that in turn trapped him in.

"Guess we're splitting up either way," Silas said, standing outside in the entrance room. "Katie, are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine," she wheezed, panting heavy. Her wings were alarmingly numb. "I found…I found Simon…"

Sophia butted in, pushing her brother to the side. "Really? Where is he?"

Katie gave them a brief summary of what happened, all while trying to dispel the growing fear when she sensed Link's restless energy. He was still holding her, and knowing how strong he was, he could easily crush her without even realizing it.

She finished off her scouting with her concern of the giant. "It's so strange. Simon said he's different from the gaoler."

Silas hummed. "Perhaps this giant is recent. If he's really that dangerous, then he would've pursued us from the start."

"This doesn't matter," Link said impatiently. "I'll take care of it like anything else."

Sophia gave him a firm look. "You and Katie better not fight with each other, understand? This is hardly the place for it."

Link glared at her.

"Let's get going then," Silas said quickly, before another dispute could spark. "Come on, Sophia."

"Good luck!" Katie called out, feeling a bit dreadful. "And Simon says you have to be careful about the voice!"

Silas stiffened but said nothing as he went with his sister.

She really hoped those two could resolve things between themselves. This group felt so incongruous. They've only made it this far because of Sophia's clear head and Simon's guide, but that still wasn't enough. There were so many disconnections, so many feuds and misunderstanding.

For the first five minutes, Link merely walked, carrying her with him. The path was stoned, not a hint of nature anywhere. It often widened or narrowed, turning into circles. It was just a matter of keeping track of where you're going. The way to the end was south and that was the direction they had to stick to.

Katie glowed uneasily. The tension felt so tangible around with Link, but he was in no mood to say anything. Seeing him agitated, Katie tried to regain her flight but ended up dropping back to his hands.

They met up against a floor master that appeared as a shadow from the ground. Link left her to the side and dealt with the creature. Now that Sophia wasn't around, he had to find some other means to let off steam. Unfortunately, the monster didn't last for long and Katie still couldn't gather her energy by then.

Then they came across some traps—arrows spitting out of the walls, axes swinging down their way, pits filled with spikes. Link was quick to react. His motions made her sick, and when they finally got to safety, she begged him to stop moving so much.

"So…hard to breath," she wheezed.

Link narrowed his eyes. "What now? You want water?"

"Um, a little bit." A small excuse for a rest but one he accepted for now. He splashed a little over her head, the cool water a delicious welcome.

His temper did terrify her but on the other hand, this didn't feel like his old self. How could she describe it? He was pushing himself harder than before. Without someone to physically stop him, he was prone to getting hurt.

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. "Link, are you okay?"

He stopped. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?"

The sight of his anger quailed her. "We're just worried about you…"

"Why? You think I can't handle it?"

"I never said that!"

"You think I give a shit?" He raised her up in his fist.

"Y-you're hurting me," she cried.

He paused, and then let her go. Even if she did have some strength in her, she couldn't fly with wings crumpled. She splashed into a dirty puddle. "EW! What is this junk? Link!"

He picked her up without saying a thing, but she could just see that laughter tumbling in him. It didn't take too long before his expression locked into a sour look, leading her to wonder when was the last time she saw him happy.

When he saw Agnes…

When he saw his dog, he'd been so overjoyed that it broke her heart.

"What's the matter with you now?" he snapped.

"It's…it's nothing."

She found out that they didn't wonder too far from the twins. As more floor masters descended upon them, she saw some strayed off in a different direction not too far from here.

One sharp corner glowed with bluish light. Upon a closer look, they came across a doorway waylaid by bars that sparked with blue electricity. Katie managed to take off into the air, feeling better.

Link scratched his head, his eyes glinting with the pop of electricity. "How do we get pass this?"

"Look at these levers." Along the wall, several levers stood at different sizes. Above them were writings and Katie spent longer than usual to decipher them.

"Well?" Link asked.

"It's…incomplete."

"Some words are missing then?"

"Not words. Characters."

"And you can't just guess it?"

The audacity of it nearly made her laugh, until she remembered who she was dealing with. "Not with Hylian graphics you can't. They can have a hundred meanings behind them."

A noise sounded just on their right. "Guys, is that you?" Silas called out, and they saw his face peeking from the opposite wall where a window had steeled bars over it.

Katie gasped, glowing orange. "Silas! Wait, where's Sophia?"

"Here!" Sophia nudged her brother in order to fit into the frame. "Hi, Katie."

"Hi, Sophia," Katie giggled.

Silas shifted uncomfortably near his sister. "Anyways, how do we progress? We have nothing but levers to work with."

"Same here," Link said with a sigh. "And the writing here means nothing."

It clicked for Katie. She turned to the writing and then fluttered back. "Silas, you have writing on your side?"

"There are…but some of the characters appear missing."

"Same here!"

The bars were far too narrow for Katie to squeeze through, and the walls too high in her weary state. Link suggested to just throw her on the other side, but Silas immediately saved her from the horror of it, saying that any floor master could come and snatch her.

Silas showed difficulty in recognizing some of the characters, trying to determine them based on their cadences. Even after hearing them, Katie could still find no sense in them. Her sentence was incomplete and so was Silas's, but there was no way these two could be merged together since they were almost identical, save for some minor characters that have been altered.

Link and Sophia grew restless enough that their only source of entertainment was the floor masters who sometimes came in pairs.

There were eight bars in total—four on Katie and Link's side, and four with the twins. The same with the levers.

"I know we need to pull them in a specific order," Silas said, frustrated. "But in which order? This makes no sense!"

"Are you done yet?" Link demanded, his sword leaned against his shoulder with his other hand on his hip.

"Almost." Katie contemplated the wall the fifth time. The puzzle was no riddle, just a mess of words they needed to organize.

Link sighed out sharply. "Listen, how about we actually do something instead of just sitting around?" He reached out for a lever. "Let's just try guessing it."

"Yeah, I agree," Sophia said. "A trail and error could give us a hint."

"No, wait!" Katie shouted but it was too late. Link pulled a lever and Sophia pulled one as well. From the bars, the electricity roared, beaming so brightly that it looked like a wall of bright, blue flames.

"Hey, you did something!" Silas exclaimed. "One of our bars is gone!"

"It is?" Katie glanced back at the bars from her side, and they only glowed brighter, zapping violently.

"Wait, I think I understand," Silas said excitedly. "Link, return the lever back to its position."

Link did so, and the bars returned back to normal.

"Ah, I get it!" Katie glowed a bright shade of orange. "I thought the levers on our side affects the bars on your side!"

"I thought so too, but the levers are connected directly to the door on the same side," Silas concluded. "If that's the case and if we really do need to cooperate in order to progress, then the answer must lie in these inscriptions."

"It could be a fill in the blanks," Katie suggested. "These sentences are almost the same, but have different characters. I take those characters from your side and fill them up at my side…"

"And I do the same. Could it really work like that?"

"Hylian graphic isn't like common language. We might even come at the exact same sentence structure but with a totally different meaning!"

Silas hummed thoughtfully and snapped his fingers. "A sentence changes dramatically with a single character, and so if we have similar sentence with different wordings—"

"—the whole meaning changes!"

Link turned to Sophia. "You have any idea what they're on about?"

"Nope," Sophia said.

"Glad I'm not the only one. Hey, are you two done or are you about to open up your classroom here?"

Katie glowed exuberantly, and nothing could dampen her spirits about it. She just enjoyed fixing puzzles into place. Silas was enjoying himself as well, learning new ways on how to work around characters.

It was nice to see him smile again. Even Sophia perked up at it. Link was the only one with a scowl on him, snapping impatiently. Before he could lose his mind in the dragging boredom, Katie and Silas finally cracked the puzzle.

Sophia and Link had to pull down different levers at the same time. Now they were lucky they didn't pull it wrong earlier, as that would've been an error, and in a place like this, errors were met with dire consequences.

Katie ignored Link's querulous mood, moving with meticulous care so as to not rain disaster on them. The bars on their side beamed so bright they bleached to white, until they finally burst out, clearing the way for them.

"Alright!" Silas cheered. "Now that is a puzzle! I actually hope there are more of them!"

Katie giggled. "Yeah!"

"Yeah, sure sounds like fun," Link said bitingly, running the moment. "And who gets to deal with the monsters in case you two mess up?"

Silas hesitated, looking abashed. His sister nudged him out of the way so she could face the window. "Link?"

"What?"

"If you have nothing nice to say in that tiny brain of yours, how about you shut the hell up?"

"Oh, you really want to talk tiny brains, bitch?" he snarled.

Katie shrank back. "Please," she said softly.

Link glowered, turning to the door. Sophia scoffed and went on her way as well. Katie and Silas exchanged nervous glances before catching up to their partners.

Needless to say, this went on for some time. The excitement and reverence she held for the ancient language started to dwindle the longer she spent racking her brains at it, trying to find some sense while also having to deal with Link's pugnacious mood.

It took clever maneuvering, some risky guesses, in order to proceed. They weren't without any mistakes, oh no, not when you have two fighters who waited eagerly for something to happen.

Part of the reason behind their slow pace was because of Silas, but she couldn't bring this to attention, knowing how Link would react. She was concerned for Silas, since he did seem distracted and worked dilatory because of it. He was usually quicker than this.

The voice, Katie thought, remembering Simon's warning. Is he hearing now?

Maybe it was a bad idea…leaving him with his sister.

But how else could they go about this? Look at how Link was acting. She was fortunate enough to have her energy back before he started to get snappy. Really, she was feeling sorry for the floor masters.

"How big is that giant?" he asked, finally speaking to her.

Katie glanced his way. "About ten feet at least."

He snorted, but it did surprise him. "Ten feet. And how big is a Hionx?"

"Twenty."

"Sometimes even thirty." He chuckled though his eyes were still cold like ice. "This'll be a piece of cake."

"Simon says—"

"Simon's an idiot. Got his ass caught." Link scoffed at that. "Can't believe it."

After having to deal with his temper for nearly half an hour, she forgot about caution. "You got yourself caught too." He'd been strapped in that electric chair, and was left to survive in the labyrinth.

Link glared at her before going back and ignoring her.

Katie caught herself too late. The dark power was so subtle that she didn't even feel it working against her. This time she tamed herself, feeling terribly awkward in the silence.

This was a very rare case, to find herself alone with him—like in the beginning of their story. It didn't feel right to have this distance between them. He does know she was sorry about before, right?

This could be her one and only chance to make things right. She had to do it, to be brave.

"Link, I—" She hesitated, flushing when he glanced at her then straight ahead. "I-I just want to say—"

"No."

"Link—"

"No," he sneered, gritting his teeth. "When we leave here, I never want to see your face."

He didn't mean that. It's this place. It's making him say this.

And yet, she shriveled to hear him say this. "I told you I'm sorry." A penitent color washed away her flush. "I really am."

"I don't care." His pace began to quicken.

Katie struggled to catch up, the effort causing her to dip lower than usual. "I didn't mean it!" she cried. "I really didn't!"

"You think that matters?" He stopped and spun at her. "You think it matters how sorry you are? You think you can make things better after saying sorry?"

She paused, flinching back as if she touched something hot. Could she make everything better? Could she make it right?

A small part of her resisted the guilt, and tried to justify what she did to him. So she teased him a little, so what? He was being a silly boy. He deserved it. He deserved everything coming to him.

Two wrongs don't make a right…

"You're right," she said. "You're absolutely right. There's nothing I can do to take it back."

He glared at her before scoffing and turning away.

"But that doesn't mean I can't try."

"I don't need you," he said lowly, not turning to look at her. "I don't want your apology and I don't want your help!"

"I just don't want to see you hurt, Link…"

His shoulders stiffened. "You…" From the side of his face, she could see his teeth clenched. "You're just a judgmental bitch, that's what. You think you're better than everyone just because you lived in a nice little tower?"

"I know. You're right." She thought of Frank and Sophia, she thought of Silas under the duress of his town. She had misjudged them all so much, choosing to base them on stereotypes and refusing to see them as people. Frank was homeless bum, Silas was an unwavering Lord, Sophia a crazy loony. So superficial, so simple. As if people were that easy to define, as if they didn't have layers beneath. "You're…right."

Somehow her acquiescence only made him angrier. "Good," he hissed. "I am right. You're just a worthless sprit who doesn't know shit!" He started to storm off but Katie stayed where she was.

The resentment in him must've been buried that deep if he kept at it for this long. It made her wonder just how long it had festered in him, with her being blind to it. If she had noticed it sooner, she might've done something, but it seemed too late.

"Why do you hate me so much?" she whispered.

Link stopped.

"I don't want to stop being with you, Link." Her orb trembled as the endless question continued to haunt her. She'd done her best to shove it at the back of her mind, but now it flooded her head. What will she do on her own? How could she start to survive? What about Hyrule? "Did the times we spent together…do they mean anything to you, Link? Because it meant the world to me."

She waited for something cruel. It was expected at this point. But his posture seemed to deflate a little. When he turned, that scowling expression had petered. For a moment, she felt like she was looking at the real Link. He opened his mouth but a scream cut him off.

"No, Silas, get back here!" Sophia screamed.

Link cursed. "What's happening over there?"

Suddenly, black flakes began to pour on the ground like mist. They rose up into shapes before solidifying to create white-skinned Bokoblins—the dangerous kind.

"What is that idiot up to?" Link kicked back one monster and ducked. The swinging club passed over his head, the wind of the attack throwing Katie off balance. "Go check on them!"

Katie steadied herself, sickened. "I can't…" Even looking up at the walls made her anxious. She'd have to have enough energy to get up there and search for them.

Monsters only appear when they pull down the wrong lever…what in the name of Hylia was going on over there?


He still remembered his first kiss. It was a precious memory that he hadn't thought of in a while. The pain that came with it was too much. Sure, it was more of a quick peck before anyone saw, but he remembered how hard his heart reacted to it, how stupefied he must've been.

Her lips were so soft and delicate, with a hint of vanilla.

And he was supposed to consider that as fake?

You think she'd love a sick boy like you?

You thought she actually loved you?

How stupid can you be?

So ridiculous!

So stupid.

So short.

Weak.

Pathetic.

"Silas!"

Silas started with a rasping gasp. The room brightened, as if his vision gone blurry. The voices hushed at once, and Sophia looked at him with deep concern. He rubbed his head, assuring her it was nothing.

"If you need to rest, tell me," she said. "Don't push yourself."

Me. It's always been about me.

"I'm fine." That came out harsher than he intended, and seeing her confused twisted his stomach. "I'm sorry."

She didn't seem offended, and that only made him worse.

They carried on trudging alongside the wall that meandered deeper into the tortuous maze. There were plenty of dead ends, random twists, narrow traps. It was up to him to keep them on track, and it was up to Sophia to make sure nothing would impale them, or carry them off.

Din take him, he nearly had a heart attack when he first saw those horrifying hands. They just floated at them soundlessly, purple-skinned, dark fingernails. They're only purpose, it seemed, was to pick them up and drop them to wherever they pleased.

Sophia often forgot the task, and her panic was something hysterical. Where were the others? What happened? Silas had to keep her calm, trying to be clement but the frustration of it continued to bubble. How long does she plan to stall him? How many times does he have to keep repeating himself?

"Dammit…" He rubbed his head, muttering under his breath. "What is wrong with me?"

She risked her life for him how many times? How many times had she helped him? And what did he do for her in return?

She was so lonely. She must've been sooooo lonely.

His shoulders sagged. He just couldn't imagine life in her shoes. All she had ever felt—pain and grief—and he never knew about it. Quietly, he snuck a glance at her. Sophia seemed calm, though her eyes were attentive, her daggers at her side. Never the one to start a conversation, always so reticent and cool.

On the other hand, Irela was attentive and understanding—the perfect audience. He never worried about running his mouth around her, and even when his speech quickened with excitement, she followed along. Her beauty shined with a smile on her golden face. That couldn't have been her in that mirror. It wasn't Irela. That had to be a mistake.

It was her, he thought, teeth gritted, hands clenched. Was he that much in denial that he refused to believe his own eyes? It was her. She tried to kill us all.

She tried to kill me…

But why? Why would she do this to him? What did he ever do to deserve something like that?

Oh boo hoo, a voice whispered. Crying about yourself as always. What about her? What about your poor sister? How many times did you make her cry?

A dark chuckle rattled Silas down to his bones. But you don't think about that do you, boy?

"I hope Link and Katie are getting along," Sophia said without turning to look at him. Good thing, as his face had lost all its colors. "We might need to hurry a bit."

Silas swallowed, doing his best to hide his fear. It grew so cold here that he felt it bite at his skin. "I never meant," Silas muttered though that voice struck him again, like hand pressing against his skull.

Poor Sophia. She used to cry so much. You made her so miserable! She hates you. She said it so. She can't stand—"

"Do you remember when we snuck out?"

Sophia's voice snapped him from the torment. Silas realized just how tight he'd been hugging himself. "Wh-what?" he whispered.

"When we were children," she explained, looking ahead. "I wanted to go outside since it was a night with shooting stars. You went ahead and stole the key for the main door, remember?"

It took a while to dredge up the memory. "Yeah," he muttered, eyebrows furrowed. That was…years ago. Wait, she seriously remembered that?

Sophia hummed. "We went outside but then there was something there…"

Silas knew the memory himself but…for some reason he found that it wouldn't come to him easily. It hung on the tip of his tongue, this dark cloud fogged over his mind.

"Oh right!" Sophia brightened up. "Father was there! He looked so astonished when he saw us there!"

The memory rushed to Silas like a river tearing out a dam. Lawrence was indeed shocked, speechless, when he saw his twins in their sleeping robes. After much convincing on their side and a snappy scolding from his, Lawrence relented to let them sit with him, one child at either side, tucked under his arms. All three heads looked at the scattered scars.

Silas smiled without realizing it. He had wanted to do something special for his sister since he made her cry earlier. Rather than simply apologizing, he figured to show his sincerity by breaking the rules, stealing the key from Viktor's room, and go outside into the night, far past their bedtime. He went through a lot of trouble to get that key only to find the main door already open. Lawrence was only taking a stroll on the manor's perimeters and nearly fainted when he saw them.

He really wasn't mad but he needed pretend that he was.

"Maybe you should drink that potion now," Sophia said after finally seeing his face. "You do look pale. Or have you taken it already?"

"I'd rather save it. Don't want to start drinking away the rest of our resources."

"Link's becoming a fine apothecary, isn't he?"

Silas chuckled. "I feel a little bad for him. These elixirs are extremely well made. He must've spent hours conducting them and not to mention the money…" He trailed off.

"What?"

"It's nothing," he said dismissively. "We should get going."

You think you can talk to her after everything you've done?

You think you have that right?

Who do you think you are?

Silas flinched, wishing he could plug his ears and ignore them. It came within his very core, all his doubts and insecurities just brought up like a broken corpse, left to hang over his shoulders. He can't escape it.

"Silas, Silas!" Sophia grasped his shoulder, a consternated look in her eyes. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

He cringed away from her. "Please don't touch me. I'm fine."

She frowned, but he insisted she should stay attention to make sure nothing snuck up on them. That did convince her enough. She worried for his safety above all else.

When they saw the next challenge, he went at it eagerly. A puzzle was just what he needed. Anything to force his mind to think outside despondency. If he just didn't have to talk to her then maybe—

You really are a terrible brother.

A sudden pain stabbed at him, right at his chest. It made him want to turn away from her for good, to go back to being a child and let her hate him. He deserved it. He deserved every bit o fit.

It took iron will to resist the urge in gulping down the potion. It wasn't nightshade n the end and he'll be damned if he gets addicted to this stuff too.

Why am I so weak? He rubbed his face. When have I become so weak?

The puzzle. Focus on the puzzle. Really, it was so fascinating—

You think you can brush this off, boy? Like dust off your shoulders?

—to see so many alternatives in using the characters. Silas saw them all, each of them unique in their own way. If only he hadn't been so lax in the language before. It used to be just a simple requirement in the academy.

She suffers and yet you wish to be happy.

"Silas," Katie said.

He blinked. "Huh?"

"Are you okay?" she asked softly, thankfully keeping her voice down.

He nodded, impatience slipping into his voice when he told her he was fine.

Katie took the hint and carried on with her surmise. The fairy had proven herself to be proficient beyond his understanding. How does she do it? The way her mind came to these conclusions, able to decipher the puzzle faster than he could follow, catching up to their meaning. It made him curious on how such information could be cramped into that little orb.

He should've realized this much sooner, but while she showed ignorance in some fields, Katie was a lot more intelligent than anyone gave her credit for. If only Link realized the kind of service he was dismissing…foolish on his part.

Once the challenge ended, this blissful state of mind, this defensive numb surrounding him faded. Once more he was left alone with his twin, the voice deriding him. There weren't many traps, not like the ones with Link and Katie. Link kept complaining about them, filling their heads with how axes came flying out of nowhere.

And there were so few on the twin's side. Only these painfully long strides that stretched and stretched, leaving him consumed in his tormented thoughts.

I did so much wrong….

He can't bring himself to push these thoughts away. It was true. Why deny it any longer?

The weight on his hip became much more noticeable. The blade may not be as long as he liked, but it was very sharp. Link saw to that himself. Silas didn't know what that idiot was thinking, handing the blade to the same guy who tried to stab him with it.

You made her this way. You might as well have molded her from clay and dropped her.

Silas gritted his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut. "Please stop," he whispered pleadingly. "Please—"

Just look at what you've done to her!

She has to suffer for your sake!

So you could be safe!

He held his head, whimpering. The dagger weighed heavier than before, eager. Maybe it could serve as justice…maybe…

Sophia was by his side in a second, putting both hands on his shoulders. "Silas! What's wrong?"

It's always been about me. He couldn't look at her. Never about you. Why don't you stand up for yourself? Why do you let it be so easy?

"Just leave me alone," he said thickly, refusing to meet her eyes.

"You need that potion. You need it!" She tried to take it from his pocket but he slapped her hand and then shoved her back.

Sneering, he jabbed at her with a shaking finger. "You think I can't take care of myself? I'm not a child!"

To his surprise, she didn't back down. Rather, she matched his tone. "Well, you're acting like it," she said hotly. "Why can't you take your medicines on time? Why do you keep missing them?" She cut him off before he could intercept. "Don't you lie to me. I know you do it on purpose."

All those hours he sat in his study, all alone, no family, nothing to keep him going but the responsibility that came with his birth. Or so he thought. At that time, he picked up his hot medicines and threw them out the window.

Why…did I do that?

He didn't need them anymore. He didn't see the point in taking them. Why bother taking care of himself? What was the use in it?

Sophia took his silence as defeat. "You should drink that potion now. You'll feel a lot better," she said, huffing. "And we'll rest until you feel better—"

"I've been kidnapped once."

Sophia froze, whirling at him. "What?"

"When I was at the program, I ran out on Grey. I was taken captive by thugs, put on display like some prize. Some wanted to cut me up and send the pieces to Father, others just wanted to keep me as a pet."

Though he could barely remember anything else from the program, that memory came out crisp. The dark warehouse, the revolting stench, the savage grins, the snickers, the bellowing and thunderous anger.

Sophia went still. "How—when—"

"We never told you because I didn't want you to worry." His eyes met hers. "I didn't need you protecting me then, and I don't need you to smother me now! I've already seen enough. Why can't you just understand that? Why can't you just stop trying to preserve me?"

"Did they hurt you?" she asked, and just like that his words were lost in the wind. She studied his face, as if expecting to see any scars. "What did they look like?"

"Are you even listening to me?" he snapped. "I don't need you mothering me anymore!"

"I have to keep you safe." Her eyes narrowed. "What's wrong with that?"

He rubbed his face exasperatedly. "Alright, let me try to make this simple for you, okay? What's wrong you asked? Well, it's everything. Everything goes wrong when you try to help me."

Sophia stared at him. "What?" she asked plainly.

"I don't need your help! For the love of Hylia, Sophia, you lecture me about my health but really why don't you take care of yourself? Why do you let awful people like me walk over you?" he shouted. "Why don't you ever stand up for yourself? Just why are you so damn spineless?"

Sophia paused as he gathered his breath. Any minute, he expected her to lash out, send daggers his way.

"First of all," she said calmly, "you are not an awful person."

"I am."

"No," she said sharply. "You are a good person."

"I am not!" he screamed, startling her. "That's what I can't stand about you! You've always made it easy! It's always so easy with you! I treated you like dirt before and I could still do it now! I can shove you around however I want and you wouldn't care, would you? So long as I'm happy? And then you start suffering and try to blame me for it, but you're the one stabbing yourself here!"

She started to speak but he cut her off with a sharp gesture. "I don't care! Just stop it! Stop caring about me, stop treating me like I'm a child! Just stop it!"

Sophia had her hand out, but it withered back. Her face fell. "I…did…did I do something wrong?"

Silas stopped and he felt something in him break. Just that look in her eyes. That look. "No," he said in a small voice. "You never had."

Who made her this way? Who broke her?

Silas stepped back as it finally dawned to him. "I can't…stop hurting you, can I?"

"Silas, wait!"

If the path weren't so treacherous with its random twist, she would've caught him in less than three seconds. All he knew was that he had to get away from her, far from her. He nearly killed her with that sleigh and he almost got her to kill herself.

Eventually, he stumbled to the ground, lungs burning, his legs brittle. He struggled to get off his knees but his strength collapsed. A whiff of nightshade caught his attention, making his mouth watery but he quickly shook his head, thinking of that grey eyeball.

"Silas!"

His throat locked, and somehow he found the energy to stand back up. He came across another puzzle with the same blue bars, blocking out the only way. The ineluctable bars stood taller than before, the writing a scrambling mess. In reckless desperation, he pulled a nearby lever after seeing his sister several paces away, furious.

"Silas, you idiot! What the hell are you—"

Monsters sprouted from the ground in puffs of flakes, but none of them went after him. He stood on the opposite side, horrified.

I keep doing this. I keep putting her in danger…

He looked down at his trembling hands, seeing blood on them. The blood from when he cried at her side when she fell. No matter what, she'll always get hurt for him. She'll always suffer as long as he lived.

Slowly, deliberately, he unsheathed the blade, and found it a real beauty. Grey had given it to him, and he had good tastes. The light caught the blade, traveling up the sharp side and twinkling at the top. Pale scratches skidded across the flat side. He stared at it, captivated.

"Silas!" Sophia screamed.

The sheath fell from his hand absent-mindedly, his eyes staring down at silvery reflection.

"Silas, what are you doing?"

Justice.

Yes, this would make a fine justice. It would safeguard his sister. She'll finally be free of him, and live her own life.

"Silas!" Sophia screamed in furious desperation. He glanced up to see her slicing the throat of a monster, and then shoving passed another one. However, more monsters emerged, blocking her way. "Silas, stop!"

The chances to make it up to her were countless. They've all came his way but he squandered it all to spend time with that witch. He shunned out his own sister, ignoring her; he couldn't risk having her ruin his perfect marriage.

"I broke my promise," he said softly. He made a promise to make up for five years gone. If he had only visited her, would he be able to help her?

He held the blade in two hands, pointing the tip right on his chest.

I'll see Father again.

He had to smile at that. There was so much to tell him. It'll all be over.

Then something twinkled his way and his half-lidded eyes widened as something sharp whistled in the air. It must've been fired with such caution to have avoided him, but also serve as a close call.

The monsters were all gone—put to the ground. Sophia's hand was out from the throw. "Don't leave me," she said, emotion in her eyes. "Don't leave me please."

He felt as if she was shaking him out from a dream. "Sophia?"

"Not you," she cried, shaking her head. "Not you please. Don't leave me alone again."

It struck him like a bell. He staggered back, the dagger clanging at his feet. What the hell was I doing?

"Sophia—" Silas would've run to her when it darkened around him. A large hand seized him, fingers wrapped around his chest in a crushing embrace.

No matter how much he squirmed and kicked, he wasn't getting out. The ground sank along with his dagger. Silas cringed, black dots exploding in his eyes. His lungs burned. His vision blurred with painful tears but he could make out his sister who preformed a wall jump before falling over the hand.

The added weight dropped the hand considerably but it didn't knock it out of the air. She held onto the index finger and stabbed the back of the hand with a dagger. The monster reacted violently, producing this disembodied grunt. It thrashed around, and managed to throw them off. Sophia killed it as they fell. Her shurkin met its mark and black flakes sprinkles around as gravity pulled them.

Silas cried out, expecting a painful land but his sister broke the fall for him. A sickly sound of something break had her cry out. Silas nearly jumped off of her, his heart hammering so heart that he thought it would pop out his chest.

"Oh no," he moaned, covering his mouth. "Oh no, oh no."

"It's…not that bad…" Her face tightened with pain, tears squeezing out of her eyes.

In the well-light maze, the bone glinted from the torn skin in her leg. Blood soaked through the trouser.

Broken, he thought in terror. It's really broken, but she fell out from heights before. Even higher!

And it was all his fault. He did it again.

"Why does this keep happening?" he cried, lowering his head. "I didn't mean—I swear I didn't—"

She flicked a finger on his head. "Stop that," she said firmly, wiping her tears. Though the pain still spoke volumes over her face, she kept a hold of herself. "Breath. You need to breath."

He shook his head, his hands clenching over his laps.

"I'm fine! I've been through much worse. You know that."

He sniffed, mumbling uselessly under his breath.

"Silas," she said, trying to sound annoyed and failed. "Wait you…you ran off on me. Yeah, you did! Goodness, don't ever do that to me, understand?"

He nodded at once, ashamed. What lead him to do something that stupid? He took a deep breath to calm his nerves before taking out a potion.

Sophia shook her head. "You need it."

"I need it?" he choked. "Look at you!"

"I know—"

"Drink it!" he shouted, shoving it at her. "Stop thinking about me for two seconds and just bloody drink it!"

"Silas, you shouldn't scream like that."

"Drink. It," he hissed. From the background, he heard the voices of Link and Katie, but ignored them, staring at his sister in defiance.

She did take it all, albeit reluctantly. Now there was a matter of setting her bones right. Bones heal on their own if given the time, and with the proper adjustments. Taking the red potion should alleviate the pain and encourage the bones to heal faster, but she might limp. If only they had the stronger elixirs.

They must've worried their companions so much that Katie ended up coming to their side. Enervated, she turned to sheer white when she saw Sophia. "What happened?"

"It's fine!" Sophia exclaimed. "Good Din, you make it out as if I'm dying!"

"You could've broken your neck," Silas muttered frantically, knowing he started to imitate Viktor. He tore out his own sleeve to use as bandage. "You could've hit your head again."

It didn't help how he said it out loud. Now that was another thing he had to live with.

"What the hell is going on over there?" Link demanded. His voice sounded nearby, and Silas saw Link's fingers gripping the iron bars at the wall opposite of the Hylian graphics. He looked like he was trying to tear them off. "I can't see anything!"

"Sophia broke her leg," Katie explained.

"Woman, what the hell were you doing?"

"It was my fault," Silas choked, burying his head in his hands. He wished the ground would swallow him up. "All my fault."

Sophia sighed. "Silas, come now."

"I'm sorry." His shoulders shook when he finally broke down. "I'm so, so sorry."

"Silly boy," she chided softly, pulling his head so it rested under hers. "No tears. We're both safe. That's what matters."

He sobbed like the silly boy she teased him for. This time, there were no voices to take advantage of his grief, only him and his sister.

Finally, when he got rid of that crushing weight, he pulled his head out then turned at her leg with a grimace. "I need to fix that," he said hoarsely.

"You need to set it right," Katie said, fluttering over his shoulder. The sight of the blood blenched her green. "The red potion will do the rest. She already took it, right?"

"I made sure of that." He studied the wound, feeling his mouth go dry. "It needs stitches. Goddess help us, how will you fight like this?"

"I can manage," his twin said testily. "I'm a Sheikah. I need to work with what I have."

"And what do you have?"

She showed him her fists and he had to smile a little despite himself.

"My words and days and everything," Link said exaggeratedly. "Just how long is this all going to take? Should we just camp out here while we're at it?"

"She'll need stitches, Link," Silas said, ending it in a question.

Link muttered something as they heard him rumbling through his things. The gaps between the bars allowed them to exchange only smaller items, so there was no hope of getting a stronger elixir. They were lucky Link managed to squeeze out a bottle of water.

"I'm a damn apothecary now."

Silas spluttered out an explosive laugh. It came out of him unexpectedly. He figured this would've angered Link, but Link chuckled. Somehow, they have a knack for making each other laugh at a time like this.

Now came the hardest part. Regardless of Sophia's gripe, he got her to chew on something. This was going to be painful.

Silas took in a deep breath, trying to align the broken bone back straight. Katie hovered over his head, giving out instructions in a flash of green and pink. Sophia lay there, tears stinging in her eyes, her fists shaking.

All he needed to do was to push back the bone under the skin and snap it into place. There weren't any fragments of splinters. It should be a clean fit. He looked at his sister and she nodded sharply.

Swallowing, fingers thick with blood, he moved quickly before he could hesitate. Sophia lurched forward, nearly slamming her face into his. She screamed through her rag, sending a fist down. Once that fire in her cooled, he cleaned the blood and started to stitch up the laceration. Katie kept stopping him as his fingers were shaking.

It lasted for half an hour, but it felt so much more. His forehead beaded with sweat and he sat back down, hands bloodied. A breath heaved out from him, leaving him sagged, tired. His sister, pale with tear-stained cheeks, removed the gag.

"That was something," she muttered. "Last time…I broke my arm. You were there, right?"

He nodded tiredly. "You jumped out the window."

She closed her eyes. "I wanted to learn how to jump out from daring heights." A heavy sigh left her. "Guess I'm not good as I thought."

"You are," he said with vehemence. "I've seen you drop fifty feet without a scratch on you. You are good at this, better even." He stopped when he saw himself rambling. "You need to rest."

"No, we need to move. Those things are still out there."

"Floor masters," Katie said, turning apprehensive. "She's right. This sounds awful but we can't stop now. Link has more elixirs with him."

"They can't fit through the bars," Silas pointed out.

"We'll try something then. It should help with an open fracture. We keep a special elixir for emergencies only."

"Yeah, I finished that one at the labyrinth, remember?" Link called out and they heard him curse. When Silas asked him what was the matter, Link gave out a sarcastic hum. "Oh let me see. You guys kept asking me left and right for potions like I'm made out of the stuff. So now, it seems I'm not made out of it since I'm down to only one."

A frightful color swallowed Katie. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah." He sounded really ticked off.

Dreadful, Silas turned to his sister.

"Don't look at me like that," she said peevishly. "I'll be fine."

"You need to rest," he said quietly when she forced herself to get up, cringing all the while. Katie seemed nervous at this but she had to go back to Link, wishing them luck.

Blood gleaned over the ground and Sophia slipped over it. Silas reached out, grabbed her arm, the one with the ribbons, and hooked it over his neck.

Sophia hissed out through her teeth. "S-Silas—"

"No," he said with enough conviction to silence her. "No. I'm helping you and that's final."

She was a lot heavier than he thought. While she could pick him up like a feather, he strained and heaved through it. Sophia tried to use both feet to ease his burden, but in the end she counted on his support.

Somehow, she convinced him to take back his dagger. Whether she forgot what he did or not, she made no suggestions to be reminded. She just looked at him firmly, insisting that he took the dagger. And he took it. Maybe too eagerly.

Link helped by dealing most of the floor masters that would come over to the twins. He would shoot his arrows upward, and they'd lose momentum and point right down. Exceptional archery on his part. The monstrous hands were slow so they were easier to hit. If they were got too close, Sophia used her shurkins and had to have Silas go retrieve it. She was running out of those, he noticed, since she was favoring her twin daggers.

Another five minutes, and the twins found nothing waiting for them—no traps, no monsters, no puzzles, nothing. It didn't take a fool to figure it out.

A trap is laid bare and we're heading right into it.

With his sister injured, their medical supplies suffering a drastic blow and separated from the only warrior they have left, the Haidrund twins were as vulnerable as they ever were.

What were his chances if he left his sister behind? She was slowing him down after all. She even drank the last potion, chugged it all like some drunk. Maybe he ought to leave her behind, he'll have a better chance at making it.

Silas shook his head hard enough to make his bangs lash right and left. "Come on," he growled. "We need to hurry."

"Maybe you should drink that potion," his sister suggested.

Silas kept his eyes forward. "You drank it all."

"I did?" She sounded as if she drank his last cup of medicine. "When?"

"It doesn't matter. You needed it more and I don't want to say anything else on this matter." An ache seared over his neck. Needles stabbed up from his feet to his knees. His back complained as well. Maybe if he left her behind…

No, no, NO. Silas glared up, his eyes darkening. She dies, I'll die with her.

Whether it could read his mind or not, his fearsome look silenced it. For now.

The walls expanded to reveal a grand space where the maze finally ended. The twins stood beneath a stoned archway, inspecting the enormous area. Bones scattered carelessly. Light emitted from above. There wasn't much here, if you could ignore the enormous man.

"That's not a Hionx," Sophia muttered, eyes narrowed.

The man was short, just as Katie told them, and looked very much like a simple villager, or even a farmer. Just one that grew ten meters tall and had a massive axe that glinted. With thick hair and large keen eyes that sought them out, the giant had a smile that was neither warm nor hostile.

To the twin's right, Silas saw another exit, most likely for Link but with strong and heavy bars over t, without electricity this time.

We're on our own, Silas thought, bracing himself as he turned to the giant.

"Just when I was getting bored," the diminutive giant spoke, his voice deep and resounded in the area. Despite the intimidating height, he spoke with politeness.

"Who are you?" Sophia asked, a little too casually that it worried Silas a little. She did know this was an enemy, right?

"Oh, just some giant," the man said simply, looking at her with interest. "So you're the girl."

Sophia huffed. "The girl is a woman, and she has a name."

"The girl also has a sharp tongue," the giant observed, amused as he leaned forward, his legs crossed under him and his elbows rested on his laps. "And the girl has caused quite the stir for his highness."

Silas frowned slightly. This giant didn't speak in the same air of reverence like the gaoler. "You don't seem too bothered with that."

The giant sighed, waving a hand insouciantly. "If I bother myself with every slight his highness receives, I'll outlast even that gaoler. Oh, I do thank you for taking care of him. A real nuisance, that one."

Silas blinked. "But he was your comrade!"

The giant laughed. "Comrade? You misunderstand, little Lord. In the realm without light, there are no such things as comrades—only masters and slaves. We fight alongside one another, true, but believe me, should the chance ever arise we would rip each other apart without hesitation."

The giant scratched at his clean shaved chin, thoughtful. "You could say that we are like creatures in the sea. Living in the same world, even cooperating with one another. But also wary of the bigger fish. We fight for survival, little one, not just for our master's favor."

Silas wasn't expecting such a civilized conversation from someone who could easily crush them in one stomp. In fact, this man didn't seen anything like a dark being, just a Hylian with some incredible growth hormone.

"So you'll let us pass?" Silas said hopefully.

Again, the giant laughed. "I'm afraid this is where your journey ends, tiny ones. Though it was nice of us to be acquainted."

Silas felt Sophia stiffen over his shoulder. Things could go very badly here. "Wait," Silas said, trying to keep his panic out of his voice. "What is your king after?"

The giant frowned slightly. "Hasn't the gaoler told you? He's prone for fanatic jabbering."

"Yes, but, well, he said it in such a canonizing way that I find it irritating."

That was the right response. The giant sighed out. "Finally, someone agrees. Believe me, I'm surprised that old fool keeps himself pristine, with how much he grovels before our master at every turn. It's embarrassing!"

"I understand the king wishes to bring calamity to my town, but is it all truly to challenge the general?"

The giant looked like he was going to answer, but paused and then smiled. "You seem like a smart little Lord to know the answer to that."

"Well, I just—"

"And I like to think I'm smart as well, smart enough to know this discussion serves only to stall time long enough for your hero to reach you."

Silas froze.

Sophia didn't understand. "We don't have a hero with us."

The giant raised an eyebrow. "A boy who dresses in green, who happens to carry a blade that seals darkness, and a fairy by his side made of pure light. Anyone you know?"

"Oh, that's Link and Katie! Wait, what does this have to do with them? What are we talking about again?"

The giant chuckled, getting up from his place. As he did so, heaps of dust sprinkled off him. It was as if he'd been sitting here all this time, unmoving, just waiting for intruders.

And he must've been here for some time, since Silas saw a deep depression made on the ground when the giant moved for his axe. The man also brushed something off his shoulders, large slate of stone that thundered when it met the ground. His hair was also crusted with the same grey dust.

It reminded Silas of something. His manor had statues over at the east side but they were removed from the manor since Sophia kept using them for practice. Silas remembered the niche they left behind, a single mismatch spot on the ground, outlined and distinctive.

"You were a statue," Silas blurted out, seeing the dust as powdered stone that brushes off statues if they were bumped, or punched in Sophia's case.

The giant froze, looking at Silas with a new look. "Well," he said, "you're smarter than I gave you credit. Yes, I was a statue."

"That makes no sense," Sophia said plainly. "You look very much animated."

"No, he was a statue," Silas insisted, scrutinizing the giant's features. He did look well with color over his face, the clothes nicely made. "He kept you as a statue in order to preserve you, so he could call upon you whenever he wants."

Silas was sure o fit. His comment also had an ulterior motive; he hoped to provoke the creature, maybe get him to think on it.

"You could say that I was his backup," the man said, apparently seeing no issue with it. "I haven't seen him this furious since the general paid him a final visit."

"Why would you work for someone like him?" Sophia demanded. "He's a monster!"

"He's my master," the giant said, and that was reason enough for him. "I only live to serve him."

Silas frowned. "You don't seem to like him very much."

"We have our differences, true," the giant admitted. "But he is my king, and therefore my soul belongs to him alone."

"Then you are a fool," Sophia said sharply. "You serve someone that kept you don't here like this? What kind of service is that?"

Silas winced at the provocative response, but the giant didn't seem at all offended.

"A loyal one," he said, turning for his axe. It must weigh over a hundred pounds, but he lifted it up with ease.

Sophia stiffened. "Wait, where is Simon? What have you done to him?"

The giant pointed up. They saw something they haven't seen before since it was so high up. A large birdcage rocked slightly with someone peering down. He'd been so quite, Silas wondered why he hadn't said anything.

"Simon!" Sophia cried.

Simon didn't look too happy to see them. "You shouldn't be here without Link! Wait, what happened to you?"

"That doesn't matter! We'll get you out of there!" Sophia shoved her brother to the side before taking out her daggers dexterously, one in each hand, black against the light. "Find somewhere to hide, Silas."

Silas had no hope to dissuade her. Even injured, his sister could still try to fight. The red potion must've been seriously effective if she was able to move like this.

The large man sent his axe down, and she twisted to the side. The blade shattered the marble, throwing chips of stone. Sophia climbed up on the axe, running along the shaft towards the giant, never tittering to one side or hesitating. The man growled when she reached up his arm and he tried swatting her like a bug. She leapt, twisting in the air and whipped her dagger out, burying it in his hand so she could stick there.

The giant hissed through his teeth. His other hand rose so he could clap them together, but she was up in the air again, flipping over the hand.

She could do this, Silas thought, hope flaring in him. She could take him down. She could—

The giant bared his yellow teeth, losing all illusions of the decent, amiable man they've spoken not too long. Sophia fell from the air, landing in a crouch that snapped something in her. The wound wasn't entirely healed up yet, and from her face, Silas could guess that the stitches came undone. Her movements grew slower as if she moved through sand. The giant grabbed her, holding her in both hands.

"Let her go!" Silas shouted.

Sophia spat at the man's face. Her spittle hit his check, sliding down like a tear. His eyes darkened. "Now that's unladylike."

"Go fuck yourself!" she snarled, and yelled out all sorts of names, thrashing angrily.

Silas went inert, staring. The air too thick to breath in.

"Silas!"

He turned to the exit that was barred off, and found Link and Katie there. Link's eyes widened. "Shit, is that Sophia?"

"She's in trouble!" Katie cried.

Link's eyes snapped at Silas. "Do something!"

"Help your sister, you idiot!" Simon screamed in desperate anger.

Sophia cried out. The giant's hands wrung around her, crushing her. "Irritating thing," he hissed.

A low moan escaped Silas. His legs turned to jelly. A lever stood just to the corner of the room, right beneath the torch, but he couldn't move towards it. He couldn't breath.

"Run!" Sophia opened one of her eyes, her teeth clenched. "R-run!"

I can't run. I can't move.

Not for the millionth time, he felt that familiar impotence. That useless state of being so weak and scared of his mind. He couldn't save his sister from anything—not from those bandits, not from monsters, not from Irela.

Not from himself.

Something fired from Link's side. An arrow of ice skidded in the air, leaving a frosty trail behind. It would've gotten the giant in the eye but the man's free hand smacked it away. White, icy smoke whispered from the large, unscathed hand. The man smiled. Link growled and tried again. Simon kept yelling at Silas.

"Irela, you did this," Silas uttered, staring at the giant who was as much of a servant to Louis as she had been. "You-you started all of this. You woke Louis up."

No, that was his doing. And now he will watch his sister die.

"You used me," he whispered.

You let her.

"You manipulated me."

You. Let. Her.

That voice grew much distinctive, no longer bothering to disguise itself as his inner voice anymore. Think yourself innocent in the affairs, little Lordling? You've done nothing for your sister. Nothing. She suffered before and she will suffer now, all while you close your eyes.

"Not this time. Not anymore."

Silas found his dagger back in his hands, but this time for a different purpose. Since the lever to possibly open up Link's gate was too far from him, Silas turned to the giant. Earlier, he had been ready to faint from the lassitude, but he was suddenly wide and awake, as if shocked out from a deep slumber.

He pushed back that angry voice, and only focused on Irela's face—a face made up of lies and malevolence. It had all been fake, all of it. The only thing that had been real was his sister, and he pushed her away.

He ran for the giant, feeling insanely stupid and determined. The large man was too busy swinging away Link's attack to notice Silas advancing towards him, yielding nothing but a small, puny dagger.

In the academy, Silas studied the Hylian anatomy, and while he could've gotten a better score, he did recall some of the lectures. There were large vessels in the body, pumping blood at a high pressure. One noble in their class, a fellow swordswoman, had said she cut a man at the shoulder, sending a gush of blood out like a fountain. Or in the giant's case, it would be water breaking out of a dam.

Look at the back of the leg, Silas did a quick calculation. The largest vessels would be in deep, very deep. The one in the legs were called the femoral artery. He'd have to cut his way through the muscles in order to reach it.

That might take a while. His stomach twisted when he heard his sister scream.

But there was something else he could do, if he couldn't reach the vessel in time. Situated into the knee were ligaments that helped Hylians walk.

Silas smiled darkly. First, he had to climb up using the hair on the monster's leg. The giant couldn't be bothered with him, not when he was busy with Link who switched to fire arrows. Silas climbed up with the dagger clenched between his teeth. Only a few seconds of this did he became heavily enervated.

Thankfully, the monster wasn't larger than the average Hionx. It would be only some few feet drop if Silas was thrown off. He stopped at the back of the knee, panting, sweat dripping down his face. It took a moment for him to estimate where the ligaments might be. He then raised his dagger, and rammed it down with all his might.

The giant bellowed vociferously; his voice trembled the ground. Silas squeezed his eyes shut in a cringe, then snapped them open as he raised his dagger and plunged it again, beginning to cut. He had to stop and hold on as the giant shifted, trying to grab him. He could feel the fingers nearing him but the hand quickly withdrew, rising up to block out an arrow from Link.

Black blood sputtered over Silas, warm and thick, getting into his mouth and eyes. He raised his forearm, squealing. Pushing through it, he began to cut open the flesh. He figured spotting the ligament would be easy—as it was a white elastic tissue—but he couldn't make sense of it. Inside was all black meat.

He drew his dagger back and forth, sawing through the flesh till it lodged at the bone. The giant rocked precariously, grunting.

Spitting out the blood, Silas moved his whole arm into the cut, gritting his teeth as the giant stomped his leg to get him off. The world rocked too fast. A headache began to pulse his head.

He searched with his free hand for the ligament, his dagger clenched between his teeth. There you. The blood sleeved his arm in black when he withdrew it. Quickly, he guided his dagger inside, tearing through the flesh and reaching to the white tissue.

Like strings cut off a puppet, the monster crashed down on the injured knee. The sudden motion threw Silas off.

He couldn't move. A bell rung through his ears and it seemed to deteriorate whenever he tried to get up. Blood painted him, moist on the left side of his face as he'd been leaning near the cut for better leverage. His whole left arm sticky and black. The dagger was somewhere lost in the monster's knee. If Silas was lucky, it would penetrate the femoral artery and end the fight.

Much to his relief, he saw that his task had saved his sister. He froze when he saw her motionless on the ground

Then it hit him.

"No," he whispered. "No!"

She fell on her head.

Silas crawled over her, dizzy to his head, sick to his stomach. Still, he kept moving, often slipping from the blood and falling on his face. He did reach her in time, and saw a bruise swelling on her forehead, her shirt drenched in blood. Broken ribs. Broken leg. Bruises on the head…

"Sophia," Silas choked, everything around him darkened. "Sophia!"

"Silas, move your ass!" Link shouted.

Silas turned to the seething giant in front of him. It was not a simple man anymore, but a giant with red eyes, hair grown longer, darker.

How could I be such a fool…to think a sane man could live in a place like this?

The man held one hand behind his knee, blood flowing from it mellifluously. The other hand was clenched into a fist, a shadow above the twins. Silas held his sister's head and shut his eyes.

The monster wailed, the ground trembling as the giant stumbled. Silas opened his eyes to see the man's head jerked back, an ice arrow propped into one of his eye, turning it into a bright, white jewel. Silas hooked his arms under his sister's, and tried to drag her.

"I…I can't," he muttered, dropping down to one knee, encumbered by his sister's weight. "I can't…"

"Silas, snap out of it!" Katie shouted, close to him. In fact, she was fluttering right here with him, and threw herself at his head. The pain of it stung. "You have to get Link out of there! Hurry!"

Link stood behind the bars, practically dancing with impatience. He shot another arrow upwards, a strike of yellow curtails trailed behind it. The giant's hand, outstretched to grab Silas, drew back as a shocking power wracked through him.

"I don't know what to do," Silas whispered, rasping for air. It felt as if he'd run miles and miles without a stop. His chest heaved out, black dots danced over his eyes.

"Over there!" Katie said hastily. "There's a lever, but you have to move!"

Silas maundered after Katie once he made sure Sophia was safe, leaning against the wall behind. Each of his steps was short; his feet swayed under him, making him look inebriated.

"Hurry up!" Link snapped and his eyes widened when he saw the congealed blood over Silas. "Damn, you really got him good."

Silas nearly fell on his face but clutched the bars to keep himself upright, his head leaned forth. "I can't do this," he wheezed. "Can't…"

"Silas, get up!" Katie cried. "Your sister's going to be in danger!"

"Both of you will die unless you get me out of here!" Link said sharply with anxiety cutting in his voice. "Get your ass up!"

Silas crawled to reach the lever, the exhaustion so deep into his bones. Katie then cried out and Link acted quick with his bow. An enormous weight of steel was thrown at Silas, missing his head. It smashed into the walls of the maze, sending debris falling everywhere.

The force knocked Silas to his stomach, his head hitting the ground. Link could reach him from the bars on his side, trying to pull him. "Get up! Get up already!"

Silas winced, coughing. His head buzzing with that same ring. "Sophia…"

"She won't be fine if you don't hurry." Link uttered a curse and Silas, thinking of his sister, raised his chin. The lever was buried beneath the detritus thrown back from the axe.

"Wait, Link, you can get out through here!" Katie fluttered by the far side of the exit where the walls were wedged down from the crash. It meant Link could climb his way across.

Link scrambled up on the debris, squeezing through the hole and jumped down, landing on both feet. He straightened up with a grin. "Alright!"

The giant rested his axe on his shoulder, his leg streaking with blood, darkening the ground. Link simply sauntered over to Sophia, grabbing her by the shirt and threw her over near to Silas. Silas had his back against the wall, chest slowly rising and falling. Katie fell over to his side.

Seeing Link with that wide grin on his face made it easier to breath.

"Hey," Link greeted, brandishing his holy blade. "Now aren't you a big boy? Who made you—a Hionx and a Lynel?"

Despite the hot rage, the creature chuckled darkly. "You'll find out soon enough."

Silas mumbled and Katie hushed him softly. "Just rest. Link will take care of everything."

Silas shook his head, still tasting that murky iron in his mouth. "Th-the giant's strong," he murmured, remembering how onerous it was to cut through the muscles. "Link's arrows won't be enough…"

"The Master Sword will get to him."

"It…it don't be enough. That thing is still a Hylian." His words were so far from one another. The fracas of the battle grew muffled, the lights dimmed. "Trapped in statue, so long…"

"I don't understand."

Silas blinked hard, trying to focus. "Th-the sword won't vanish the giant, not like the other guy…"

"How do we beat it then? You…you cut off the ligaments, didn't you?"

"Aim for vessels…large vessels…" Silas hung his head down, no longer with the strength to stay up.

"I'll go tell Link! Just stay with us!" Katie's light flickered away. "Link! Link, Silas just told me something!"

Silas slipped into a deep sleep after that, and didn't know it until someone started to shake him. "Hey, shorty! Wake up!"

He didn't want to though. Waking up would mean pain. "No," he mumbled.

Then a hard smack woke him up. He sat straight, addlepated, hand on his stinging cheek. Link was down on one knee, looking at him with a crossed look. "You awake or do I need to smack you again?"

Silas felt his anger rushing back to him, which helped. He rubbed his cheek, and saw Link's tunic drenched in dark blood. "The giant—"

"Already taken care of," Link said with a grin, which only meant he did more than just that.

Silas's eyes widened at the tear on Link's shoulder. "You're hurt!"

"Yeah, he got lucky, but I got him good." Link's grim broadened. "You should've seen him. Oh man, was it awesome."

From where the giant was once, the ground gleaned in blood, slick like marble. With that much blood spilled, it only meant the monster bled for some time. Silas shifted, snakes tangling in his stomach.

I just taught him a new torture method, he thought, watching Link grinning sinisterly. Goddess, forgive me please. I really didn't mean it.

The faint shadow on the ground grew bolder as the cage descended, Katie going down with it. Silas realized he had his dagger back. It was tied to his belt with the sheath. He looked at Link, but Link turned at the cage.

"Sophia…where is she?" Silas got up too quick, and cringed at his aching head. "Where is my sister?"

Link looked over his shoulder. Silas followed his eyes and was met with a slight that nearly took the strength from his legs. "Sophia…" He went over to her, down to both knees. She wasn't awake. "Sophia!"

"Fucking moron!" Simon shouted, running at them when the door of the cage opened. "You bastard! You stood there and didn't do shit!"

Silas didn't hear him, didn't hear any of them. He held his sister's head in his arms. "Sophia…" A tear rolled off his cheek and trickled down hers. His eyes squeezed shut and his forehead lowered over her face. "Link. Link, you have to give her something. I'm begging you."

"I gave her some of my last elixir…" Link trailed off.

Silas whirled up at him. "What do you mean some? Give her the whole bloody bottle!"

Link scratched his head, avoiding his eyes.

Silas's heart sank. "No, you didn't…" Then he tasted his mouth, noting the strange taste. "Tell me you didn't!"

"You were coughing up blood! What the hell was I supposed to do?"

"She hit her head," Silas wailed, looking down to see his sister's pale face. He had a hand on her cheek, sobbing. "Sophia…"

Once more, the voice taunted, it's all your fault! My, aren't you on a roll?

"She's still breathing," Katie assured. "Look."

Silas sniffed, choking. "What if…what if she can't…remember anything?"

You're going to lose her.

Silas shook his head vigorously.

You're going to be all alone! Louis sang.

"No!" Silas screamed, and he felt it now, something stabbing at his mind, trying to break his faith. He survived his father and Irela's death, but if Sophia died?

"We have to get out of here," Link said hastily.

Simon shook his head. "We're not going anywhere till we pull down that lever for the security but it needs two of you to pull it. I don't think he could handle it." He said the last part in a lash but Silas couldn't respond.

They all stopped at the sound of a low, rippling growl. Looking up past his tears, Silas nearly forgot about his sister.

"Now this is the trap," Simon said, as if he'd been wondering about it. "The giant was supposed to just weaken you."

It did make sense when Silas forced himself to think about it. The giant didn't think too highly of his king, regardless of his claim to serve him. He didn't have the same deference as the gaoler. Seeing as how he was still Hylian in the end meant he kept some shards of his humanity. Louis would want to dispose of him, and why not have him fight Link, kill two birds with one stone?

"I've got only bomb arrows," Link said, cursing as white-skinned Bokoblins cornered them. Link's arm, his sword arm, had a red-stained bandage around it.

Silas didn't care for monsters or for what might happen next. He brushed his thumb over the bruise on her forehead, numb.

"Link, use Nayru's blessing!" Katie shouted.

"A day passed already?"

"Maybe, but try it anyways! You can't win like this!"

One Bokoblin tried attacking Silas from the side with a large, spiked club. No, not Silas but at Sophia. Silas, desperate, tried his own body to protect her but before the club could crush him, Link shouted the command. His resolute voice hummed with power, summoning a blue light that immediately surrounded them. The weapon bounced off it, causing a ripple over the shield, and smacked back into the monster's face.

Link laughed. "Alright! Time for some fun!" he was grinning so widely, Silas thought his face would crack. The Bokoblins saw this and they hesitated. Oh no.

"Hey, don't go too crazy!" Katie snapped. "We need those bombs!"

Everyone knew it was a wasted effort. Nothing could save those monsters now. While he spent the next few minutes chasing the fleeing monsters, Silas rocked his sister's head, whispering for her to wake up.

Why do you keep hurting her? And you think to ask forgiveness?

Simon sat down next to him, quiet. Silas could just feel the rage boiling churning in him. The blue light flickered out from Link, but it was renewed. Whether he wore it or not, those monsters still tried to escape him.

"Aw, where you going, boys? The fun's only starting!" Link shouted delightfully.

She keeps suffering and she keeps suffering, a voice hissed, the whisper hot against his ear. And now look at her. Look at her.

Silas took out his dagger, once again captivated to it. Link had it cleaned out just for him. In his blood-stained hands, it was the only clean thing, a silver flower.

"Silas," Katie said slowly, "what are you doing with that?"

"Let him," Simon growled. "Just let him."

Forgiveness must be earned through penance. He deserved this, didn't he? He was a danger to his sister. Words alone cannot undo years of abuse and neglect. No, this was justice.

Katie went in front him, between him and the blade. "Silas, please," she said in a small voice. "She'll wake up. Just wait."

"Wait?" he whispered. "To get her killed?"

"It's not your fault!" Katie fumed when Simon snorted. "Get off your high horse, you stupid cat! You didn't do anything!"

Simon seethed her way. "I would've done something!"

"Well, you didn't. In fact, we wouldn't have gone through this if you didn't get your bum caught! Now who's fault was that?"

Silas lowered his head down, that hole in him grew so large that he couldn't see anything past it. "It's been my fault since the beginning," he croaked. "You saw it yourself. I pushed her."

"She said she wasn't mad about that!" Katie said, trying to sound firm, but that desperate color turned her orb into a shiny pink. "She told me so herself! She just wants things to go back to normal!"

Silas slowly shook his head. "No…that doesn't change anything. It won't change the fact that I ruined her. That wasn't even the first time. This isn't even the second time."

The dagger was looking more and more attractive. He gripped it in both hands, slowly aiming it.

"She loves you more than anyone else!" Katie snapped. "How do you think she'll feel when she wakes up to find you gone?"

Don't leave me alone again.

How many times had he left her alone? How many times had he made her miserable?

The world had been so safe for him. His home had been so safe. Everyone in town was loyal. The weald was a safe haven. And the illusion all broke when his sister left. She'd done so much for him, all without recognition, without the need for merits.

All out of love.

"Phew, that was fun!" Link said delectably. His smile vanished. "Silas, I didn't give you to do that."

Silas had the dagger pointed to his chest, but didn't move.

Link emoted nonchalance, sitting down next to him and made no move to tear the dagger from his hands. If he had done that, Silas might've stabbed him. It did sound appealing now that he thought about it…

"Say," Link said lightly, "why don't you give me that for a minute?"

Silas trembled. "But—"

"Listen, if you go down, I don't want to even think of what your sister will do to me. Now, do you really want to leave me in a mess like that?"

"No," Silas whispered.

"Then you'll hand the stick over." Link narrowed his eyes. "You'll hand it over. You won't try stabbing me with it."

That was disappointing but Silas gave it up. The moment he left go of the handle, he gasped out as if ice water splashed his face. "I—"

Link waved him off, telling him to never mind it. He noticed Sophia then searched through his inventory. "I got an idea. Let's try something else."

Silas hoped it was an elixir that Link overlooked, but it was only water. Water that Link splashed right on Sophia.

She coughed, her head rose up from Silas's lap. She cried out, holding her head and cursed out every colorful word in the book.

Silas hesitated. "Sophia."

Sophia opened her eyes to look at him. There was a look of pain and irritation over her face. He waited for his worst nightmare.

She'll forget all about you. She'd already forgotten—

His sister snapped her eyes at him. "What happened to you?" From the look on her face, you'd think he lost his arm. Then he realized he still had the giant's blood over him. "Is this yours? What—"

He cut off with an embrace. "You're okay," he whispered, laughing a little. "You're alright. Thank the Goddess!"

"What happened?"

He pulled away to cough. A nasty itch stabbed up his throat, protracting his fit longer than usual. Sophia's forehead deepened with worry, patting him on the back, but he only shook his head, managing a weak smile.

"Glad that's over," Link said. "How's the head, darling? You still remember my gorgeous face?"

"I'm starting to wish I didn't," she said flatly, earing a wide grin from him.

"She's back and alive! What do you know? Sheesh, you should've seen your brother. Damn near gave him a mental breakdown."

Silas was too grieved to be embarrassed. He still couldn't forgot how he found her on the ground like that, falling on her head. Or…wait, had she really fallen on her head? He didn't really see. But how did he assume…

"You…" Silas paused, looking up at her. "You…didn't really fall on your head."

"Huh?"

"But I thought—I was sure you—" He paused and now he could hear it, deep within his mind.

Hehehe.

Silas wrapped his arms around himself, shuddering. Oh, you monster. You cruel, cruel demon. How could you? Why would you do this to me?

"Hey, hey." Sophia grasped his shoulder, forcing him to look up at her smile. "Goodness, did I really worry you that much? I'm sorry. Look, I'm fine, see?"

"Your leg isn't fine, darling," Link said grimly. "I had to stitch it up since you went ahead and opened it up. Now we don't have any potions thanks to you two."

"There should be red ChuChus nearly." Katie fluttered up into the air, color blooming into a steady yellow. Been a while since he saw that. "But first, we need to get out of here."

Sophia gasped. "The giant—where is that son of a bitch?"

Link jutted his chin over the bloodied space, his smile savage. Katie glowed green. It didn't help how Link left the details over to Silas's imagination.

"It was a Hylian," Silas said lowly, thinking of the tissues, the muscles.

Link nodded. "Didn't see that till I realized the sword didn't kill him right away. A Hylian that turned half into a monster…"

Silas was surprised to find that it did disturb Link, to some degrees. Other than that, it also gave him the freedom to do as he pleased with the Hylian-turned-monsters

Katie shuddered. "So he was in a statue the whole time."

"How do you know this?" Silas asked.

"You told me earlier and the giant mentioned it during the fight. To be kept in a statue the whole time…."

"So he's dead?" Sophia asked, as if to make certain. Simon assured her that he was.

"Can you stand?" Link asked and had to help her up, leaning her on him. He seemed pretty happy about it, and did the best thing to keep his comments to himself. Seeing that darkened Silas. Link looked pretty killable when he looked at his sister like that.

Meanwhile, Katie swept over by the wall, reading out the words.

Silas got to his feet when the headache passed, and he went over to join her. The walls were cracked with characters, dusty. "I know these."

"More praises of the Goddesses. I think I get it now." Katie glowed nervously as the others gathered. "This place, all of it, used to be a sept."

Silas nearly choked on his own tongue. "A church? This?"

"Used to be," she stressed. "I guess Louis did something about that. He was the leader of the catacombs after all." Katie paused. "I wonder why Charles brought him to life after so long."

Sophia raised her free hand to her mouth, her other arm looped over Link's neck. "He could bring revive people?"

Katie nodded gravely. "If you surrender to the dark side, your soul belongs to them…they could do with you as they please."

Silas's first thoughts were of Irela. He immediately squished out any ounce of pity that came naturally to him. She deserved everything coming to her.

But then…Uncle…

"So this place…" Sophia trailed off, her head hurting.

"It used to be a church but it turned into a catacomb," Katie explained.

"But why all of this then?" Silas gestured to the wall. "Why leave an inscription of fanatic praises that contradicts everything they do here?"

"Look at the wall, Silas. Doesn't it look dusty?"

"Well, yes—" Then he realized it, the way the characters broke out from the walls. "They painted over it."

"Or cemented it. They tried to cover it up since the praises of the Goddess can't be touched by evil. This must've been a great church if they were able to leave this kind of work behind." Her color grew admirable.

"It is incredible," he admitted and shook his head. "But so horrible. How could they turn a holy place into a dark Lord's den?"

Katie reddened. "It was all Louis! I can't wait to give him a whacking! He's gone too far!"

Link snorted. "He did? And here I thought the hunters getting sacrificed and people getting killed is going too far."

Thinking of those missing hunters, Silas nearly forgot about them. A sharp pain dug into his heart when he thought of the family who begged to send out scouts for them.

Sophia shot Link a look and then insisted to find a way out of here. They went over to the lever, which required Silas's aid as well. All three of them lodged at one side, leaning to pull the large lever they found at the back of the room. It was something only that giant could use.

"Heavy," Sophia groaned.

"I got an idea." Link turned to Silas. "Go to the other side and push instead. You look like you're about to pass out."

Sophia nodded. "We can handle this part." She said it with such confidence, even when she looked more battered than any of them.

Silas went over to the other side, throwing down his weight. This proved more effective, along with Katie's cheering. Simon, of course, did nothing but watched. The lever creaked, groaning slightly, before finally turning over. Silas kept on pushing himself, Link and Sophia kept on pulling harder else the lever will go back to its initial position.

Once it reached the halfway mark, it needed only a push and a pull. Silas threw over his body, nearly toppling over Sophia till Link steadied him by the shoulder.

The torches flickered as they heard metallic clinkering coming from everywhere. Gears were being turned, a system being lifted.

"There you go," Simon said, looking somber than thrilled. "Everything's open now. We're home free."

Link frowned. "What's wrong with that?"

"Just…nothing."

The wall behind collapsed with a thunderous clap, startling all of them. For a moment, Silas thought it was another giant, bursting in to make an entrance. Behind the broken bricks and setting dust, a wide doorway revealed stairs that twisted up to the dark. Near it was a red and purple blobs, ChuChus. For some reason, this got Link up and running, carrying all the bottles on him, including Silas's.

"He used Nayru's blessing, didn't he?" Silas remembered how it saved them from those three Lynels.

"Yeah…" Katie colored weakly. "A day passed."

What's happening to my town right now?

Sophia slid down the wall, falling with a grunt. Silas, Simon and Katie were by her side, watching her face tightening with pain.

"This is all your fault."

Silas thought that was in his head till he saw Simon. The cat's pupils were slit to a hairline, green eyes teeming acridly. Silas didn't know how Andrew looked as a Hylian, but he must've been scary if he could be this intimidating as a cat.

"How many times are you going to get her killed, huh?" he hissed. "You really want to see her dead? Is that it?"

"Simon, shut up!" Katie shouted, heavy flakes fluttered down. "What is wrong with you? Of course he doesn't want to see her dead! She's his sister!"

"And he's her brother! He sure as hell never acted like one! You don't know what he did to her so shut your damn hole!"

"No, you shut up, you big bully!"

"Oh my Din," Sophia hissed out, raising her eyes up at them. "If you both don't shut up, I'll knock your lights out." With a heavy breath, she leaned back down, closing her eyes.

"Is…is that bad?" Silas felt a lump in his throat. He sat next to her and let her lean on her shoulder. Simon's burning glare watched him, warning him, threatening him.

"Phew, that was close!" Link exclaimed, carrying an armful of red potions. He managed to replenish all his bottles with only red ChuChus. While this particular potion wasn't as potent as his other elixirs, they were still practical. "What's happening over here?"

"Give her a potion," Silas said. "Now."

Link bristled. "Ask me a little nicely."

"Link, please!" Katie urged. "This is not the time!"

When he saw Sophia himself, he gave Silas the bottle so he could feed it to her. She barely stirred out from her wake, breathing in deeply.

"We all need to get some rest," Silas told them, his eyes trailing over to the stairs where it would lead them to the hallway, right to the lair. "We'll need all the rest we can get."

"No complaints there." Link sat down with a grunt of relief, helping himself to a potion. He proffered one to Silas, but he shook his head.

"I don't want any."

"You're in pain," Katie said softly. "You need it."

"I shouldn't—" He coughed roughly into his arm, pain firing up in his throat. When he pulled back, he saw a bright glint of red over the dry black.

"Just drink it," Link said irritably. "Besides, we could always refill." He gestured at the red ChuChu that was still there, but without the purple one. "It would've been hell to pay if those two got together, so drink as much as you want."

Silas didn't understand what that meant, but didn't think it was too important. He drank two of the potions, then three, and felt so much better. A great weight taken off his chest, letting him breath easily. His eyes cleared up, his mind too, but still too tired to go anywhere. Gently, he laid his sister's head so she could lie down.

"Try not to bump her head this time," Simon sneered.

"Don't make me regret saving your dumbass," Link sneered back. His anger started Silas a bit and it was only no that Silas stopped to realize how quick Link was to come to his defense. "Honestly, how the hell did you get caught? As if we don't have enough problems!"

"I didn't ask you to save me!"

"Want me to put you back up there again?"

"Guys, stop!" Katie shouted, pleading. "Look, how about we all get some rest okay? I'll stay on watch."

"No, I will," Simon said, standing up. "I already rested up there. You just make sure his bastardness over there gets plenty of rest."

Link grounded his teeth, but Silas stopped the dispute by telling them that if they woke up Sophia, there will be hell to pay. As he lay down, staring at the endless ceiling, he once again thought of Irela, of everything he ever did to his sister, of her accident, of her worst nightmare.

Allll your fault!

Then he thought of his dagger, his beautiful dagger.

He found it strapped onto Link's belt. Silas's eyes then met Link's narrowed ones. "Go to sleep, shorty."

Silas went to a deep sleep, and there, Irela awaited him.


Things are about to go down. BIG TIME!