Corrupted Hero

by S. A. Morley

In the throes of war, Calamity Ganon pierced Link, striking him down. The Princess swiftly sealed Link away, but unbeknownst to everyone, he had been infected with Malice. For 100 years it festered inside him, transforming him into something less than Hylian. Though on the outside a monster, a hero lies within, and he will rise to right the wrongs of Hyrule. [ON HIATUS]

23. Before the Storm

And Corrupted Hero is BACK! Oh yeah!

Okay, I know I always say this, but I do apologize for the delay in the update. I was aiming for a January release, but unfortunately, a certain little microbe finally caught up to me. But I'm doing just fine, thank goodness. I hope you all are doing okay and are staying safe and strong and healthy.

Anyway, welcome to chapter 23 of Corrupted Hero! I won't keep you, but this one's fun. Lots to explore here! This one's nice and long to make up for the delay.

Before I let you go, I do want to thank you all, readers new and old, for your patience and support. It means a ton to me, both you and the story, so I just wanted to offer my sincere thanks for being here. :) Here's to future chapters!

Now, read on, and enjoy! This one's a great.

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Despite the lingering humidity from the recent storm, a shiver rolled through Link as he sat on the pedestal beneath the Guidance Stone. Now stripped down to nothing but his shorts, he firmed his grip on the pedestal's sides, squirming beneath the stares of Maz Koshia, Purah, Symin, and Phantom Ganon.

Especially Phantom Ganon.

Link wasn't sure whether the unease souring his stomach was due to modesty… or because of the looks the spirit was giving him. But he was inclined to think the latter. Phantom Ganon prowled around him on the stage like a wolf, trailing his eye up and down his body, admiring the Malice slicking his arms and the bones shining through his skin in complete, besotted silence.

Link's spine stiffened at the spirit's fawning. Out of all of Phantom Ganon's obsessive tendencies, this was, undoubtedly, the worst of it. Link could take the spirit's abuse, his envy, his short fuse — but the raw, almost-salivary adoration in Phantom Ganon's eye was nothing short of skin-crawling. Link had half a mind to snap at him to stop, but his voice, much like his heart, was jammed in his throat.

No, as unsettling as the spirit's worship for him was, it was the least of his problems. The very least. Something else rankled in his mind; something that, in the heat of the morning's events, had escaped him until that moment.

Goddesses above — it was the afternoon of the third day. It was finally here. Less than twelve hours remained before the Blood Moon rose.

And the spirit skulking around him was the only one who knew what would happen when it did.

Link withered on the pedestal, his heart murmuring in his chest at his grim reality. As if the imminent Blood Moon and Phantom Ganon's secrecy weren't enough, Link still had Maz Koshia's examinations, as well as the spirit's ominous training, to look forward to. It all loomed over his head like an impending celestial doom, sullying his blood with dread and twisting his empty stomach into knots.

Link wanted nothing more than to stampede out the door, crawl into a ditch somewhere, and hide. But he knew in his right mind that that wasn't an option. Phantom Ganon wouldn't allow it, and Maz Koshia was much too eager to monitor him.

No, whether he liked it or not, there was nothing to be done but see this through. Link had no idea what the day would bring. But regardless of what came — be it nothing or otherwise — he had a sinking feeling that it was going to be a very, very long day.

But he didn't have the time to think himself into hysterics over it. For the moment, he had Maz Koshia's examinations to wrangle with. Link took in a slow breath, hoping to cool his anxieties, though it didn't do him much good. Still, out of everything on the docket for the day, he felt he could at least handle a few tests.

As Phantom Ganon continued to make his rounds, Maz Koshia, Purah, and Symin stood directly before Link. Purah and Symin flanked the monk's sides, anxiously awaiting his orders. Purah rocked on her little feet, lips pursed, gripping her Slate Lite with white knuckles; Symin balanced a box of supplies on his hip, an open notebook laid across it and a sharpened pencil at the ready, eager to take notes.

Meanwhile, Maz Koshia surveyed Link's naked frame, making a few preliminary observations in his own notebook. His mouth fixed in a line, he split his gaze between Link and his scribbling, making note of, among many things, Link's nervous demeanor, the cold sweat glistening on his skin, and, most importantly, the smattering of Malice on his arms.

Maz Koshia squinted at Link's Malice, his throat itching. Though he had gotten somewhat used to seeing it on Link's arms, this scattered coating was certainly a novel development. Maz Koshia wasn't entirely sure what to make of it. But he was determined to find out. Swallowing, the monk then glanced at the Guidance Stone, mentally preparing himself for whatever his tests would find, if anything.

But he would start with Link's Malice first. He hadn't yet had the opportunity to study it up close.

Though eager to commence with his work, Maz Koshia's pencil stopped for a moment, his gaze latching onto Phantom Ganon as he slunk by for the third time.

The monk's lip curled, his grip tightening on his pencil till it creaked. Like Link, he shivered at the blatant idolization in the spirit's eye. It was disturbing. Nauseating. Desperate as he was to wipe that hungry look off the spirit's proverbial face, Maz Koshia knew very well that that would only incite more friction with him. And that was the last thing they needed. The last thing Link needed. Especially today.

The monk sighed. He would just have to tolerate the spirit as best he could. To keep the peace. But, as with everything pertaining to Phantom Ganon, that would prove easier said than done.

Maz Koshia finally wrenched his gaze from the spirit, focusing on the task at hand. On Link. Shifting his stance, he pocketed his notebook and tucked his pencil behind his ear. "Right then," he announced, resting his hands on his jutting hip bones. "I think it's about time we began."

Link squirmed, his heart trembling. Purah and Symin perked up, raring to assist. But Phantom Ganon skidded to a stop mid-prowl. His eye flew from Link and to Maz Koshia, the adoration in his gaze effervescing into something akin to curiosity.

The last time they had run tests like these, Phantom Ganon hadn't had the best of views, mainly listening in on their work from within the Sheikah Slate. Restless as he was for the coming night, the spirit was rather curious as to what the monk would do — what he would find.

A grin glinted on Phantom Ganon's fangs. "...Now this I've gotta see," he mused, crossing his arms.

Before Maz Koshia could begin, he paused, exchanging a long glance with Phantom Ganon. His face twitched at the spirit's interest. Something about it seemed… uncharacteristic of him.

When the monk failed to move, Phantom Ganon insisted, raising a hand, "Oh, but please, don't wait around on my account. Do what you must." With a sparkle in his eye, he plucked the Sheikah Slate off his hip, glancing at the hour. "I've got some time to kill before the big show tonight."

Both Link and Maz Koshia shivered as the Malice within them curdled in unison — almost as if in anticipation of the spirit's words. Link sucked in a gasp as his Malice shimmered with light, twisting; Maz Koshia gagged, his hand flying to his burning throat. Purah and Symin stiffened at their reactions.

Maz Koshia's face drained. Frightening though the movement within him was, he wasn't minding his own internal stirrings, nor the thrill in Phantom Ganon's eye. His gaze remained locked onto Link as he bared his teeth, his sludgy knuckles bulging against the pedestal's sides.

Maz Koshia's chest hollowed out at the sight. At Link, writhing against that poison. It was wrong. All wrong. And Maz Koshia had to understand it. To get rid of it, somehow… before it got any worse.

Giving himself a shake, Maz Koshia swallowed his unease, setting himself to work. Turning, he took a pair of smelter's gloves and a vial from Symin, slipping them on and uncorking the vial.

Link straightened as Maz Koshia approached him. Putting on a warm smile, the monk began, "All right, hero, before we run any tests, I would like to take a quick sample of your Malice, if I could." He waggled the vial. "I think it might help with our analysis."

Phantom Ganon's head cocked. "Interesting…" he murmured, resuming his circling.

But Maz Koshia ignored him. Meanwhile, Link's eyes followed the spirit for a moment before he blinked and fanned his hands, his eyes falling onto the spotty poison slathering his palms. His lips pursed as memories of his first tests leaked into his mind. He hadn't particularly enjoyed being cut open and studied, but he was nevertheless willing to go along with whatever Maz Koshia required of him.

Link eventually gave a nod, reassuring the monk, but mostly trying to reassure himself. "Okay," he breathed.

Despite his nod of approval, Link's unease wasn't lost on the monk. His smile softened with sympathy as he comforted him, "Don't worry — no needles, no knives, no other samples. Just this vial, and the Guidance Stone's test is all. Nothing you haven't endured before."

Link swallowed, sitting up a little straighter. Somehow, Maz Koshia always knew just what to say to ease his torrid mind. Offering up a sludgy hand, Link nodded. "All right. Let's do it."

"Excellent. Hold still, now…"

Everyone's gazes were fixed to them as Maz Koshia took Link by the wrist, scraping the vial across the thickest section of his Malice — the crook of his elbow. Unlike last time, the process was painless. Corking the sample, Maz Koshia gave it a quick look-over. Before he could pass it to Purah for analysis, Phantom Ganon shuffled up as if in a trance, crowding Symin into the monk's shoulder.

Symin whimpered, shrinking in Phantom Ganon's shadow. But the spirit was too enamored by Link's sample to care. He fed his gaze on it, drooling, "Thing of beauty, isn't it...?"

Maz Koshia's lip twitched. He leaned away, grunting stiffly, "Quite."

His throat itching, he handed the sample to Purah. As she scampered off, Maz Koshia took Symin by the shoulder, easing him away from Phantom Ganon as if backing away from a snarling dog. But the spirit didn't seem to notice, his gaze returning to Link, who averted it. After allowing the Symin a moment to recuperate, Maz Koshia politely requested that he take notes as he commenced with his examinations.

Symin obliged, watching and listening closely. Taking Link by the arm again, Maz Koshia analyzed the sludge painting his skin with disturbed fascination; he smeared it between his fingers, measuring its thickness and viscosity down to the inch. He even studied its smell — smoky and sickly-sweet, like scorched, putrid fruit. Making a face, he notated his findings to Symin, filling several pages.

A shudder took Link's spine as the monk worked. But it wasn't one of discomfort. It was… rather soothing. Familiar. Despite the hazards that Link's Malice posed to him, the monk's touch was gentle, methodical. Like a father tending to his child's scrapes. Link's shoulders slouched, the latent anxiety in his gut simmering down at the monk's careful handling of him.

Astonishingly, Link's Malice followed, however subtly. As closely as Maz Koshia was inspecting him, only he witnessed Link's Malice shiver and slow its subtle shifting.

Maz Koshia's eyes widened. Goddesses above, he was on to something. After seeing what their trip to Satori Mountain had done to Link's Malice, in addition to this subtle change, the monk knew that he was definitely on to something. A grin tugged at Maz Koshia's mouth as he brushed his thumb along Link's wrist. Link melted a little at his touch, releasing a sigh.

But Phantom Ganon was far from impressed. He had since stopped pacing. His shadowy body broiled as he watched the monk so casually — so easily — touch his master, and all without Link flinching away. Phantom Ganon couldn't so much as breathe on Link without making him recoil. It wasn't fair.

Tempting as it was to shove Maz Koshia off of Link, the spirit reined in his temper. He just had to put up with this… nonsense until midnight. When he'd have Link all to himself. But he could hardly wait. Still, his frustrations weren't stowed. His chains rattled, earning nervous looks from Purah and Symin.

Fortunately, nothing violent came of it. For the moment.

"Are you done yet?" Phantom Ganon growled.

Maz Koshia fought off a snarl at his impatience. "Almost," he replied, turning to Purah as she rejoined them. "Could you run the scan please, Director? I think we're ready for you now."

"On it," Purah replied, tapping instructions into her Slate Lite.

Everyone flicked their gazes up to the Guidance Stone as it sighed with brilliant blue light. Familiar as the procedure was by that point, Link still flinched when the drop of light splashed against his scalp, seeping into him. His teeth chattered as a sharp chill shot through his body, cooling his veins and making his toes curl.

As quickly as the sensation came on, however, it immediately dissipated. Light soon began collecting on Link's heels. Purah hurried up to him, collecting the liquid data onto her Slate Lite. As soon as she had gathered it, Maz Koshia knelt, tucking his head close to catch a glimpse of the glyphs that promptly flooded the screen.

Link, Symin, and Phantom Ganon craned their necks for a better look. The group took in the data in silence. Though the massive influx of glyphs was nothing unexpected, the sheer amount was still astounding to behold. Phantom Ganon's eye, especially, glittered with stupefaction before his gaze trailed back to Link, to his bones, his Malice.

So much to admire beneath that skin of yours… he purred in Link's mind.

Another shudder ripped through Link, curdling him to his very blood. He slapped a hand against his temple, gasping as something inside him seemed to revel in Phantom Ganon's words.

Maz Koshia's head shot up. He took in Link's squirming with a brief flicker of panic before his gaze flew to Phantom Ganon. Maz Koshia immediately knew what was happening when he caught the renewed worship glittering in the spirit's eye. His lip curled.

"Right," he snapped, seizing everyone's attention. "That's that." He flew to his feet, shuffling closer to Link, trying to block him from Phantom Ganon's view. Link leaned toward him, shaking.

Phantom Ganon shook himself out of his trance. That hadn't taken as long as he thought it would. He glanced from the Slate Lite in Purah's hands to the monk. "Now what?" he asked.

"Now, we wait," the monk replied.

Phantom Ganon stiffened ever so subtly at that, his jaw twitching. "Wait?" he repeated. "F-for how long, exactly?" His eye flashed, his voice donning a demonic snarl. "It better not interfere with tonight, monk."

Maz Koshia shrugged off his threats. "It won't," he promised, raising a hand to appease him. "But if it's anything like last time, it will take an hour, at least." His brow wrinkled as he cast a glance at Link's Malice. Link met his gaze, whereupon they exchanged frowns. "But with his Malice manifesting like this, I fear it might take more..." the monk murmured.

Both Link and Phantom Ganon stiffened at that — for different reasons.

With another sigh, Maz Koshia continued, "I suppose we'll just have to — "

But his words suddenly caught. He lurched forward, a bout of guttural, barking coughs ripping from his throat. Each cough pummeled the monk's battered ribs like a sledgehammer, the seams of his re-glued bones grinding. Everyone jolted when he threw his hand over his mouth, a particularly violent, chunky cough sending him crashing to his knees.

Horror flushed Link's blood. Gasping, he threw himself off the pedestal and knelt before Maz Koshia, Purah and Symin following his suit. They crowded around him as he wheezed into his glove; Symin laid a hand on the monk's spasming back, trying to calm him down.

"Maz!" Link cried. "Maz?!"

The monk didn't reply. He couldn't. But someone else did.

"Oh dear, dear," Phantom Ganon mused darkly, strolling closer. "Someone's not sounding good." He stood casually above them, a not-so-subtle smirk twisting his fangs. "Gosh, I sure hope he'll be able to run his scans. I certainly would hate to see them interrupt the festivities tonight..."

Link's head snapped up. His spine rattled when he met the spirit's uncaring gaze, his utter disregard for Maz Koshia. It was as horrifying as it was infuriating.

Link's brow twisted into a caustic glare. "He'll be fine," he spat. Forcing the spirit out of his mind, Link returned his attention to the monk. "B-breathe, Maz," he urged, leaning forward. "C'mon. Just breathe."

"Oh, marvelous advice," Phantom Ganon droned.

Fortunately, Maz Koshia managed to weather his fit. With a grunt, the monk stabilized himself against the stage with one hand, burrowing his fingers into the bandages on his chest with the other. Link leaned in further, searching his strained face expectantly.

After taking a few moments to catch his breath, Maz Koshia cleared his throat, nodding. "I-I'm all right," he croaked, shooting his company a smile, one eye closed. Phantom Ganon's smirk flickered. With a wince, Maz Koshia rubbed his side, continuing, "I just... need more painkillers, is all. I think they've run their course." Swallowing, he made a face, adding, "That, and perhaps something to suck on…"

Link immediately shuffled closer, all but forgetting his examinations. "We'll get whatever you need, Maz," he urged, nodding. "C'mon, let's sit you down. You need to rest."

Maz Koshia smiled, draping an arm around Link's shoulders. "Thank you," he breathed.

The monk leaned heavily on Link as he lifted them to their feet. But before Link could usher them off the stage, Phantom Ganon shot forward, attaching himself to Maz Koshia's other arm. Everyone immediately froze, eyes trained on the spirit.

But he had his gaze riveted to Maz Koshia. "Please, allow me," he crooned, his voice cloying with condescension. "I love helping." He leaned into Maz Koshia's face. "Let's get you taken care of, old man."

The spirit never gave Link the chance to protest before he practically wrenched Maz Koshia's shoulder from its socket, hauling them off the stage and toward the table. Link kept up their pace, both out of necessity for Maz Koshia, and his own outrage. His flaming gaze flickered between Maz Koshia and Phantom Ganon; the monk's expression was rigid, his mouth fixed in a line. Exchanging a manic glance, Purah and Symin followed, dispersing to the pantry and medicine cabinet.

Finally, the trio reached the table. Link pulled out a chair, helping Maz Koshia ease himself into it. Phantom Ganon loosened his death grip on the monk, cocking his head at a distressing angle and looming over him. The monk sank into his chair, massaging his shoulder, trying his best to ignore him.

Phantom Ganon's eye glittered. "There now," he purred. "Better?"

Maz Koshia met his gaze through the corner of his eye. He dug his nails into his skin. "Yes," he replied lowly. After a second, he spat, a tad begrudgingly, "Thank you... for your concern."

A toxic grin spread the spirit's fangs. With all the comforting touch of a sword point, Phantom Ganon reached out and roughly patted Maz Koshia on the cheek. Maz Koshia's eyelids fluttered with each smack, his nostrils flared. Somehow, he managed to rein back the boiling tsunami of vexation mounting behind his wooden expression.

But Link's gut seethed with revulsion at Phantom Ganon's stunt, igniting a fire in his blood. He lurched forward, his eyes and Malice flashing with vindictive light. Before he could stop himself, he tore around the back of Maz Koshia's chair, nearly throwing himself at the spirit. But Maz Koshia's hand shot out, forcing him back.

Phantom Ganon's smoldering gaze flickered between the two of them. Fortunately, the spirit had satiated his appetite. For the moment.

He chuckled at Maz Koshia, jeering, "Awww, anything for you, sweetheart. Let me know if you need anything else."

It went quiet for several stagnant moments. The very air seemed to bear down upon them all. Finally, Link gave a huff, growing tired of this. They had more important things to deal with. He whipped his head about, eyes scouring the lab, growling, "Where are those painkillers?"

"I-I've got them here," Symin shakily interjected, stealing everyone's attention. He came forward with a tall amber bottle and a spoon, Purah on his heels with a bowl of honey candy. Uncorking the bottle, he carefully poured a spoonful of painkiller for Maz Koshia, handing it to him.

The spoon shook ever so slightly as the monk lifted it to his lips. The medication numbed his tongue as he swallowed it, radiating down his throat. But Symin had no sooner made to stop up the bottle before Maz Koshia held the spoon out again.

"A bit more," he requested. His breath hitched. "Please."

Phantom Ganon's eye sparkled, though nobody noticed. They were all staring at Symin as he blinked, glancing at the bottle. It was the strongest stuff they had. Still, he complied, pouring Maz Koshia another spoonful. Link watched him down it with a flutter in his gut, his choler rotting into dread. He distinctly remembered Maz Koshia only taking one spoonful the night before.

But Symin distracted him before he had the chance to consider the implications of it. Symin swilled the bottle of painkillers before his face, frowning at their dwindling supply. He corked the bottle, murmuring, "I'll have to pick up more of this..."

Maz Koshia swallowed, rubbing his throat. "Thank you, Symin," he breathed, offering him a grateful bow of his head. He then offered Purah another bow as he took a honey candy, popped it into his mouth, and slumped into his chair, releasing a slow sigh through his nose.

Link leaned forward, inspecting him. He swallowed. "You good?" he wondered.

Maz Koshia nodded. "I am now." He chuckled. "You worry about me too much," he chided playfully, brushing his knuckles along Link's cheek. Link nuzzled his cheek into the monk's hand, a weak smile relieving his lips.

But Phantom Ganon reacted as though he had been electrocuted, watching them. With a powerful, full-body twitch, he slammed his hand against the table, making everyone jump.

He smeared his fingers through his hair. "R-right — I'm gonna… I'm gonna go check on something..." he stammered.

Stepping forward, he reached out to seize Link by the shoulder, to pull him away from Maz Koshia. But the spirit caught himself. He was heading to the beach — where he would be training Link later that night. With everything already laid out, he didn't want to prematurely spoil his surprise for his master. Though it was torture him to leave the two alone, he had no choice. Hopefully — for Phantom Ganon, at least — he wouldn't be gone long.

Ensuring the Sheikah Slate was still on his hip, Phantom Ganon sauntered up to Link. Purah and Symin stiffened; Maz Koshia sat up with some difficulty. But Link stood his ground as the spirit approached, glowering into his eye.

"I'll be right back," Phantom Ganon cooed, tapping Link on the nose. Link recoiled, but the spirit merely fired him a toothy grin. "Don't go anywhere."

After shooting Maz Koshia a split-second glare, Phantom Ganon pivoted on his heel and strode out of the lab. Link's gaze never once left him as he went, even after he disappeared near the furnace for a moment, grabbing something and dragging it through the grass behind him. Something big and lumpy. With pecan-colored fur and a tail. Link's face twitched, his stomach twisting. He had a faint idea of what it was.

Everyone gave a collective slouch when Phantom Ganon finally slipped out of sight. A shiver rattled Link's body, jittering his spine and curdling his Malice. He ducked his head and stumbled back into the table, ingraining his fingers into his hair.

Purah and Symin shot him wary looks, but he thankfully didn't see them. Maz Koshia immediately pulled himself to his feet despite the spike of pain in his chest, gathering close to Link. His withered gaze trailed down the sludge pulsating on Link's arms till it landed on his eyes as he stared emptily into the floor.

"Link…" the monk murmured.

Link shook his head, drilling his fingers into his hair. "...I don't know if I can make it till midnight, Maz...!" A sigh hissed through his clenched teeth. "Not with him."

Maz Koshia's shoulders sank. "I know," he empathized, rubbing his chest. Casting a tired glance through the doorway, he continued, "He's… certainly not making things easy today, is he?"

Easy was certainly an understatement. Perhaps it was Maz Koshia's own irritation talking, but… something was different with Phantom Ganon today. Something uncanny. The spirit was more active than he had ever been, relishing in his freedom, pushing buttons and boundaries wherever he could.

But perhaps that was just his excitement for the Blood Moon showing itself? Making him more of a nuisance than usual? Even so, Maz Koshia had a nagging feeling that there was more to what he was observing than met the eye. He would have to monitor this thoroughly throughout the day — to monitor Link especially. The last thing he needed was Phantom Ganon getting to him.

Thankfully, the spirit had gone for the moment. But as draining as his presence was, his absence was somehow worse. It was both relieving and harrowing — that interlude of peace only served as a reminder that it would be inevitably broken by his return. And everyone in the room was well-versed in that notion.

But they had a bit of respite from the spirit for the time being. And Maz Koshia intended on making the most of it.

Everyone turned their gazes on him when he spoke up. "Well, it seems we've… got some time on our hands." Link's rigid posture melted when the monk reached around and smoothed his hand over his back, murmuring, "I think we ought to get some food in us. We have a long day of work ahead." He leaned into Link's line of sight, musing, "I'd wager you're a bit hungry, yes?"

As if on cue, Link's stomach crushed, giving a low rumble. His hands flew to his abdomen. A crooked grin found his mouth. "Y-yeah… a little," he breathed. As if to contest his words, his stomach snarled even louder, making him cringe.

Maz Koshia chuckled, shooting Link a playful look. "I'd say you're more than a little hungry, hero. Let's get you something to eat." He eased out a light sigh. "I'm half-starved, myself."

Symin perked up, wandering off. "Let me... see what we've got..."

"Why, thank you, Symin," Maz Koshia mused.

Famished as he was, Link hesitated, the monk's words from earlier drifting in his mind. He straightened, his brows furrowing. "But… what about my tests?" he wondered. "Didn't you say they work best on an empty stomach?"

"They do work better, yes," Maz Koshia agreed, shrugging. He gestured to the Slate Lite on the table, glyphs still blurring across its screen. "But we have our base test running; I can factor out any nutritional interference as we go." A wicked light hinted his eye as he murmured, "Phantom Ganon… didn't need to know that."

Link took his chin back, agape at the monk's own antics. It seemed dangerous, almost foolhardy, sneaking behind Phantom Ganon's back like that. Lying to him like that. But, at the same time, Link had to admit that it was rather thrilling. If anyone knew how to work around the spirit… it was Maz Koshia. He always knew what to do. Always.

A snort blasted out of Link's nostrils, a smile upturning the corner of his mouth. Maz Koshia mirrored Link's smile, but his face hardened as he continued with a wrinkle of his nose, "Besides, I did not want you eating that… carcass he made for you." He shook his head. "No, you need something good, something balanced to get you through the day..." Thinking for a moment, he then cocked his head, an idea sparkling in his eyes. "Huh. How about a monastery specialty? What do you all say to some sticky seafood rice balls?"

Purah and Symin's brows rose. "Ooh, yum! That sounds great!" Purah beamed. Symin nodded eagerly.

Tantalizing as the dish sounded, Link paused for a split-second. Monastery — he had never heard the monk mention that before. But his stomach didn't give him any time to think it over. Link doubled over as his gut twinged with ravenous pain at the mere mention of food.

He winced, nodding vigorously. "Yes, please," he grunted.

Maz Koshia gave a wheezy laugh, clapping Link heartily on the back. "That's my boy." He turned to Purah and Symin. "C'mon, everyone, let's get cooking."

They all more than happily obliged.

As Link tugged on a pair of trousers, grateful to be decent for a moment, Maz Koshia joined Symin at the pantry, giving their stock a cursory look. There wasn't much, regrettably. Symin had yet to finish the shopping. At the monk's request, Symin made up his grocery list and jotted down some ingredients they didn't have on them — hearty bass, rock salt, seaweed sheets. He made sure to add painkillers to the list as well before gathering up his wallet and basket, heading out for the market.

Not wanting to be caught by Phantom Ganon, Maz Koshia quickly set to work. As Purah set the table, the monk heaved out a bulging burlap bag of rice from the pantry. He measured out a few cups-worth into a wok and retired to the backyard, Link following him. Link's eyes glowed with an almost childlike awe as he watched Maz Koshia add a few cups of water to the wok and run his knobby hands through the rice, rinsing it. For some reason, the process was fascinating.

With the rice rinsed, Maz Koshia then covered it with extra water and set the wok on the furnace to boil. He took a step back, releasing a few coughs into the crook of his elbow. Link shuffled up to his side, face scrunched with worry, but thankfully, this bout wasn't anything too worrying.

After collecting himself, Maz Koshia turned to Link, offering him a smile. "Well, now that that's underway," he began. "What do you say to some meditation while we wait?" His eyes trailed down to Link's Malice. "...Perhaps we could work a bit more on this?"

Link stared into his hands. He nodded. Returning his nod, Maz Koshia turned back and eyed the wok for a moment, his brow furrowing.

The pair jumped slightly when Purah ambled out of the lab. She seemed to read what was running through Maz Koshia's mind. "You guys go ahead," she said, coming forward and hopping onto a stool near the furnace. "I'll watch the pot."

The monk cocked his head. "Are you sure, Director?"

"Positive," Purah replied, smiling and brandishing a wooden spoon. "Go do your thing."

Maz Koshia gave her a deep bow of his head, thanking her. Turning, he laid his hand on Link's back, ushering him off. "Come along, hero. I… need to do some praying, while we're at it."

A flutter of anxiety bloomed in Link's chest at that. With everything that had happened that morning alone, he had almost forgotten his request to Maz Koshia — that he accompany him on his journey. The monk hadn't agreed or disagreed; he needed to pray, to inquire of the Goddess first. Link swallowed, almost sick to learn his answer. But he nevertheless followed the monk as they strode to the back of the lab, seating themselves beneath the awning jutting from the wall.

Link and Maz Koshia faced each other. Before they could do anything, the monk cast a quick look around. Link wondered what he was doing for a moment, but it quickly dawned on him. After deeming the coast clear, Maz Koshia turned his attention to Link.

He sighed. "Now, then. How about another trip to Satori Mountain?" he proposed, smiling. "We can meditate there?"

Link nodded, scooting forward. "Yes, please."

Maz Koshia beamed at his enthusiasm. Taking a breath, he wrung out his shaky hands, reaching for Link's bone mask. Link closed his eyes, eager to go back to the mountain, to the solace and peace he had felt there. He almost craved it as much as the food they would cook up later.

But the monk's hand never reached his mask. Link's eyes fluttered open after a moment, whereupon he found Maz Koshia's hand hovering before his face, a wrinkle twisting his brow.

"What's wrong?" Link wondered.

Maz Koshia's lips pursed. He closed his hand, pressing it to his mouth. His head sagged as he murmured, "I'm just… beginning to have second thoughts about this. About… going to the mountain. I don't think it would be wise. Not now, anyway." He frowned. "With Phantom Ganon doing… whatever he's doing… I doubt interrupting him again would go over well."

Link blinked, his eyes wandering into the grass. He certainly hadn't forgotten beholding the spirit stomp onto the mountain, interrupting their visit. His face — Link's face — so wracked with rage. It sent a shiver down his spine.

As always, Maz Koshia foresaw potential disaster before Link did. Link sighed, realizing the reality of it. "Makes sense…" he finally murmured.

Though it crushed him to deny Link, Maz Koshia knew it was for the best. Defeated, the monk shrugged, recapturing Link's attention as he reassured him, "When this all blows over, I will happily take you back to the mountain." Link smiled, as did the monk as he continued airily, "To anywhere you like, in fact. The realm of the mind knows no limits."

Link's brows lowered at that, his eyes widening. While the prospect of visiting virtually anywhere was a dumbfounding one, his brain suddenly itched with something the monk had said.

"You mentioned something about a monastery?" he wondered.

The monk gave pause. "I did mention that, didn't I?" he mused. Link listened, images dancing in his mind as the monk explained, "There was a monastery, in my day. Where the monks lived and studied. I grew up there — at that great, cloistered building on the edge of Tabantha."

His expression darkened some, but he tried not to let it show as he continued, "It's… in ruins now. But I have many wonderful memories of my time there." He snorted to himself. "Most of them in the kitchens. When I wasn't in the lab or at the library, I was there, scraping off dishes and cooking meals for my fellow monks."

He paused, smiling at the silent awe in Link's expression. Shrugging, Maz Koshia showed his hands, musing, "Perhaps, Hylia willing, I could take you there? In person? Show you my old room, the lab where I built the Master Cycle? If you're interested?"

Link perked up, his face brightening. To have a glimpse at the monk's life, his history — a history that had captured Link's fascination on the mountain. What a prospect that was! He wanted nothing more.

"No, I-I would love that, Maz!" Link beamed, nodding.

Maz Koshia smiled wider, only for it to flicker. He blinked, forcefully pulling himself out of his glimmering hopes. He rubbed his throat, murmuring, "That is… if I am allowed to accompany you, of course."

Link's heart suddenly chilled, his elation vanishing. There it was again. That sour reminder that Maz Koshia may or may not be able to travel with him. Link's throat tightened at the thought of the monk leaving him behind… for a long journey alone with Phantom Ganon. His blood iced over. He didn't want to even tease the thought.

It went quiet for a moment. Link met Maz Koshia's somber gaze. "Has She said anything...?" Link eventually breathed. "...The Goddess?"

"Nothing yet, I'm afraid," Maz Koshia mourned softly. He offered Link a sweet, reassuring smile. "But I haven't had much time to pray. She is never one to keep me waiting, though; I will have my answer before the day is out." Leaning back, he continued, "Speaking of… I ought to begin my prayers. Feel free to sit with me, to meditate, if you like. I would enjoy the company."

Link, a bit of hope flickering in his eye, nodded, scooting closer to the monk's side as they reoriented themselves to face the sea. Before he began his orations, the monk instructed Link gently, "Relax, now. Ease your mind, focus your breath. Try not to think about… tonight."

Link's Malice twitched. He nodded. Maz Koshia gave him one final smile. Sitting up straight, the monk then pressed his palms together prayerfully, closing his eyes and releasing a breath through his nose, quieting his thoughts.

Link sat for a moment, somewhat awestruck at the monk in his element. He was almost… mystical, sitting so still, so focused. But Link quickly shook it off, realizing he was staring. Shifting in his spot, Link mirrored Maz Koshia's position. But the Malice coating his hands gave an off-putting squelch when he pressed his palms together, startling them. Maz Koshia opened an eye, turning his head slightly.

Link, his cheeks burning, unstuck his hands and shoved them into his lap, shrinking in on himself. "...Sorry," he muttered.

Though the squelching of Link's Malice sent a shiver into his neck, the monk shrugged it off. "That's quite all right," he cooed, patting Link's knee.

Link hung his head at his touch, pinching his eyes shut. At times, his Malice was just as embarrassing as it was harrowing. But to Link's gratitude, the monk didn't seem to mind. He kept his hand on Link's knee, opting to rest his other hand in his lap, palm skyward. His touch, as always, helped water down Link's residual anxieties.

They sat in silence for a while as Maz Koshia prayed. The briny breath of the sea encircled them, warm midsummer sunlight warming their skin. Had Link been ignorant of tonight's impending moon, he would have lied down and slept through the afternoon, completely at peace.

Even then, Link tried to do as the monk said. To meditate. Clear his mind. Hylia knew he had a lot to think about. But as he attempted it, he gradually found himself acutely aware of a strange, invisible… noise clagging in his skull — a noise that the silence around him only exacerbated.

Only, it wasn't noise at all. He couldn't hear anything in his ears, in his mind. But all the same, something stuffed his ears, something deafening yet nonexistent. It clogged his hearing, muddied his thoughts. He tried in vain to focus on anything besides the nebulous fog in his head and the subtle pulsations of his Malice.

But no matter how much he tried to ignore whatever was pervading his skull, the poison twitching on his arms, he couldn't. It was inescapable, almost heavy in his mind. Link grit his teeth, pressing his back against the lab and cupping his hands over his ears in a foolish attempt to silence it all.

Link's movements roused Maz Koshia from his pious concentration. He reopened his eyes, returning to earth. He immediately whirled his head toward Link, giving his knee a squeeze.

Something was wrong. "Everything all right, hero?" the monk asked, his glowing eyes cloudy with concern.

Link jolted slightly at the monk's voice as it pierced the strange noise in his ears. He realized with a start that he was trembling. Swallowing, he searched the monk's eyes for something he couldn't name. "I… I don't know — ?" he stammered, only to cut himself off.

Something had seized his attention. A sound — a real sound — had drifted into his stuffy ears. Link exchanged a bewildered glance with Maz Koshia. "Do you hear that?" he asked, half-wondering if this was all still in his head, somehow.

But Maz Koshia had heard it too. Someone was shouting nearby. Two someones. And they didn't sound pleased. Blinking, the monk peered over Link's horns toward the village.

"Seems to be coming from the trail," he said. Urging Link up, he continued, "Let's have a look." Without a word, he laid his hands across Link's awaiting shoulders.

The two of them rose in tandem, shuffling toward the front yard. They paused at the cliff's edge, overlooking the switchbacks trailing up the hillside from Hateno below. A slew of ancient lanterns dotted the path to the lab, blue flames flickering in their mantles. Two figures stood near one of them down the way, their voices carrying through the air as they argued.

Link didn't need to hear their voices to recognize the bright pink trousers and ivory coat of Bolson and Symin. Link and Maz Koshia exchanged a glance before they leaned forward, training their ears in. Not that Bolson and Symin's conversation wasn't difficult to overhear. They caught the last fragments of their argument.

" — this is private property, Bolson!" Symin cried, gesturing to the dirt. "You of all people should understand that!"

"Don't you sass me!" Bolson fumed, shoving an object into Symin's face — a small spyglass. "I know you're up to something! I don't know what you think you're doing up there, but I'm gonna find out!"

Symin muttered something that Link didn't catch before he shook his head, turning his back and plodding up the hill.

But Bolson wasn't finished with him yet. He stomped his foot and waved his spyglass, hollering, "Mark my words, Symin! I'm gonna find that mummy you're hiding and I'm gonna prove it to EVERYONE! You'll see!"

Symin ground to a halt, twisting around and waving an arm at Bolson. "Keep your day job!" he shouted. "And stay off our property, you hear me?! Don't make me call Thadd on you again!"

Bolson stared after Symin for a moment before he threw his hands up and rent the air with a roar, whirling around and stomping down the hill. Thankfully, Symin had left him so riled, he never once paused to peer into his spyglass to catch a glimpse of the selfsame mummy watching over him.

Maz Koshia cringed. "Oh, dear…" he breathed, giving Link's shoulder a nervous clench. Link turned his head up at him as he bemoaned, "I think I may have caused more harm than good with that little stunt of mine…"

Though Link could certainly see where both he and Bolson were coming from, said stunt was nevertheless a cathartic one in his mind. A happy memory. A grin upturned his lips as he looked back on it — at the monk saving him from another hectic villager encounter. He would never forget it.

Link couldn't stop a snort from blasting out of his nostrils. "You're not hearing any complaints from me," he said.

Inasmuch, Maz Koshia wrung out a wry grin, changing the subject. He shrugged, sighing. "Well, I suppose there's nothing I can do about that now… What's past has passed." After a brief pause, he turned to Link. "Anyway, I've made my orations. I'll let you know the minute I hear Her answer."

Both Link and Maz Koshia's eyes glimmered with anticipation for a moment. But the monk's soon dimmed with worry. He took Link by the cheek and studied his face, wondering, "Are you sure you're all right? You… startled me before. Was something bothering you?"

Link's throat tightened, his humors fading at the reminder. He paused, retreating into his head for a moment to try and pinpoint that strange, murky noise. But he found that his head had cleared, his ears uncongested. As quickly as whatever-that-was had come on, it was gone now.

Link shook his head, dismissing it. "I'm fine," he said, rapidly convincing himself. "Just… couldn't concentrate is all."

The pair locked gazes for a moment. Something nagged at Maz Koshia. But he wasn't certain what it was. With a smile, the monk dropped it, gesturing toward the lab. "Nerves, no doubt. Well, come along, then — we ought to check on the rice."

With that, the pair doubled back, rejoining Purah just as Symin arrived in the front yard with his basket of groceries. Stood on her tiptoes on the stool, Purah stirred the steaming wok. She cast her head over her shoulder as her company approached.

She brightened, about to greet them, when Symin strode up to the furnace and dumped his basket on the grass, grumbling, "The nerve of that guy! I swear…!"

Purah blinked, giving a light giggle. "What's this? Sayge dyeing to color your coat again?"

Symin shook his head, brows so low they bunched against the rims of his glasses. Link was rather taken aback by his demeanor. He had never seen him like this.

With a huff, Symin unpacked his groceries, griping, "No, it's Bolson. I caught him spying on the lab just now."

Purah jolted on the stool, her musings vanishing. Her brows hit her hairline. "Wait, he what?" she gasped. "Y-you're kidding!"

Symin shook his head, eyes wide with exasperation.

Purah leaned forward, gawking, "Did he see me?!" But she had no sooner said so when a rush of horror drained her face. Her eyes flicked to Link and Maz Koshia. "Did he see anything else?!" she squeaked.

Link's heart skipped a beat beneath her frantic stare. He hadn't had the time to consider it as he listened in on their brief argument, but he shuddered to imagine the things Bolson might have been privy to if he had been spying on them. A lot had happened at the lab since Link had first arrived in Hateno. His Malice resurging, Phantom Ganon's… introductions. Link would have rather forgotten most of it, let alone invite an audience to behold it. Bolson in particular.

Thankfully, Symin pursed his lips. "Not that I can gather, no," he replied, almost relieved. He gestured to Purah. "He doesn't know about this." Pausing, he then gestured to Link and Maz Koshia. "But, unfortunately, he knows about… some of this."

Link clamped his hands over his sludgy forearms, shifting his feet. Maz Koshia hung his head as another wave of guilt washed over him. It went quiet for a moment as they all stewed over the prospect of their recent events leaking out. Hylia only knew what sort of chaos and panic might ensue. Link, especially, felt somewhat sick at the thought.

But another realization hit him then, diverting his thoughts. Based on what Purah and Symin were saying, it seemed as though the villagers below didn't know about Purah's botched experiment, either. They still assumed she was an old woman. A bizarre thought, but he wasn't able to ruminate on it.

"Yes, but even then," Maz Koshia interjected quietly, stirring Link from his thoughts. "We don't want him prodding any further. The last thing we need right now is more attention drawn to us. We'll have to lay as low as we can." He frowned, his eyes flickering for a split-second to Link's Malice. Averting his gaze, the monk added, laying a hand on his chest in regret, "My apologies, Symin. It's my fault that he's so… wound up."

Symin sighed, his tensions fizzling. "It's all right, Maz. You did what you had to."

Purah shrugged. "If we can handle some curious kids, I'm sure we can handle Bolson. We'll be fine. We'll just… have to keep being careful."

Link wasn't entirely sure what she meant by that, but he didn't give it much thought as Maz Koshia smiled upon them.

"We will be," he said. "I know it." After a moment, the monk blinked, his gaze wandering to the wok on the furnace. He nodded to Purah, looking to change the subject. "How is the rice looking, Director?"

Shaking off her unease, the girl brightened. "Oh! Nice and fluffy," she said, spooning out a clump of sticky, steaming rice. "Check it!"

"Perfect," Maz Koshia beamed, turning to Symin. "How about we get that fish steaming, hm? The sooner the better. I'm starved!"

Symin shed his frustrations, quickly returning to his usual self. He held up a pair of meaty fish with spotted, steel-blue scales. "You got it," he replied.

Now more hungry than anxious, the four of them gathered around the furnace, preparing the rest of their ingredients. Maz Koshia exchanged the wok for a bundle of whole hearty bass wrapped in leaves, letting them steam. Link had to fight to contain his snarling stomach as it nearly climbed out of his throat while they waited.

But at length, everything was ready. With the rice and fish cooked, the group brought the food into the lab. Symin and Purah helped Maz Koshia set out a workstation of sorts on the table, with bowls of water and salt. Over the next little while, they busied themselves with hand-rolling a slew of rice balls, filling them with flaky, steamed fish and wrapping them with seaweed sheets.

Sadly, Link had no choice but to watch, what with his poisonous hands. His knee bounced; he ran his tongue over the scab on his lip, stomach growling. All the while, they tried to keep the mood light, trading jokes and laughing at their sticky hands and lumpy rice balls. Even Maz Koshia's were misshapen, but he chalked that up to being out of practice for ten thousand years. Filling a platter with the fruits of their labor, they tidied up and were finally ready to eat.

Upon blessing the food, Maz Koshia invited them all to dig in. Link didn't hesitate, snatching up a fork and scoffing down three rice balls without pausing to so much as breathe. The rice and seaweed were warm and pleasantly stodgy in his mouth, the fish briny, piping hot. Thankfully, they had plenty to go around. Maz Koshia smiled, pouring a cup of tea for him and scooting some more rice balls his way.

As he ate, Link all but forgot about the sludge on his arms, the strange clouds that had filled his skull, the dread of the coming night looming above his head. They all did, finally enjoying a bit of peace for the first time in days.

But that quickly rotted when the front door abruptly swung in.

Everyone's heads whirled toward the doorway, whereupon Phantom Ganon strolled in, his spear balanced across his shoulders. Something wet slicked the tips of his spear blades. The carcass he had dragged off was nowhere to be seen.

The food in Link's stomach immediately turned to stone at the sight of the spirit. He rocketed to his feet, his chair crashing to the floor. With a wince, Maz Koshia flew to his feet as well, casting himself in front of Link, hiding him from the spirit's view. Purah and Symin, meanwhile, cowered into their chairs, petrified.

This was it. He was back. They'd been caught.

Everyone's gazes locked onto Phantom Ganon as he trilled, "Aaaaand that's taken care of! Now all that's left to do is wait for… midnight." He came to a sudden stop, going stiff. It went quiet for a moment before the spirit cocked his head.

"...What's all this?" he wondered, his voice low.

Maz Koshia forced on a smile. "Lunch," he replied, endeavoring to keep his voice light, casual. "We were just finishing up." Turning, he began to gather up plates. Purah and Symin quickly followed his lead, picking up utensils and cups, despite their unfinished meal.

Though he tried to remain calm, Maz Koshia still stiffened when Phantom Ganon's footsteps boomed against the floor as he sped toward the table. Everyone tensed for the inevitable bomb that was about to go off.

"Well now, no need to dine and dash on me," the spirit snarked. "What's on today's menu, huh?" He stormed up to the table, eying their spread, before a disgusted snort blasted out of him. He shot Maz Koshia a dirty look, scoffing, "What is this crap? Rice and fish? What was wrong with the deer I brought back?"

Maz Koshia's eyelid twitched. "Nothing," he lied. "It was just… unavailable — "

"Oh, sure, now you tell me," Phantom Ganon snarled. He waved an arm toward the wall. "After I've gone and fed those stupid monsters! God…!"

Maz Koshia's brow furrowed at that. The was the last thing he expected out of the spirit's mouth. But he never got the chance to inquire further. The spirit's eye then caught the four plates in the monk's hands. Four. Not three. He quickly put two and two together. Breathless, he slowly turned his gaze on Link behind Maz Koshia's back.

The spirit's eye ignited. "...Not hungry, are you?"

"Phantom — " Link tried to say.

But he cut off when Phantom Ganon slapped the plates out of Maz Koshia's hands, knocking them to the table with a crash. The spirit surged forward, trying to get around Maz Koshia, to dive for his dishonest master. But the monk squared his shoulders, darting before the spirit, his expression steely as he kept Link behind him.

Phantom Ganon glowered at Link over the monk's shoulder. "So let me get this straight," he growled. "I have never lied to you, Master. So why is it you felt the need to lie to me?"

Maz Koshia didn't allow Link the chance to fight back — he had to keep him calm. He had to keep everyone calm. He held up a hand, hoping to stave off Phantom Ganon's wrath. "Leave him be, spirit," he urged. "It was at my insistence that he refused you." He shook his head, gesturing to the Guidance Stone. "I only want accurate data."

The spirit whirled his blazing eye on him. He threw his arms up. "Oh ho, so all that about testing him on an empty stomach was just a load of crap then?"

Despite the spirit's tone, the monk remained collected. He ironed out a glare threatening his brow, explaining calmly, "They do work better on an empty stomach, and I intend to account for that. He had his first test — a control test." The spirit's jaw worked as he spoke. The monk continued, shaking his head, "But I couldn't starve him all day — the boy needed to eat. We all did."

Phantom Ganon drew his chin back, agape at what he was hearing. At what the monk thought he knew. "And just what do you know about his needs?" he scoffed, gesturing to the table. "Shitty food and a pat on the head? God, gimme a break!"

Maz Koshia's face twitched, his chest panging with something akin to shame. Link's eyes flew from the indignant spirit and to the monk as he wilted slightly. He had heard enough. More than enough. Maz Koshia didn't deserve this.

Link stormed forward. "That's enough, Phantom!" he snarled, capturing the spirit's attention. He shook his head. "What do you care, anyway? You can't even eat!"

Phantom Ganon cocked his head, growling, "That's not the point, Master." He stabbed a finger at the monk, making him cringe back. "It's not fair. He can feed you, but I can't — he can touch you, but I can't!" He curled his hands into fists as the two of them gawked, backing up slightly.

Scowling the monk from head to toe, the spirit shoved his face into Maz Koshia's, continuing with a growl, "Don't think I haven't noticed you getting all touchy-feely with him as of late! Just what the hell do you think you're playing at?!"

The monk scowled, drawing his chin back. There was a brief pause before he scrounged up his words. "...I'm not playing at anything," he dismissed stiffly. "I'm only trying to help. That's what I'm here for — "

"No no no, that's what I'm here for," Phantom Ganon corrected icily, slapping a hand against his chest. "You were only supposed to teach him to swing a sword. This," he snarled, snatching up Link's sludgy forearm and yanking him toward him, despite his squirming, "All of this — is my job. Mine. So back off."

Quick as a lightning strike, Phantom Ganon lunged and thrust his palm into Maz Koshia's chest, punching the breath out of him. The monk's head snapped forward, his chin hitting his chest. He immediately broke into a coughing fit, crashing into a chair and clutching his bandages.

Link, Purah, and Symin gasped, jolting. Link wrenched his arm free of Phantom Ganon's hold, surging for the monk. "Maz!" he wheezed.

A flood of toxic outrage swelled in Link's gut at the monk's struggling. His Malice twisted, giving a heavy thud. But he didn't have time to let his emotions past the floodgates.

Phantom Ganon barely gave the monk a moment to collect his breath before he stomped forward and towered over him, snarling, "Know your place, monk — or I'll beat it into you."

Maz Koshia sank into the back of the chair, his breath choked and choppy in the wake of his attack. But even so, a dirty smirk flickered on his lips. He raised his head, meeting Phantom Ganon's glare.

The monk snorted. "That is your job, isn't it?" he teased.

Phantom Ganon's eye smoldered with temptation. But before he could give in, a sudden chirp shocked the tense atmosphere. The Slate Lite flashed on the table, wrenching their attention to it, as if trying to stop Phantom Ganon from doing any further damage.

Purah squeaked at the notification. Blinking back into lucidity, she swallowed, risking a glance at the Slate Lite. "...D-data's here," she murmured, her voice little more than a whisper.

Nobody moved for a moment. Though the data beckoned, everyone's gazes simultaneously trailed back to Phantom Ganon, to see how he would react. He scoffed beneath their stares, straightening and taking in Maz Koshia and Link as they huddled beneath him. The weary scowl on the monk's face was evidence enough that he had done his job, though he ignored the vindictive fire blazing in Link's eyes.

Those eyes would be on him. Not the monk. Him. Soon.

The spirit turned on Maz Koshia, now bored of their spat. "Go ahead," he snarled. "Play with your little toys, run your tests. But come midnight, you better stay outta my way."

With that, he shouldered past him, nearly knocking Maz Koshia off of his chair. Thankfully, Link was there to hold him steady. After ensuring he was all right, they stared after Phantom Ganon for a moment as he stomped off, kicking over a stack of books as he went. He finally seated himself in the far corner, draping his spear across his lap. The spirit's eye glowered wordlessly at them as he procured a stropping stone out of thin air and began to sharpen his weapon.

There was a brief pause before Maz Koshia slumped over, letting loose a few wheezy coughs. Link knelt beside him, the rage in his eyes immediately fizzling. After clearing his throat, the monk offered him as reassuring a smile as he could manage.

"C'mon," he began, gesturing to the Slate Lite. "We ought to get another scan running."

Under the burning scrutiny of Phantom Ganon, they did just that. After taking a moment to jot down the data from their initial scan, Maz Koshia, Purah, and Link gathered again on the stage. Symin stayed behind, cleaning up the remnants of their meal and sweeping up the broken plates as they worked.

Link averted his gaze from Phantom Ganon as he sat himself on the pedestal. Throughout it all, his head swilled with a draught of déjà vu. And though he was too distracted to notice it, that strange, nebulous noise crept inside his head again like a thin fog, just subtle enough that he never registered it.

With the scan complete and running, the trio retired to the table, pouring over Link's data. For the most part, it was nothing remarkable. His vitals were stable, his heart rate fluctuating slightly — but again, Maz Koshia figured that was due to nerves. Link had certainly suffered through a less-than-relaxing few days.

No, the only notable return from their base scan was their analysis of Link's Malice. Maz Koshia had had high hopes for it, but what came back was about as useless as it was intriguing. As sophisticated as they were, the lab's analytical instruments didn't seem to know how to read the dark, mysterious substance. All that came back on the screen was a shattered heap of Sheikah glyphs that none of them — not even Maz Koshia — could make sense of.

0̷̯͗1̶͙́0̴͈̈́0̶̺̅1̴̂͜0̵̬͗0̸͕̂1̷̲̓ ̷̦̽0̷̳̏0̴̝͝1̶̼̈́0̴̩͝0̵̭͝0̷̯̇0̵͕̒0̷̪͑ ̶̨͑0̴̭̿1̵̟̈1̷͍͆1̶̢͌0̶̬͊0̸̥̆1̷͓̒1̷̲͌ ̵̻̐0̵̙͠1̸̦̂1̵̗̄0̷̨̉1̶͔̃0̶̒͜0̸̞̈0̶̙̇ ̷̘͐0̷̭̈́1̸̡̓1̴̡̓0̵̥̃0̷͖̃0̴͇̎0̵͖̕1̷̡̛ ̶̀ͅ0̸͕͘1̶̬͊1̴̼̽0̴̧̉1̷̳̃1̸̬̄0̴̛̫0̶̩͑ ̸̠̊0̷͙̔1̶̰̔1̷̭́0̶̞̂1̵̥͝1̶̖́0̶̟͝0̷̣̂ ̷̣̊0̴̦̉0̷̙̄1̸̬̎0̷̟̆0̵̣̌0̸͍̾0̷̧̂0̷̯̓ ̶̦̇0̷̤̿1̴͙̈1̵̪͝0̸͕̊0̶̝̏0̷̖̊1̶͔͌1̸̱͘ ̸̫̌0̸͕͑1̸̫̏1̷͙͊0̶̛̹1̶̱̈́1̶̼̈1̴̘̕1̵̺͆ ̷̭͆0̷̳̈́1̷̺͋1̴͉̌0̴̰̓1̵̩͗1̵̻͝1̸̥͋0̴̺̐ ̷̟̀0̶̥̃1̴͈̔1̵̫͘1̶̨́0̵̜̔0̴̬̊1̷̠͐1̶̗̉ ̵̟͐0̸̭̑1̶̺̉1̷͖́1̸̛͓0̶̮͠1̸̼̍0̶̞͝1̴̺̈́ ̶̣̀0̶͎̀1̴̥͆1̶̹̂0̵̬̈́1̸͜͝1̴̟̀0̶͇̉1̴͉͛ ̵͇̇0̷̻͛1̸̭͛1̴͈̕0̷̜̑0̷̭͠1̵̣͋0̸̬̓1̸͙͊ ̸̘̆1̴̠͝1̵̤̾1̷̰̇0̵̻́0̸̢͝0̷̘͑1̸̻̕0̴̖̇ ̸̨͗1̵̞͑0̷̝͘0̵̦͝0̷̗̅0̸̦̅0̵̞̔0̵͍̈́0̴͖̀ ̶͈̎1̸̰̿0̴̺̂1̵̙̑0̸͇͛0̴̺̄1̸̙̆1̸̧͆0̷͖̈́ ̷͓̀0̴͈̈́0̸̤̎1̶̗̅0̶̹̈0̶̺́0̷̤̐0̴̮͆0̴͙̈́ ̶̻̕0̶͚̌1̸̲͛0̸͕̔0̴̜̃0̴̲̇0̷̧̍1̷̖͐1̴̫̚ ̸̟͝0̶̥̀1̷͔͛1̴̨͌0̷̩̾1̵̬̎1̷̬̀1̶͍̇1̶̼͋ ̷̫̿0̴͙͋1̴͕́1̷̯̈́0̶̺̎1̷̗̏1̵̡̓1̸̲̅0̶̟̋ ̵̃ͅ0̷̻͊1̵̳̿1̵̙̈́1̸͓̂0̴͈̈́0̴͕̕1̸̟̓1̸͈̆ ̸̩͆0̸̮̚1̶̯̿1̵̥͆1̶̝͛0̶̯̊1̶͕̓0̷͙̾1̷̯̈́ ̶̞̂0̷̭͝1̶̱̆1̷͎̃0̵͉̌1̶̖̀1̴̱̅0̶̧͝1̸̰̒ ̶͇̔0̸̘͝1̴̥͠1̴͙̍0̸̜̀0̶̼̎1̸̟̽0̸͓̄1̴̡̂ ̵̦̆1̸̯̋1̶̱̐1̶̗̒0̴̡̋0̴̳̈́0̸͙͘1̵̝͋0̷͉̽ ̸̩͘1̴̦͑0̴̹̂0̵̳̓0̷̻͂0̶͇̍0̴̩̀0̵̣́0̴͕͋ ̶̬͘1̴̖͆0̴͚͠1̵̝̅0̵͙͆0̴̢̌1̸̲͊1̸͔̿0̷̺̋ ̴̫̈́0̵̮̊0̸̞̉1̶̘̔0̸̜͐0̴̧̈́0̴̻͆0̵͓͆0̸͎̓ ̶͚̓0̷̛̤1̶̱̕0̷̺̈́0̶̹̓0̴̬̐0̸̼̋1̵̽ͅ1̵͇̏ ̸̪͋0̵̭̎1̸̠͊1̷̹̀0̷͑ͅ1̵̖̽1̸͕̄1̴̭̀1̶̗̍ ̶̞̆0̷̲̀1̶̰͗1̷̞̏0̸̬̊1̷̧́1̷̼͒1̸͕̀0̴̳͌ ̴̦̋0̶̬̋1̶̣̕1̷̪̈1̴͍͗0̵͓͌0̸̟̽1̸̩͘1̶̣͝ ̶̟͠0̸͍̀1̴͇͋1̸̳̈́1̷̟͋0̶̡̅1̵̝̋0̶̘͘1̶̘̈́ ̴̼̍0̵̯͛1̸̠̏1̷͉̈́0̸̾͜1̷̧̽1̷̩̈́0̵̻̂1̶̩͝ ̸̻̔0̶͉̈́1̶̥͊1̴̹̽0̷̮͒0̴̡͛1̷̢͌0̷͕̉1̴͕̀ ̴͔̃0̴̎ͅ0̶̱̍1̶͎̍0̷͚͌0̸̪͊0̷̺̈́0̷̙̉0̷̳́ ̶̳͒0̴̅ͅ1̸͎͂1̸͖͆0̷̲̐0̴̨͒1̵̧̓0̴̭͌1̷͉̔ ̷̭̄0̴̀͜1̷̰͗1̸͖͆1̷͎̚0̶͗ͅ1̷͍͝1̷͕̿0̵̭͂ ̸̮̂0̶͇̿1̷̰̊1̸̝͝0̸̡̔0̷͈͋1̷͇̑0̴̯͛1̸͕̄ ̷̨̑0̵̣̅1̶̠̅1̷̩͘1̷͇̈́0̷̩͗0̴̧̅1̷̼̕0̸̰̆ ̷͎͝0̸̞͆1̸̙̅1̷̫̓1̸͈̇1̵̞͝0̶̣͌0̷̱̄1̸͉̿ ̶͖̔0̶̣̏1̸̰̓1̶̫̽1̶̫̀0̴̱̄1̸̹̓0̶̰̋0̷̨͗ ̴͙̐0̶̥͊1̸̱̾1̶̥͑0̴̩̏1̷̮̓0̸̫̐0̶̭̃0̷͙̽ ̸͚͠0̴̼̇1̸͚̇1̸̫̿0̶͎͐1̴̙̌0̸̟̓0̷̧͗1̵͇͌ ̶͈̐0̴̰̕1̷̖̾1̶̤͗0̸͚̐1̴̑ͅ1̵̛̱1̴̗̉0̷̬͋ ̷͉̊0̸̞̎1̵͈̍1̷̘̒0̷̰͂0̵̝͒1̷̝̐1̸͖͝1̸̰̓ ̶̠̀0̵̳̉0̷̪̎1̸̢̐0̴̳̈́1̷̬̉1̴͖̐1̸̼̽0̸̬́

Maz Koshia frowned into Slate Lite. "Huh," he mused. "Not... what I was expecting."

But whatever he was expecting, he never found. He couldn't linger on the mess of glyphs. Not now. He had tests to run — and a lot of them.

And so the remainder of the day went. They waited. Tested. And waited some more. For Link's tests to come back. For the Blood Moon to rise. For the spirit's training. But time was neither on their side, nor against them. It seemed to simultaneously stop and soar as they anxiously watched the hours creep up.

Link wasn't sure which he preferred — the death march, or the merciless current. But he tried not to consume himself with the thought of time, focusing instead on the regular tests Maz Koshia ran on him. Despite the occasional coughing fit, the monk became a well-oiled machine, keeping track of prior tests and executing new ones every few hours, monitoring every change, every nuance of Link's results like a man possessed.

Though his mounting anxiety spiked his blood pressure a few notches, Link's vitals remained surprisingly stable with each test that came back. But his Malice stirred more frequently. He gradually developed a headache from clenching his jaw. But even then, it wasn't anything alarming — anything abnormal. The thought both worried and relieved Maz Koshia.

Moreover, he wasn't sure what to expect, but he nevertheless was perturbed by what came. Rather, the lack of it. Yet, throughout it all, their routine tests became something of a comfort to them as the day waned. But, like all good things, that comfort didn't last.

It was half past eleven when Link found himself pacing back and forth, hugging himself, his eyes trained into the shining bones in his feet. As they waited for his latest tests to come back, his tongue stung with something metallic; he had unconsciously chewed his lip till his scab bled, blood dribbling down his chin. But he hardly noticed.

He certainly wasn't the only one on edge. Phantom Ganon's choler had since mellowed into an antsy simmer. He laid spreadeagle on the floor in the corner, rapping his fingers on his eye, checking the time on the Sheikah Slate every other minute.

Through the storm of anxiety blustering in his skull, Link thought he overheard the spirit grumble for the ability to speed up time, lamenting his lack of an instrument — and lips — to do so. Link had no idea what that was all about, but he didn't care.

Meanwhile, Maz Koshia, Purah, and Symin sat at the table, scribbling down their latest findings from Link's tests in the wide swath of notebooks and charts littering the tabletop. Purah and Symin had their noses buried in their work, scribbling in silence.

Purah finished transcribing Link's vitals onto a chart, setting her pencil down. Leaning back, she took another swig of the coffee Symin had brewed. Rubbing her eyes, she glanced about the lab, her bleary gaze landing on Link as he paced, before traveling to the Guidance Stone. She then brought her eyes to the Slate Lite on the table, where it sat, idle.

Purah's eyelids fluttered. She suddenly realized that they hadn't run a new scan of Link yet. It had been a while. Maz Koshia had gotten their prior results, but had hobbled to the table, somewhat breathless, needing to sit down to write them out. Now, puzzled, Purah pulled her gaze from Link, looking to the monk, who had gone strangely quiet.

Her heart skipped a beat when she caught sight of the monk slumped face-down over the tabletop, forehead resting on his wrists. Strewn across the table were his notebooks, stubby pencils, crumpled handkerchiefs, a coffee cup, and his painkillers. Symin brought them to him hours before. One bottle lay on the table, empty; the other sat near his elbow, nearly dry as well.

Purah sat up. Something was wrong. "Maz?" she asked, breaking the tepid silence in the air.

The monk twitched, but didn't respond. Symin and Phantom Ganon lifted their heads. Purah's voice wrenched Link out of his mind. He ground to a halt, whirling his gaze toward Maz Koshia, only for his blood to ice over.

Abandoning his pacing, Link scrambled over. "Maz?!" he breathed.

He might as well have shouted into the monk's ear — Maz Koshia sat bolt upright, sucking in a gasp that immediately caught in his throat. He doubled over, snatching up a handkerchief and burying his coughs into it. Link, Symin, and Purah gathered around, faces strained. Fortunately, after a moment or two, Maz Koshia caught his breath.

He ironed out a grimace as he faced Link. "What's the matter?" he croaked, holding his chest. "A-are you all right?"

Link's eyes were wide, almost vacant, as he stared at the monk. What was going on? He swallowed, nodding. "Y-yeah," he said, shirking the monk's concern. "What about you? You okay? Did you fall asleep?"

Maz Koshia struggled to blink off the sharp, staticky pain in his chest. "I'm fine," he replied, grunting. "Just… resting my head." His grimace softened when he spied the blood on Link's chin. His shoulders sagged. "Link, y-you're bleeding," he murmured. "Here." Raising his handkerchief, he took Link by the jaw and cleaned the blood dripping down his chin.

Balling up the handkerchief, he stole a quick glance to Link's Malice, his glowing bones. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but both the sludge and Link's bones seemed to be glowing... brighter. Swallowing, Maz Koshia looked to the Guidance Stone. Like Purah, he abruptly realized he had fallen behind on his tests.

Maz Koshia checked the time on the Slate Lite. He pursed his lips. They were so close. They had to keep going. With a motivating breath, Maz Koshia stabilized his hands against the table and heaved himself to his feet with a wheezy grunt. His knees shook, his sternum burning. Something stirred in his stomach as well.

But he tried not to let it show as he gently steered Link toward the stage, encouraging, "C'mon, we can run another test before midnight strikes."

Purah and Symin were immediately at their side, Slate Lite and notes in tow. Phantom Ganon, meanwhile, watched them from where he lay in the corner. He glanced at the time, groaned, and thunked his head against the floor.

The group returned to the stage, though not with as much haste as they would have liked. Maz Koshia's head hung as he clung to Link like a lifeline, dragging his feet. He was shaking like a leaf. Link gaped at him as the monk's breath scratched in his ears, something inside him souring at his alarmingly-sudden dip in health.

"Maz, a-are you sure you're okay?" Link wondered as the monk guided him to the pedestal, sitting him down. "You don't look good."

The monk swayed on his feet, quickly grabbing hold of Symin. He nodded, pulling on a smile, reassuring Link, "I'm fine." Link was entirely unconvinced, but Maz Koshia kept him from protesting, inspecting his body. His smile hardened into one of determination. "We need to focus on you, hero," he insisted, almost scolding him. "You are far more important than I."

Link chest tightened at that.

After running another test, the group dispersed back to the table. To wait. Maz Koshia desperately needed more painkillers, his breath picking up. But Link never made it to the table. He paused in the middle of the room, making a face. A strange sensation had come over him from out of nowhere. He wasn't sure if the room had always been this muggy, but the air seemed to adhere to his skin all of a sudden, his scalp and cheeks flushing.

Shifting his feet, he exhaled, looking toward the door. "I need some air..." he mumbled, making for the door.

Phantom Ganon suddenly shot bolt upright, his eye immediately finding Link's back. A shudder rippled through his shadow body. He didn't even need to check the clock to know what time it was.

"Finally," the spirit sighed under his breath.

As if a siren were calling to him, he jumped to his feet, hovering after Link as he stepped out onto the front porch. Maz Koshia watched the spirit rush after Link, his stomach churning. He suppressed a retch. He flew to his feet as well, guzzling a mouthful of painkillers and hobbling after them, something noxious brewing in his gut. Purah and Symin threw down their notes, not far behind.

Oblivious to the commotion in the lab, Link stepped outside. The cool, playful night breeze tousled his hair and soothed his suddenly-sweltering skin. But as he left the warm light of the lab, he transformed into something… unrecognizable; he became completely skeletal in the darkness, his bones and his Malice beaming with a supernatural magenta light through his practically-invisible skin.

But he wasn't paying any heed to the bizarre illuminations of his body. Far from it. The moment Link stepped outside, he automatically craned his face toward the heavens, gazing into the vast, inky-blue dome of the night sky unfurling above him, speckled with a tapestry of stars. On any other night, the sight would have been breathtaking. But Link wasn't stargazing. He found himself involuntarily scouring the sky for something — something that he knew was rising, but had yet to see.

And then… he finally saw it.

Link's jaw dropped, his heart giving a cold, dead thud in his chest. Something was rising above the peaks of a snow-draped mountain range in the distance. Something that sent a frigid trickle of horror into Link's blood, congealing it into tar in his veins.

A great disc of crimson light crawled into the heavens, painting the sky around it a morbid shade of blood-spatter red. Perhaps it was the light, the swell of heat in his head, or the rising tide of panic bubbling up inside him, but Link could have sworn there was a face in the moon, the mare that pocked its surface forming eyes, a grinning, devilish mouth.

And it looked right at him.

He sank to his knees, as if in worship. "Oh my goddess…!" Link whimpered.

In his trance, he didn't notice that he had company. The three Sheikah had skidded to a dead halt on the doorstep. Purah and Symin clung to each other. Maz Koshia's gaze flew from the Blood Moon to Link. His stomach heaved at the sight of him, knelt and skeletal, his eyes as moony and vacant as the celestial body above.

Phantom Ganon stood immediately behind Link, his eye red and full. He knelt as well as he beheld his master. Had he the capacity to drool, his fangs would have dripped.

Cold, heavy hands slithered onto Link's shoulders. "Almost time, Master…" Phantom Ganon purred in his ear.

A surge of raw desire wrung Link's body from out of nowhere — it seized him like a riptide. He twisted away from Phantom Ganon, sucking in a sharp gasp through his teeth as his Malice thrashed on his arms, exploding with magenta light. While Link's thickened blood roiled with disgust at the spirit's proximity, something inside of him thrilled at the stimulation of his Malice. An involuntary grin cracked across his mouth.

He doubled over the split-second the notion dawned on him, endeavoring to snuff it out as fast as he could. It wasn't right. He cried out, clamping his hands against his head, writhing against the hypnotic writhing of the poison smothering his arms.

While the spirit ogled at his handiwork, Maz Koshia threw himself to Link's aid. He couldn't bear it anymore. He stumbled forward, shoving past Phantom Ganon and crashing to his knees before Link. He laid his hands on Link's chest, his back, pulling his frantic gaze to him.

"Link — " the monk urged through his teeth. He cut off, breath hitching. He ducked his head, pinching his eyes shut as a swell of burning, nauseating pain surged through his core, throttling his insides. He bit back a scream bloating in his chest, pushing Link to his feet, stammering, "L-let's get you inside. C'mon!"

Link nodded wildly, his breath surging. Half-dragging, half-shoving Link, Maz Koshia ushered them all back inside, even amidst the throes of agony crushing him from within. Despite his hobbling, he moved quickly, rushing Link back toward the lab before Phantom Ganon could stop him.

"HEY!" the spirit cried. "Get back here!" He stormed after them, chains swinging.

But they never made it into the lab. Link's skull gave a sudden rush. His head lolled, his vision blurring. He tottered forward, a tremendous weight crashing upon his head — as if something were trying to pierce it and worm its way inside his skull.

His face split with blinding pain and gore, a jet of blood gushing out of his nose and spurting from his third eye. Link pinched all three eyes shut against it, crying out. But the eye on his forehead snapped open after a moment. It seemed to gain sentience, its glimmering golden iris darting here and there before slowly turning to gaze at the three Sheikah before it. They all froze beneath its fixated stare, as if it were… analyzing them.

Oblivious to it, Link swayed, clamping a hand over his nose and mouth. He turned his gaze, glistening with terror, on Maz Koshia. "S-something's wrong — something's wrong!" he stammered. He lost strength in his knees, head swimming as he flopped over and grasped at the monk with bloody, shaking hands.

"Link — !" the monk choked, trying to catch him.

But Maz Koshia froze when a wrench of nausea wrung his gut. Something hot shot up his throat. He heaved, slapping a hand against his mouth, doubling over. Before Link's searing mind could process what was happening, Maz Koshia had pivoted and broken into a staggered sprint for the backyard, turning the corner before being violently sick on the lawn.

Link's heavy head snapped up. Purah started in her spot. Symin darted after the monk, crying out his name.

"Maz?!" Link cried, wobbling to his feet.

He tried to make a break for the monk, but Phantom Ganon appeared behind him, quickly seizing him by the shoulders. He whirled Link around to face him as easily as if he were a rag doll.

"Never mind him, Master," the spirit dismissed, breathless and trembling with anticipation. He drew his eye, ablaze with excitement, into Link's face, beaming, "Your training beckons. Come, to the beach! It's time."

The spirit tried to pull him along, but Link shook his head, grinding his heels into the grass. "No!" he refused, blinking out the gore flooding into his eyes. "No — I have to see if he's okay!" He turned his head in Maz Koshia's direction, squirming in the spirit's grip. "Let me go! Maz!"

Phantom Ganon's excitement instantly rotted at Link's refusal. He shuddered, his eye flashing a venomous vermilion. "Oh, for the love of — !" Link's brain sloshed in his skull, his chin hitting his chest as the spirit gave him a rough shake. "God, would you forget about that damn monk for ONE MINUTE?!" Phantom Ganon screamed. "He had his chance. It's MY turn! We are going to train! NOW!"

He tried to drag Link off again, but Link adamantly held his ground. Incredibly, his strength matched Phantom Ganon's, the pair wrestling on equal footing. A notion that had the spirit reeling for a moment.

"No! Let me go!" Link repeated, wrestling with the spirit.

But no matter his master's squirming, the spirit refused to let go, to let the monk ruin this for him. To let Link deny himself this gift he was so ready to give him. "You're MINE!" Phantom Ganon howled, boring his nails into Link's skin as he thrashed, drawing blood. "MINE, YOU HEAR ME?!"

But Link wouldn't stop his struggling. It was infuriating. Phantom Ganon gave him another violent shake, screaming, "STOP — FIGHTING ME!"

"NO!" Link roared.

Link somehow managed to free himself, rearing his arms back to shove Phantom Ganon off of him. But what was meant to be a shove mutated into a veritable hurricane of brutality. Obeying his blood-crazed fury, Link's Malice gurgled and thickened, bulking his arms till they doubled in mass.

Link drew back his hulking weapons, propelling his Malice into Phantom Ganon's chest with every shred of strength he could muster. His bones sparked brighter, seemingly bolstering his power. The spirit was launched backward in a split-second, nearly decapitated for the sheer force of it — he blasted through the front doors of the lab, barreling into the central table inside and rending it in two before he smashed into a bookcase at mach speed.

The very ground quaked in the wake of Link's retaliation. Purah, the only other person nearby, turned to stone in his shadow, her face white as a sheet. Her breath died in her chest as a crazed cackle ripped out of Link.

Oh, goddess — that had felt good. Too good. It was electrifying. Sheer ecstasy pulsed through Link's veins, his Malice nothing less than a supercharged drug in his system.

And part of him didn't want it to stop.

But that rush stagnated when a tearful whimper crept into Link's ears, rousing him from his high. He turned his wild-eyed gaze toward the source — to the little girl cowering at his feet, completely immobilized at the sight of his corrupted radiance.

He stiffened, his manic grin fading as he gazed into her tiny, shivering frame, her shimmering crimson eyes. It was a muddy crimson, not at all like the bloody light that bathed them from above, that enriched his very skin. There was no light in her eyes, no spark of amazement that should have been there at the sight of him.

Only fear. The sheer, soul-crushing fear of impending calamity now stared Link in the face.

Link's mouth hung open, his stampeding heart stumbling in his chest. He sucked in a rattled gasp, slowly bringing his gaze around to the thick, pulsating poison smothering his arms. Any progress he had made with Maz Koshia was utterly wasted now. Malice slathered his skin, inches thick, thumping and curdling, glowing and writhing — like some kind of living, breathing mass of life. Some creature. And it was attached to him.

He had… enjoyed it. Dear goddess. He had enjoyed it.

Link's high rushed out of his body as if someone had sucked his soul out of him. His limbs rattled, his spine tingling. With a gut-churning retch, he tripped on his own feet and crashed to his back in the dirt. His breath began to surge in and out of his lungs in panicked, raspy draws. He curled into a foetal ball, clamping his heavy, sinewy arms around himself in pointless efforts to contain their throbbing.

"N-no — !" he rasped, his voice thick. Rocking himself, he shook his head robotically, wincing and writhing against the uncontrollable surging of his Malice. "Stop — please! S-stop — !"

Link was far too entrenched in his downward spiral to notice Phantom Ganon dig himself out of the wreckage of the lab. The spirit shook a book off of his head, his eye spinning. His gaze immediately zeroed in on the struggling form of Link outside.

Phantom Ganon sat for a split second, aghast at what Link had done to him. It was nothing short of perfection. Sheer, godlike perfection. With a shuddery gasp of delight, Phantom Ganon rose from the wreckage, summoning his spear.

"God, look at you…!" he breathed, his voice trembling with hunger. He ambled forward, never once pulling his gaze from his master. "You're a masterpiece…!" With a giggle, he encouraged, "Yes, just like that, Master! Come on — the beach! My course is waiting for you…!"

He had just made it to the threshold of the door when something stopped him. At that moment, Symin and Maz Koshia rounded the corner outside. The monk draped himself over Symin's shoulders, grasping his stomach. His face twisted against the scalding pain wracking his insides, a trickle of Malice ran out of the corner of the monk's mouth and his nostrils. His throat burned as he gagged on the awful, acrid taste stinging his mouth.

But that was nothing compared to the unadulterated horror that throttled him when he caught sight of Link, crying and struggling on the ground. Maz Koshia stopped dead, his eyes widening.

He gaped at Link for a moment, breathless. "I can't," the monk breathed, shaking his head. "I can't do this…!"

Something possessed Maz Koshia, then. Something he had never felt before. A righteous fire blazed in his chest, superseding the pain garroting him from the inside out. He abandoned Symin, throwing himself toward Link. He tumbled to his knees when he reached him, immediately slipping his hand beneath Link's neck and raising his head.

Link's tortured expression melted at the sight of the monk. "M-Maz…!" Link whimpered.

Maz Koshia cupped his other hand around Link's cheek. "I'm here — I'm here, tell me what's wrong," he urged. "A-are you in pain?"

A heavy sob wracked Link's body, his Malice churning. "No, Maz, it feels good," he mewled, sniffling. "It feels so good." Hot tears streaming down his face, he shook his head, curling in on himself further, pleading, "I don't want to do this! Please, don't let me do this, please!"

Maz Koshia's brows knit together. He shook his head. "I won't," he firmly vowed. "I won't let anything bad happen to you, I promise." He took Link by the jaw with both hands. "I've made my decision. I cannot leave you to face this alone. I will travel with you, if you'll have me."

Link stopped cold, his jaw dropping. "R-really...?!" Link breathed, his eyes widening.

The monk stroked Link's cheek, warming them both with the light of his eyes. He sighed, as if in relief. "To the ends of the earth."

There was a split-second pause. Maz Koshia's response hung in the deafening silence filling the air. Before Maz Koshia could brace himself, Link leapt up in a blur, throwing his arms around him and burying his face into his chest.

Link immediately broke down into joyous tears, soaking the monk's bandages. "Thank you, Maz…" he sobbed, his voice muffled. "Thank you… Thank you..."

Maz Koshia froze in Link's embrace for a moment. He gave a shaky gasp as goosebumps shot across his skin, his throat tightening. The monk didn't hesitate to encircle his arms around Link, pulling him closer, pressing him into his chest. Link tightened his hold on him, squeezing him.

Maz Koshia's petrified heart filled in his chest. Had he the ability to cry, he would have sobbed alongside Link. The monk closed his eyes, rocking them gently as he stroked Link's back and ruffling his hair with his fingers.

"So much to see… So much I want to show you," the monk breathed, his eyes sparkling. "We'll leave first thing tomorrow, hero. For Zora's Domain. We'll leave together."

Link's breath hitched as he gave a contented laugh. He curled his fingers into the monk's skin, sniffling happily, "Together."

The hilltop fell silent. Beautifully silent. Purah and Symin watched on, gazes wide, at the scene before them. Link and Maz Koshia held each other for what felt like a blissful eternity.

But Maz Koshia suddenly noticed something… amiss. Link was still clinging to him, with no signs of letting go. With the Malice still coating Link's arms, the monk's skin should have been smoking by that point beneath his hold. Maz Koshia had inadvertently braced himself for it, his back taut.

But... the monk quickly realized that he wasn't in any pain. The air lacked the smell of singed flesh. Something wasn't right.

With tremendous effort, the monk slowly pulled back, his mind stuck. His hands wandered to Link's shoulders. Link's clean shoulders. Maz Koshia jolted, his eyes widening as his hands trailed down the smooth, transparent skin on Link's arms.

His Malice had completely retreated.

The two of them immediately locked eyes. "Link…?" Maz Koshia marveled. A smile spread across his mouth. He gripped Link's shoulders firmly, beaming upon him. "Y-you did it…! You did it! That's my boy!"

Weak, teary laughter stumbled out of Link as he beheld his vanished Malice. Maz Koshia, still agape at him, released a euphoric gasp, doubling over and covering his mouth with awe. He beamed upon Link, reaching out and cupping his cheek. Link cupped a hand over the monk's hand, cradling his cheek in his rough palm. Maz Koshia released another awed sigh, brushing away the fresh tears leaking down Link's bone mask.

"That's my boy..." the monk repeated, breathless.

And for that one moment, everything was perfect.

Then a spear clattered to the ground.

---

Oh, boy. Things escalated quickly there.

Gosh, this one was so much fun to put to pen. So intense! I hope I could capture a rising dread that finally - FINALLY- boiled over. But what will all this amount to? On a blood moon... nothing good. We'll just have to wait and see in the next chapter!

That blood moon introduction was so scary, I tell you. I tried to recapture that dread I felt when I first encountered the blood moon. I hope you felt it too. And I also hope you caught the little references to other games and such in this chapter! Phantom especially has some fun little references planned. If any of you eagle-eyed readers find them, let me know! Moreover, let's see who can crack the new message. ;) It's a fun one.

Before I go, how are we liking longer chapters? This one was the longest yet. Would you like me to shorten future updates? Let me know! I love hearing your feedback. Whether it be suggestions, predictions, or just a thought, I love hearing from you. Thank you so much for your readership and support. You mean the WORLD to me. Please stay safe and healthy out there.

Let me know what you thought! I'll be seeing you in the next update... Hold onto your socks.